Medical instrument with an integrated optical fiber

1. An illuminated microsurgical instrument system comprising:

a microsurgical instrument having a distally projecting tubular member arranged to perform a medical procedure at an interventional site, the tubular member having a distal tip and an outer surface, the outer surface having a flat surface formed therein, wherein the flat surface is planar and is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tubular member, and wherein a thickness of a wall of the tubular member is smaller at the flat surface;

a sheath member surrounding a portion of the tubular member and extending toward the distal tip of the tubular member; and

an optical fiber extending along a length of the flat surface between the tubular member and the sheath member within a space between an inner surface of the sheath member and the outer surface of the tubular member, wherein a tip of the optical fiber is directed toward the distal tip of the tubular member;

wherein the sheath member and the optical fiber do not extend along an entire length of the tubular member.

2. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber is fixed in position at least in part relative to the sheath member.

3. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein a lumen extending within the tubular member is centered within the tubular member.

4. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein a distal edge of the sheath member is disposed at a location closer to the distal tip of the tubular member than is the optical fiber, such that the optical fiber is recessed from the distal edge.

5. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the optical fiber is beveled at an angle toward the flat surface.

6. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 5 , wherein the tip of the optical fiber causes a field of illumination to be directed substantially away from the flat surface.

7. An illuminated microsurgical instrument system comprising:

a microsurgical instrument having a tubular member arranged to perform a medical procedure at an interventional site, the tubular member having a distal tip and an outer cylindrical surface;

a sheath member surrounding a portion of the tubular member and extending toward the distal tip of the tubular member;

an optical fiber extending along a length of the tubular member within a space between the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the sheath member, wherein a tip of the optical fiber is recessed proximally from a distal edge of the tubular member; and

an opening extending through a sidewall of the sheath member, the opening providing access to a volume defined by and between an inner wall of the sheath member and the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular member;

wherein cured adhesive at least partially fills the volume defined by and between the inner wall and the outer cylindrical surface to provide a seal therebetween.

8. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 7 , wherein the tip of the optical fiber is beveled toward the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular member.

9. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 8 , wherein a face of the optical fiber forms an angle with respect to the outer cylindrical surface ranging from about 30 degrees to about 40 degrees.

10. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 7 , further comprising a fiber guard member disposed along a length of the microsurgical instrument adjacent to the optical fiber, to protect the optical fiber from compressive forces between the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular member and the sheath member.

11. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 10 , wherein the fiber guard member is a rigid structural member surrounding a length of the optical fiber.

12. The illuminate microsurgical instrument system of claim 10 , wherein the fiber guard member is a metal wire, a glass fiber, or a line formed of rigidized polymeric material.

13. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 7 , wherein the optical fiber comprises a proximal portion having a first diameter and a distal portion have a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter.

14. An illuminated medical probe comprising:

a handpiece housing configured to be held in a human hand, the handpiece housing including:

a proximal end arranged to receive an optical fiber coupled to an illumination source,

a distal end coupled by a collar structure to an elongate tubular member, the tubular member having a distal tip and an outer surface, the outer surface having a flat surface formed therein, wherein the flat surface is planar and is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tubular member, and wherein a thickness of a wall of the tubular member is smaller at the flat surface,

an optical fiber slack chamber disposed between the proximal end and the distal end; and

an optical fiber extending within the optical fiber slack chamber and extending through the collar structure and along a portion of the elongate tubular member, wherein a distal region of the optical fiber is secured at a distal end thereof to the outer surface of the elongate tubular member along a length of the flat surface, the optical fiber being arranged to axially displace along the elongate tubular member and slideably transition through the collar structure between the elongate tubular member and a slack portion including one or more bends disposed within the optical fiber slack chamber;

wherein the optical fiber extends along a length of the flat surface between the tubular member and a sheath member within a space between an inner surface of the sheath member and the outer surface of the tubular member;

wherein the sheath member and the optical fiber do not extend along an entire length of the tubular member.

15. The illuminated medical probe of claim 14 , wherein the elongate tubular member comprises an outer vitrectomy needle and an inner vitrectomy needle.

16. The illuminated medical probe of claim 14 , wherein the optical fiber slack chamber is disposed in the handpiece housing, or in a flexible conduit coupled to the handpiece housing, or in an optical connector.

17. The illuminated medical probe of claim 14 , wherein the optical fiber is secured, at least partially, to a cylindrical outer surface of the elongate tubular member relative to an elongate sheath member.

18. The illuminated medical probe of claim 14 , wherein the optical fiber includes a tapered optical fiber section coupling a proximal fiber section having a first diameter to a distal fiber section having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter.