Medical apparatus employing flexible light structures and methods for manufacturing same

Abstract

A method of manufacture and medical apparatus that provides an apparatus useful in illuminating at least a portion of a lumen of a body. The apparatus includes an elongated flexible member and a polymer encasement portion encasing a plurality of light emitters. The light emitters may be electrically coupled to one another without the use of wire bonds, and in some embodiments may be coupled without intervening electrical paths or traces. A maximum cross-sectional dimension of the polymer encasement portion may be less than twice a dimension of one of the light emitters. In some embodiments the maximum cross-sectional dimension is less than or equal to the sum of the dimension of one of the light emitters and a marginal dimension by which an outer portion of the polymer encasement portion extends beyond the light emitter. Light emitters may be arranged linearly, helically or in partially overlapping back-to-back relation.

1 .- 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A medical apparatus useful in illuminating at least a portion of a lumen of a body, the apparatus comprising:
 an elongated flexible member having a distal end and a proximal end, at least a portion of the elongated flexible member being sized and dimensioned to be received and moved within the lumen of the body;   a light bar including a plurality of light emitters, the light emitters electrically coupled to one another without the use of a flat mounting substrate strip that both carries traces and that extends along most of a longitudinal length of the light bar, the light emitters operable to emit electromagnetic radiation in at least one characteristic emission waveband; and   a polymer encasement portion encasing the plurality of light emitters, at least a portion of the polymer encasement portion being at least partially transmissive to electromagnetic radiation in the at least one characteristic emission waveband, and the polymer encasement portion being sized and dimensioned to be received and moved within the lumen of the body.   
     
     
         68 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67 , further comprising a plurality of S-shaped interconnects, each S-shaped interconnect extending between and electrically connecting terminals of adjacent light emitters. 
     
     
         69 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein each of the plurality of light emitters has a principal axis of emission. 
     
     
         70 . The medical apparatus of  claim 69  wherein the principal axis of emission of a first one of the plurality of light emitters is in a different direction than the principal axis of emission of another one of the plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         71 . The medical apparatus of  claim 69  wherein a maximum cross-sectional dimension of the polymer encasement portion is less than twice a dimension of one of the light emitters measured along the principal axis of emission. 
     
     
         72 . The medical apparatus of  claim 71  wherein the principal axis of emission of a first one of the plurality of light emitters is not in the same direction as the principal axis of emission of another one of the light emitters. 
     
     
         73 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the light emitters are distributed generally along at least a portion of a length of the polymer encasement portion. 
     
     
         74 . The medical apparatus of  claim 73  wherein the principal axis of emission of at least some of the light emitters is diametrically opposed to the principal axis of emission of successively adjacent ones of the light emitters. 
     
     
         75 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein each of the plurality of light emitters has at least two terminals, a first one of the terminals of the light emitters directly adhered to a terminal of a successively preceding one of the light emitters with an electrically conductive adhesive and without any intervening electrical trace, a second one of the terminals of the light emitters directly adhered to a terminal of a successively succeeding one of the light emitters with an electrically conductive adhesive and without any intervening electrical trace. 
     
     
         76 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the light emitters are distributed generally along at least a portion of a length of the polymer encasement portion, successively adjacent ones of the light emitters arranged back-to-back in partially overlapping relationship, and wherein each of the plurality of light emitters has at least two terminals, the terminals respectively adhered to a respective terminal of a preceding one of the light emitters and a respective terminal of a succeeding one of the light emitters without any intervening electrical trace. 
     
     
         77 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the light emitters are distributed generally along at least a portion of a length of the polymer encasement portion, successively adjacent ones of the light emitters oriented in opposed relation. 
     
     
         78 . The medical apparatus of  claim 77  wherein each of the plurality of light emitters has at least two terminals, and each of a positive one of the terminals of the light emitters is coupled to a negative one of the terminals of the next successively adjacent light emitter, the plurality of light emitters electrically coupled in series. 
     
     
         79 . The medical apparatus of  claim 77  wherein each of the plurality of light emitters has at least two terminals surface mounted to respective ones of at least two electrically conductive paths. 
     
     
         80 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the polymer encasement portion is cylindrical with a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         81 . The medical apparatus of  claim 80  wherein the light emitters are helically distributed about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical polymer encasement portion. 
     
     
         82 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the elongated flexible member is a catheter body, and the polymer encasement portion has a smooth exterior surface, and further comprising:
 an expandable member physically coupled to move in the lumen of the body with the polymer encasement portion, and operable to expand between an expanded configuration and an unexpanded configuration. 
 
     
     
         83 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the elongated flexible member comprises a polymer and the polymer encasement portion and the elongated flexible member are both portions of a unitary structure. 
     
     
         84 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the polymer encasement portion is a substantially solid cylinder. 
     
     
         85 . The medical apparatus of  claim 67  wherein the polymer encasement portion physically contacts a substantial portion of each external face of the light emitters. 
     
     
         86 . A medical apparatus for illuminating at least a portion of a lumen of a body of an individual, the medical apparatus comprising:
 a light bar including a plurality of light emitters and a plurality of interconnects, the plurality of light emitters being electrically coupled together without the use of a planar mounting strip extending along most of a length of the light bar, the light emitters having at least two terminals, each interconnect having a first end and a second end, the first end of the interconnect being directly connected to a respective terminal of one of the light emitters and the second end of the interconnect being directly connected to one of the terminals of another one of the light emitters; and   an encasement portion encasing the light bar and structurally supporting the light emitters.   
     
     
         87 . The medical apparatus of  claim 86  wherein at least two of the light emitters each have a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion includes a bottom face and two terminals, wherein the bottom face, the two terminals, and two of the interconnects are s-shaped and directly connected to the two terminals of the bottom portion are encapsulated by the encasement portion. 
     
     
         88 . The medical apparatus of  claim 86  wherein most of a longitudinal length of at least one of the interconnects is between a pair of the light emitters. 
     
     
         89 . A medical apparatus for placement in a lumen of a body, the medical apparatus comprising:
 an elongate main body configured to be moved through the lumen of the body;   a plurality of light emitting devices positioned in the elongate main body and operable to receive electrical energy and to produce electromagnetic radiation that passes through the elongate main body; and   an S-shaped interconnect having a first end directly connected to a terminal of a first one of the light emitting devices, a second end directly connected to a second one of the light emitting devices, the first one of the light emitting devices being adjacent to the second one of the light emitting devices, the elongate main body encasing substantially all external faces of both the first one of the light emitting devices and the second one of the light emitting devices.   
     
     
         90 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89  wherein the interconnect includes a main body that extends between the first end and the second end, and the entire main body of the interconnect is encapsulated by the elongate main body. 
     
     
         91 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89  wherein the plurality of light emitting devices are mechanically coupled together without the use of a mounting substrate with traces. 
     
     
         92 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89  wherein the elongate main body is made of a single material that encapsulates all of the light emitting devices. 
     
     
         93 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89 , further comprising a plurality of S-shaped interconnects spaced apart from one another with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongate main body, respective interconnects being positioned between respective pairs of the light emitters with most of a longitudinal length of the respective interconnects being positioned between the respective pair of light emitters. 
     
     
         94 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89  wherein at least one of the light emitting devices is positioned to output light from a first side of the elongate main body and another one of the light emitting devices is positioned to output light from a second side of the elongate main body, the first side being substantially diametrically opposed to the second side. 
     
     
         95 . The medical apparatus of  claim 89  wherein the light emitting devices comprise light emitter cases containing at least one light emitter.