Method and articles for treating the sinus system

1. A lighted instrument, comprising:

a handle having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the handle is configured to couple to a light source;

a probe member extending from the distal end of the handle to a distal tip of the probe member, wherein the probe member comprises a curved portion between the distal tip and the handle;

a lumen that extends from the distal tip of the probe member to the proximal end of the handle; and

a light fiber in the lumen,

wherein the light fiber has a first end in the handle and a second end at the distal tip such that the light fiber is configured to receive light from the light source at the first end, transmit light from the first end to the second end, and emit the light from the second end out the distal tip such that a location of the distal tip in a sinus cavity is confirmable by transdermal illumination,

wherein the proximal end of the handle comprises a connector that is configured to couple the first end of the light fiber to a light source, and

wherein the light fiber has a length such that the first end of the light fiber is at the connector and the second end of the light fiber is at the distal tip of the probe member.

2. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the probe member comprises a distal portion that is distal of the curved portion and a proximal portion that is proximal of the curved portion, and

wherein the curved portion defines an angle between the distal portion and the proximal portion of about 78 degrees.

3. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein an outer wall of the probe member has a diameter that tapers inwardly along a distal portion of the probe member from the curved portion towards the distal tip.

4. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the light fiber is coupled to an inner wall of the lumen.

5. The lighted instrument of claim 4 , wherein the light fiber is coupled to the inner wall of the lumen by an epoxy.

6. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the distal tip of the probe member comprises an atraumatic tip having a ball shape.

7. The lighted instrument of claim 6 , wherein the atraumatic tip has a diameter of about 0.060 inches.

8. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the probe member extends within the handle from the distal end of the handle towards the proximal end of the handle to define at least a portion of the lumen in the handle.

9. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the light fiber comprises a plurality of light fibers arranged in a bundle.

10. The lighted instrument of claim 1 , wherein the probe member is a stainless steel hypotube having (i) an inner diameter between 0.0195 inches and 0.0225 inches and (ii) an outer diameter between 0.1089 inches and 0.1092 inches.

11. A method, comprising:

inserting, via a transnasal route, a lighted instrument into a sinus cavity, wherein the lighted instrument comprises:

(i) a handle having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the handle is configured to couple to a light source;

(ii) a probe member extending from the distal end of the handle to a distal tip of the probe member, wherein the probe member comprises a curved portion between the distal tip and the handle;

(iii) a lumen that extends from the distal tip of the probe member to the proximal end of the handle, and

(iv) a light fiber in the lumen, wherein the light fiber has a first end in the handle and a second end at the distal tip such that the light fiber is configured to receive light from the light source at the first end, transmit light from the first end to the second end, and emit the light from the second end out the distal tip, wherein the proximal end of the handle comprises a connector that is configured to couple the first end of the light fiber to a light source, wherein the light fiber has a length such that the first end of the light fiber is at the connector and the second end of the light fiber is at the distal tip of the probe member;

while the lighted instrument is in the sinus cavity, transmitting light from the light source to the light fiber; and

responsive to transmitting the light from the light source, emitting the light from the distal tip of the probe member to provide a transdermal illumination pattern as a visible indication that the distal tip is in the sinus cavity.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

after providing the transdermal illumination pattern as the visible indication that the distal tip is in the sinus cavity, removing the lighted instrument from the sinus cavity and a drainage pathway that leads to the sinus cavity;

after removing the lighted instrument, inserting a balloon dilation catheter into the drainage pathway; and

while the balloon dilation catheter is in the drainage pathway, inflating a balloon of the balloon dilation catheter to dilate the drainage pathway.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising observing the transdermal illumination pattern from a position external to the sinus cavity to confirm that the distal tip is in the sinus cavity.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting, via the transnasal route, the lighted instrument into the sinus cavity comprises inserting the distal tip of the lighted instrument into a frontal sinus cavity.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein inserting, via the transnasal route, the lighted instrument into the sinus cavity comprises inserting the distal tip of the lighted instrument into a maxillary sinus cavity.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising coupling the light source to the proximal end of the handle.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light fiber comprises a plurality of light fibers arranged in a bundle.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the probe member comprises a distal portion that is distal of the curved portion and a proximal portion that is proximal of the curved portion, and

wherein the curved portion defines an angle between the distal portion and the proximal portion of about 78 degrees.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the light fiber is coupled to an inner wall of the lumen by an epoxy.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the probe member extends within the handle from the distal end of the handle towards the proximal end of the handle to define at least a portion of the lumen in the handle.