University of Strathclyde

The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Scott John MacGregor

John Galloway Anderson

Michelle Maclean

Gerald Alexander Woolsey

Chintamani Atreya

Steven McCallum Turnbull

Richard Anthony Fouracre

Steven Mccallum Turnbull

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for the inactivation of pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses, etc.) in ex vivo stored blood products, such as plasma and/or platelets, by means of directing visible light radiation from an illuminating device into blood product storage containers in order to achieve effective pathogen inactivation without the presence of an added photosensitising agent in the blood product. An exemplary apparatus includes a control unit that operates a light source that emits light in the wavelength region of about 380-500 nm which is directed onto blood product storage bags at sufficient intensity to penetrate the bag material and the opaque blood product therein in order to inactivate pathogens in the blood product but at dose levels that cause no significant detrimental effects on the blood product.

Inactivation of pathogens in ex vivo blood products in storage bags using visible light

A method for inactivating medically important Gram-positive bacteria including Methicillin-resistant(MRSA), Coagulase-Negative(CONS),andspecies, comprising exposure to visible light, and in particular light within the wavelength range 400-500 nm.

Inactivation of gram-positive bacteria

A lighting device with at least one first-element that emits visible light at a wavelength and irradiance sufficient to inactivate one or more pathogenic bacterial species, and at least one second element that emits light of one or more longer wave-lengths to that of the first-element. The at least one second element has a higher illuminance than that of the at least one inactivating element or component.

Lighting device

Material is removed from a body of material, e.g. to create a bore hole, by plasma channel drilling. High voltage, high energy, rapid rise time electrical pulses are delivered many times per second to an electrode assembly in contact with the material body to generate therein elongate plasma channels which expand rapidly following electrical breakdown of the material causing the material to fracture and fragment.

Plasma channel drilling process

A high intensity light source comprises a solid dielectric sheet having its back surface in contact with a conducting medium, which is electrically conducted to a fixed potential (such as ground) and its front surface free to receive electric charge to be electrostatically bound to the sheet. In one example, the charge is delivered to the surface by a unipolar Corona discharge arrangement having a plurality of Corona sources at different locations over the surface of the sheet. In order to generate a light output from the source, the electric charge build-up on the surface is discharged as an electric discharge by the rapid application of a switchable voltage to at least a localized region of the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Scott John MacGregor