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;

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 outer surface of the tubular member between the tubular member and the sheath member, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the tubular member and at least a portion of an inner surface of the sheath member are sealed together such that the tubular member and sheath member are fixed relative to each other; wherein a tip of the optical fiber is directed toward the distal tip of the tubular member;

wherein the sheath member further comprises an opening in a sidewall of the sheath member, the opening being located adjacent to an air gap between the tubular member and the sheath member, proximal to a distal edge of the sheath member, and circumferentially away from the tip of the optical fiber, wherein the opening is adapted to direct air exiting the air gap away from the optical fiber.

2. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the opening is a slot located approximately 180-degrees away from the optical fiber.

3. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein corners of the sidewall of the sheath has rounded edges where the opening meets the distal edge of the sidewall and wherein the sidewall of the sheath has rounded edges at a proximal end of the opening.

4. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the tubular member includes a flat surface, and wherein the optical fiber extends along a length of the flat surface.

5. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the 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.

6. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , wherein the tip of the optical fiber is beveled at an angle toward the outer surface of the tubular member.

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

8. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 6 , wherein a face of the optical fiber forms an angle with respect to the outer surface of the tubular member ranging from about 30 degrees to about 40 degrees.

9. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 8 , 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 surface of the tubular member and the sheath member.

10. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 9 , wherein the fiber guard member is a rigid structural member surrounding a length of the optical fiber.

11. The illuminate microsurgical instrument system of claim 9 , wherein the fiber guard member is a metal wire, a glass fiber, or a line formed of rigidized polymeric material.

12. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , further comprising 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 surface of the tubular member, and wherein cured adhesive at least partially fills the volume defined by and between the inner wall of the sheath member and the outer surface of the tubular member to provide the seal therebetween.

13. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 12 , wherein the opening is in the form of a slot extending proximally from the distal edge of the sheath member.

14. The illuminated microsurgical instrument system of claim 1 , 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.

15. 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, and

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 elongate tubular member, 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 at least a portion of an outer surface of the tubular member and at least a portion of an inner surface of the sheath member are sealed together such that the tubular member and sheath member are fixed relative to each other;

wherein the sheath member further comprises an opening in a sidewall of the sheath member, the opening being located adjacent to an air gap between the tubular member and the sheath member, proximal to a distal edge of the sheath member, and circumferentially away from the tip of the optical fiber, wherein the opening is adapted to direct air exiting the air gap away from the optical fiber.

16. The illuminated medical probe of claim 15 , wherein the opening is a slot located approximately 180-degrees away from the optical fiber.

17. The illuminated medical probe of claim 15 , wherein corners of the sidewall of the sheath has rounded edges where the opening meets the distal edge of the sidewall and wherein the sidewall of the sheath has rounded edges at a proximal end of the opening.

18. The illuminated medical probe of claim 15 , 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.

19. The illuminated medical probe of claim 15 , 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.

20. A method of performing a medical procedure using an illuminated microsurgical instrument system, the method comprising:

using a microsurgical instrument comprising a tubular member, the tubular member having a distal tip and an outer 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 outer surface of the tubular member between the tubular member and the sheath member, wherein a tip of the optical fiber is directed toward the distal tip of the tubular member, wherein the sheath member further comprises an opening in a sidewall of the sheath member, the opening being located adjacent to an air gap between the tubular member and the sheath member, proximal to a distal edge of the sheath member, and circumferentially away from the tip of the optical fiber, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface of the tubular member and at least a portion of an inner surface of the sheath member are sealed together such that the tubular member and sheath member are fixed relative to each other;

directing air exiting the air gap away from the optical fiber, wherein the opening in the sidewall of the sheath member is configured to direct air away from the optical fiber;

illuminating an area to be viewed during the medical procedure by directing light from the tip of the optical fiber; and

using the tubular member to perform a surgical operation in the area being illuminated by light from the optical fiber.