LED lighting apparatus and method of using same for illumination of a body cavity

1. An apparatus that is for partial insertion through an incision in the outer skin surface on a torso of the body to an internal body cavity that has surrounding internal body tissue and provides internal chandelier lighting to the internal body cavity for use during a surgical procedure without damaging tissue within the body cavity, the apparatus comprising:

a sterile exterior housing having a tip end and a back end, wherein the tip end allows light to pass therethrough;

a plurality of switched LED's disposed within the sterile exterior housing at the tip end that are operated to enable placement of the tip end against internal body tissue for at least 30 minutes, the plurality of switched LED's including at least three LED's having normal beams that are different from one another and are operated at less than a maximum operating point to ensure a substantially white light and provide chandelier lighting, wherein the chandelier lighting provided by the plurality of switched LED's is at least 10 Candelas of substantially uniform illumination over at least a radially increasing half sphere around the tip end such that the substantially uniform illumination is sufficient for field of vision within the internal body cavity that is both magnified and non-magnified; and

a power source that provided power to the plurality of switched LED's disposed within the sterile exterior housing,

wherein the sterile exterior housing, the plurality of LED's and the power source form a unit, and wherein the unit is adapted to be self-supporting at an area of the exterior outer housing that widens between the tip end and the back end, and wherein the self-support is assisted by the unit being internally weighted to allow the exterior outer housing to balance at the area when the area rests upon the outer skin surface at the incision and the tip end is inserted through the incision.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switched LED's provide at least 20 Candelas of illumination.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the plurality of switched LED's includes at least three LED's having normal beams that are different from one another to obtain substantially uniform illumination over at least a radially increasing half sphere.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switched LED operate using a constant current source to establish uniform illumination.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the constant current source includes a stepper integrated circuit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of LEDs are each mounted on a printed circuit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the printed circuit board is cone shaped and mounted within the tip end so that a top of the cone shaped circuit board is disposed closer to the tip end then a base of the cone shaped circuit board.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of LED's each have a normal beam pointing in a different direction.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the printed circuit board is a flat circular shape.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein at least some of the plurality of switched LED's mounted to the cone shaped printed circuit board have normal beams that are different from one another to obtain substantially uniform illumination over at least a radially increasing half sphere.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of LED's is at least 4, and different ones of the at least four LED's each illuminate a different illumination area.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sterile exterior housing, the plurality of LED's and the power source form a unit; and

further including a sterile container in which the unit is disposed prior to use.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the power source is disposed in a back half of the exterior outer housing, closer to the back end then the tip end.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switched LED's includes at least one LED having a normal beam that is substantially parallel to a centerline of the sterile exterior housing and at least two LED's having other normal beams projecting toward a side of the sterile exterior housing.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of switched LED's includes at least two LED's having the normal beam that is substantially parallel to the centerline of the sterile exterior housing and at least four LED's having the other normal beams projecting toward the side of the sterile exterior housing.