Illuminated Surgical Instrument

Abstract

An illuminated surgical instrument is disclosed. One embodiment of the illuminated surgical instrument comprises a cannula and an injection-molded light-sleeve adjacent to and encircling at least a portion of the cannula. The surgical instrument can be a vitrectomy probe having a cutting port disposed at a distal end of the cannula. The light-sleeve can terminate near a distal end of the cannula, for example, near the cutting port of the vitrectomy probe. The light-sleeve is optically coupled to a light source. The light-sleeve can be injection-molded during manufacture using the cannula as an insert for the injection molding. The light-sleeve can be oriented for providing illumination in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the instrument.

1 . An illuminated surgical instrument comprising:
 an instrument body having a cannula at a distal end; and   an injection-molded light-sleeve adjacent to and encircling at least a portion of the cannula.   
     
     
         2 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the light-sleeve is adjacent to and encircles the cannula. 
     
     
         3 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1  wherein the light-sleeve is optically coupled to a light source. 
     
     
         4 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the light-sleeve is oriented for providing illumination in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument. 
     
     
         5 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the light-sleeve is injection-molded during manufacture using the cannula as an insert for the injection molding. 
     
     
         6 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1 , further comprising a coupling for coupling a proximal end of the light-sleeve to a light source. 
     
     
         7 . The illuminated surgical instrument of  claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is a vitrectomy probe having a cutting port disposed at a distal end of the cannula.