Disinfecting Methods and Apparatus

Abstract

Light disinfecting systems are provided in which light emanating from an end or side of an optical fiber is used to disinfect a target site. According to one implementation a light beam emanating from an end emitting optical fiber is directed into a body that includes a plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site. According to one implementation the plurality of optical surfaces include a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a total reflective surface with the total reflective optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the beam of bacterial disinfecting light.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly for bacterially disinfecting a designated target site of a patient, the assembly comprising:
 a first end emitting fiber having a first proximal end and a first terminal end located distal to the first proximal end, the first terminal end configured to end emit a first beam of bacterial disinfecting light in a first distal direction, the first end emitting fiber being a transport fiber; and   a first body including a first plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site, the first plurality of optical surfaces including a first refractive optical surface, a second refractive optical surface and a first total internal reflection optical surface, the first total internal reflection optical surface being a continuous surface, the first total internal reflection optical surface being disposed between the first and second refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light, the first refractive optical surface and the first total internal reflection optical surface being arranged facing one another, the second refractive optical surface and the first total internal reflection optical surface being arranged facing one another in a manner that results in the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light reflected by the first total internal reflection optical surface being passed through the second refractive surface to impinge on the target site when the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is directed into the first body, in the designated optical pathway of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light there being no light scattering elements disposed between the first total internal reflection optical surface and second refractive optical surface, none of the first total internal reflection optical surface, first refractive optical surface and second refractive optical surface being a part of an optical fiber, the first total internal reflection optical surface configured to cause the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light to be directed in a first proximal direction.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second end emitting fiber having a second proximal end and a second terminal end located distal to the second proximal end, the second terminal end configured to end emit a second beam of bacterial disinfecting light in a second distal direction, the second end emitting fiber being a transport fiber; and   a second body including a second plurality of optical surfaces that are configured to direct at least a portion of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light to the target site such that the at least a portion of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light overlaps with the at least a portion of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light at the target site, the second plurality of optical surfaces including a third refractive optical surface, a fourth refractive optical surface and a second total internal reflection optical surface, the second total internal reflection optical surface being disposed between the third and fourth refractive optical surfaces in a designated optical pathway of the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light, the fourth refractive optical surface and the second total internal reflection optical surface being arranged facing one another in a manner that results in the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light reflected by the second total internal reflection optical surface being passed through the fourth refractive surface to impinge on the target site when the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light is directed into the second body, in the designated optical pathway of the second beam there being no light scattering elements disposed between the second total internal reflection optical surface and fourth refractive optical surface, the third refractive optical surface and the second total internal reflection optical surface being arranged facing one another, none of the second total internal reflection optical surface, third refractive optical surface and fourth refractive optical surface being a part of an optical fiber, the second total internal reflection optical surface configured to cause the second beam of bacterial disinfecting light to be directed in a second proximal direction that is non-parallel to the first proximal direction.   
     
     
         3 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first body and second body comprise a unitary structure. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second bodies comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the unitary structure comprises a molded polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber is located in a lumen or recess of the first body. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein an index matching material is disposed between the first terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber and the first refractive optical surface of the first body. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the second refractive optical surface of the first body constitutes at least a portion of a bottom of the first body. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the second refractive surface of the first body is a concave surface. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of optical surfaces of the first and body further comprises a third total internal reflection optical surface, the third total internal reflection optical surface being located between the first total internal reflection optical surface and the second refractive optical surface of the first body. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the first terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber is located at a first location in the first body and is configured to end emit the first beam of disinfecting light in a direction distal to the first location, the plurality of optical surfaces of the first body being arranged in or on the first body such that when the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is emitted from the first terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber at least a portion of the light is caused to exit the first body at a second location proximal to the first location. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first total internal reflection optical surface comprises a boundary between a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index less than the first refractive index, the second material being air. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first material comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly according to  claim 7 , wherein the index matching material is an adhesive that secures the first end emitting optical fiber to the first body. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first end emitting optical fiber comprises at an end thereof a power density lowering end cap. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , further comprising a first through opening located between a side of the first body and a side of the second body, the first through opening extending from a top surface of the assembly to a bottom surface of the assembly and being configured to accommodate the passage of a medical device. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the assembly further comprises a substrate, the substrate including one or more channels in which reside one or more radially emitting optical fibers that are configured to radially emit bacterial disinfecting light, the substrate being at least partially transparent to the bacterial disinfecting light, the first and second bodies being positioned above and physically coupled to the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the assembly further comprises a liquid absorbent pad that is at least partially transparent to the first and second beams of bacterial disinfecting light, the liquid absorbent pad being located beneath at least a portion of the first and second bodies and having a second through opening in communication with the first through opening. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first end emitting optical fiber, first refractive optical surface and first total internal reflection optical surface of the first body are configured such that when the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light is emitted from the first terminal end of the first end emitting optical fiber an entirety of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light exiting the first refractive optical surface is transported inside the first body to the first total internal reflection optical surface. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first total internal reflection optical surface and second refractive optical surface are arranged with respect to one another and configured such that an entirety of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light received at the first total internal reflection optical surface is reflected onto the second refractive optical surface through the first body. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the first total internal reflection optical surface and second refractive optical surface are arranged with respect to one another and configured such that an entirety of the first beam of bacterial disinfecting light received at the first total internal reflection optical surface is reflected onto the second refractive optical surface through the first body.