I-Corps: Blue light emitting antimicrobial bandage

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力基于导管相关感染和相关医疗保健成本的减少。中心管相关血流感染（CLABSI）是非常危险的，并与显着的发病率，死亡率和成本。有导管的患者比没有导管的患者更容易发生感染。CLABSI是治疗最昂贵的医院相关感染，每位患者的平均费用约为4.5万美元。医院估计花费13.8亿美元治疗中心静脉导管引起的住院感染，医疗保险和保险公司花费17亿美元治疗透析患者中心静脉导管引起的门诊感染。更广泛地说，该技术的市场机会包括：尿路导管的灭菌，预防多创伤患者（如军事人员）的导管感染，以及伤口感染治疗。该I-Corps项目将评估抗菌伤口敷料的商业潜力，该敷料利用蓝光的杀菌作用来杀灭通常在导管表面定植的细菌。发光导管敷料设计为易于与当前护理标准集成，以减少中心线相关血流感染。蓝光激活细菌中的光敏剂，其释放通过蛋白质和DNA损伤而具有高度细胞毒性的活性氧。与紫外线照射相比，蓝光对哺乳动物细胞的伤害明显较小，紫外线照射通常用于医疗设施，医疗设备，水和食物的消毒。细菌耐药性的增加表明需要不需要使用药物的感染治疗方法。该装置将在医院销售，以降低成本和患者发病率和死亡率。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is based on reduction of catheter-related infections and associated healthcare costs. Central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) are extremely dangerous and are associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. Patients with catheters are significantly more likely to develop an infection than those without a catheter. With an average cost of approximately $45k per patient, CLABSI are the most expensive hospital associated infection to treat. Hospitals spend an estimated $1.38 billion treating inpatient infections due to central lines, and Medicare and insurance companies spend an additional $1.7 billion treating outpatient infections from central line catheters in dialysis patients. More broadly, market opportunities for the technology include: sterilization of urinary tract catheters, prevention of catheter based infections in multi-trauma patients such as military personnel, and wound infection treatment.This I-Corps project will evaluate the commercial potential for an antimicrobial wound dressing that exploits the bactericidal effect of blue light to inactivate bacteria commonly colonizing the surface of catheters. The light-emitting catheter dressing is designed to be easily integrated with current standards of care to reduce central line associated blood stream infections. Blue light activates photosensitizers in bacteria, which release reactive oxygen species that are highly cytotoxic by damage of proteins and DNA. Blue light is significantly less harmful to mammalian cells as compared to ultraviolet irradiation, which is commonly used for disinfection of medical facilities, medical devices, water and food. Increasing rates of bacterial resistance indicate the need for infection treatment methods that do not require the use drugs. This device would be marketed to hospitals to reduce cost and patient morbidity and mortality.