Medical device with OLED illumination light source

1 . A medical device for illuminating a body cavity of a patient, comprising:

an elongate member having a proximal end that remains outside the body cavity and a distal end that is insertable into the body cavity;

an illumination source including one or more organic light-emitting diodes that produce light within the body cavity of the patient when energized; and

two or more conductive leads that deliver electrical energy to the one or more organic light-emitting diodes.

2 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source includes a single organic light-emitting diode.

3 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the illumination source includes two or more organic light-emitting diodes, each of which produces illumination light of a different wavelength.

4 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more lumens extending therethrough.

5 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising an image sensor at or adjacent the distal end of the elongate member for capturing images of tissue in the body cavity.

6 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising an imaging light guide within the elongate member that transmits reflected or scattered illumination light to an image sensor or camera.

7 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member includes a heat conductive polymer that dissipates heat produced by the one or more organic light-emitting diodes.

8 . The medical device of claim 7 , wherein the elongate member is at least partially formed of the heat conductive polymer and wherein the elongate member is thermally coupled to the one or more organic light-emitting diodes.

9 . The medical device of claim 7 , wherein the elongate member includes a length of the heat conductive polymer that is thermally coupled to the one or more organic light-emitting diodes.

10 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member includes a torqueable wire that is secured at or adjacent the distal end to bend and/or rotate the distal end of the elongate member.

11 . A medical device, including:

an elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end;

one or more lumens extending through the elongate member;

one or more strips of an organic light-emitting diode material disposed along a length of the elongate member; and

conductive leads that supply electrical energy to the one or more strips of organic light-emitting diode material to cause the one or more strips to emit light.

12 . The medical device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more strips of organic light-emitting material are marked with length indications.

13 . A medical device for illuminating a body cavity of a patient, comprising:

an elongate member having a proximal end that remains outside the body cavity and a distal end that is insertable into the body cavity;

one or more LEDs that illuminate the body cavity; and

a heat conductive polymer that is thermally coupled to the one or more LEDs to dissipate heat from the one or more LEDs.

14 . The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the elongate member is at least partially formed of the heat conductive polymer.

15 . The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the elongate member includes a length of the heat conductive polymer in thermal contact with the one or more LEDs.

16 . The medical device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more LEDs are organic LEDs.

17 . The medical device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more organic LEDs produce light of the same wavelengths.

18 . The medical device of claim 16 , wherein the one or more organic LEDs produce light of different wavelengths.