Light carrier and illumination system for a surgical tube
A light carrier for engaging a surgical tube includes unitarily and communicably interconnected inlet, intermediate and channel sections composed of a light conducting material. The channel section is laterally concave and has a light projecting surface portion. The channel section is introduced into the surgical tube and light introduced through the inlet section is transmitted through the light carrier and projected into the tube to illuminate a medical or surgical procedure being performed through the tube.
1 . An illuminated surgical tube assembly for use in a surgical or medical procedure, said assembly comprising:
a surgical tube having open upper and lower ends and an interior passageway that interconnects said open upper and lower ends, said interior passageway having an interior diameter; and
a light conducting and projecting light carrier, said light carrier including an inlet section composed of a light conducting material for communicably interconnecting to a source of light, an intermediate section unitarily and communicably interconnected to said inlet section and composed of said light conducting material for transmitting light from said inlet section therethrough, and a laterally resilient and compressible channel section unitarily and communicably interconnected to said intermediate section, said channel section being composed of said light conducting material and including a light projecting outer surface portion; said channel section having a lateral width that is greater than said interior diameter of said interior passageway of said tube; said channel section for being laterally and resiliently compressed and inserted into said interior passageway of said surgical tube wherein said channel section is urged diametrically outwardly by a spring bias of said channel section to engage an interior wall of said interior passageway such that said light carrier is held at a selected longitudinal position within said surgical tube and light is conducted through and projected from said channel section and transmitted through said surgical tube to illuminate the procedure being performed.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 in which said intermediate section includes a flat elongate strip.
3 . The assembly of claim 1 in which said intermediate section includes an elongate strip that is longitudinally curved.
4 . The assembly of claim 1 further including a light conducting transition section for unitarily and communicably interconnecting said intermediate section and said channel section, said transition section being configured such that said channel section is laterally wider than said intermediate section.
5 . The assembly of claim 1 further including an opaque outer surface portion for restricting light projection therefrom.
6 . The assembly of claim 5 in which said opaque outer surface portion is defined by an overmold that covers a portion of one or more of said channel and said intermediate sections to restrict light projection therefrom.
7 . The assembly of claim 6 in which said overmold covers at least a portion of said transition section for restricting the projection of light therefrom.
8 . The assembly of claim 1 in which said channel section is resiliently biased to laterally conform to said interior wall of said interior passageway into which said channel section is inserted.
9 . The assembly of claim 1 in which said channel section is maintained at said selection position within said tube exclusively by said lateral spring bias of said channel section.
10 . An illumination system for engaging a surgical tube and directing light from a light source through the surgical tube to illuminate a medical procedure being performed through the surgical tube, said system comprising:
a light carrier including a light inlet section composed of a light conducting material, an intermediate section unitarily and communicably connected to said inlet section and composed of said light conducting material for transmitting light from said inlet section therethrough, and a laterally concave channel section unitarily and communicably interconnected to and extending distally from said intermediate section, said channel section being composed of said light conducting material and including a light projecting outer surface portion; and
an interface for communicably interconnecting said light inlet section to a source of light, which said interface includes a tubular coupler having a flat slot that receives said inlet section and an opening for receiving a light discharge outlet of a fiberoptic cable communicably connected to the light source; said fiberoptic cable carrying an annular spring that interengages a circumferential interior groove in said tubular coupler to secure said light carrier to said cable with said inlet section of said light carrier abutting said light discharge outlet of said cable
said channel section being insertable into the surgical tube such that light from said light source is transmitted through said interface and said light carrier, projected from said channel section and directed through the surgical tube to illuminate the surgical procedure being performed.
11 . The assembly of claim 10 in which said channel section is laterally wider than said intermediate section.
12 . An illuminated surgical tube assembly for use in a surgical or medical procedure, said assembly comprising:
a surgical tube having open upper and lower ends and an interior passageway that interconnects said open upper and lower ends, said interior passageway having an interior diameter;
a light carrier including a flat light inlet section composed of a light conducting material, a flat intermediate section unitarily and communicably connected to said inlet section and composed of said light conducting material for transmitting light from said inlet section therethrough, and a laterally resilient and compressible channel section unitarily and communicably interconnected to and extending distally from said intermediate section, said channel section being composed of said light conducting material and including a light projecting outer surface portion; said channel section having a lateral width that is greater than said interior diameter of said interior passageway of said tube; and
an interface that communicably interconnects said light inlet section to a source of light, which said interface includes a round to flat tubular coupler having a round opening for receiving and communicably connecting to a round light discharge outlet of said source of light and a flat slot that communicates with said round opening for receiving and communicably connecting to said flat inlet section and at least a portion of said flat intermediate section of said light carrier;
said channel section being laterally compressed and inserted into said surgical tube wherein said wherein said channel section is urged diametrically outwardly by a spring bias of said channel section to engage an interior wall of said interior passageway such that said light carrier is held at a selected position within said surgical tube and such that light from said light source is transmitted through said interface and said light carrier, projected from said channel section and directed through the surgical tube to illuminate the surgical procedure being performed.
13 . The assembly of claim 12 in which said source of light includes a battery powered LED light light source.
14 . The assembly of claim 12 in which said source of light includes a fiberoptic light source communicably connected to said round opening of said interface.
15 . The assembly of claim 12 in which said spring bias of said channel section urges said channel section into a flat condition when said channel section is not inserted into said interior passageway of said tube.
16 . The assembly of claim 12 in which said channel section is maintained at said selection position within said tube exclusively by said lateral spring bias of said channel section.