Development of an ultraviolet c irradiation device initial findings for the treatment of spiked whole blood

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to a source of infection is damaging to its own tissues. Sepsis is responsible for substantial health loss worldwide, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa. Increasing rates of antibiotic-resistant bacteria severely reduce the ability of physicians to treat the underlying infection that causes sepsis, especially when the infection is multidrug-resistant. Ultraviolet irradiation of the blood was historically used to treat infections. This project explores this therapy as a novel treatment modality for multidrug-resistant sepsis through the development of a device to perform ultraviolet irradiation of the blood. This study reports on the initial findings of the in-vitro irradiation of bacterial-spiked, expired, whole blood with ultraviolet light. Spiked whole blood was exposed to ultraviolet light under different experimental conditions using a custom-made testing rig. The initial findings have suggested that the inactivation of bacteria in whole blood may be dependent on a variety of conditions. Further work is being done within this project to identify and quantify these conditions. These findings will then be utilised to guide further testing and development of the device design proposed in this project.