Unmet Medical Need:  Skin-penetrating catheters and lines, essential to medical management, carry downside risk of superinfection by migration of skin flora. This threat requires culture protocols and meticulous dressing changes. If infection becomes established, antibiotics and surgical interventions are inevitable, with potential for septicemia and death. Superinfection increases health care costs and adversely affects patient welfare, making eradication of this threat essential. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) provide life-sustaining mechanical circulatory support and a high visibility, humanitarian target for groundbreaking infection prevention strategies.

Envisioned Healthcare Product:  The principle of differential ultraviolet sterilization (DUVS) has been demonstrated. The DUVS-LVAD driveline sterilizer will transmit ultra-short narrow-band ultraviolet light to a weave of optical fibers surrounding the driveline. Leakage of ultraviolet light will kill microorganisms attempting to migrate down the driveline.

Stage of Development: Proof-of-Concept

June 2016 UPDATE

June 2017 Publication

February 2017 Publication

First prize, American Association for Thoracic Surgery innovative research competition, 2017

Collaborative Research Team: Adreas Hielscher PhD and Henry Spotnitz MD

Funding Cycle: 2014-2015