Patent ID: 6491618
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: A61B,A61N,H01J

Abstract:
An apparatus for killing or debilitating pathogenic microorganisms in the treatment of an infectious gastrointestinal ailment, within a body cavity of a patient including gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, gastric lymphoma, inflammatory bowel disease, cytomegalovirus ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's disease, said apparatus comprising:an instrument body having an elongated shaft for insertion into a body cavity of the patient, a light radiation source connected to the shaft for destroying or debilitating microorganisms within the body of the patient, said light radiation source comprising a lamp for exposing an interior wall of the gastrointestinal tract of the patient to light radiation, the lamp being constructed to produce radiation that immediately kills or debilitates the microorganisms through apoptosis or program cell death by preventing further replication thereof through mutation or disruption of metabolic processes, such that the light radiation transmitted from the lamp to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract surrounding the shaft of the apparatus kills or debilitates pathogenic microorganisms supported on or within the epithelium lining the body cavity that is being treated without damage, destruction or ablation of the wall of the body cavity to thereby reduce or alleviate the symptoms of said ailment.