Illumination devices are useful in many areas of modern life, such as illumination of working area, illumination for the purpose of signaling and illumination carrying different type of information, such as an image and the like.
In medical applications, the requirement for good illumination while operating, both in the operating room (OR) and in emergency and pre-hospital situations is one of the most critical elements of successful surgery and treatment. Until now, lighting techniques in have evolved around the use of strong ceiling and head mounted light fixtures. Even while using minimal invasive techniques, illumination and good access for light source are a critical element is the treatment's success.
Unfortunately, the physical bodies of the surgeons, doctors, paramedics, nurses and devices tend to block light when delivered from ceiling mounted light fixtures, both reducing the overall amount of light available, and producing confusing shadows. Head mounted light fixtures, on the other hand, may provide more directed light which avoids some of the problems of ceiling fixtures, but create other problems, such as strain on the head and neck of the surgeon or nurse wearing such a light.
Hand-held lights, typically held by a nurse, may also be used, but result in other problems, such as the requirement for a nurse or other medical personnel to hold and operate the light, and the necessarily limited size and weight of such lights. Also, this light is directed to the place the surgeon is looking at, not to the place where it is needed. Also, for all such lights, there is a problem of the difference in the quantity of light provided between an area that may be lighted by a hand-held or other light, and areas that do not receive light. This contrast or difference further increases the need for a supplemental light to reduce the differences.
Of course, all of these different types of lighting are best suited for OR and/or emergency room use in controlled hospital settings. Yet even in such an environment, such lighting cannot always provide sufficient illumination for a cavity. This is because of obstacles such as the required angle of incidence and/or various structures that may block the light such as the organs or tissue of the patient as well as the surgeon's hands.
Emergency and/or surgical medicine in some applications, such as military environments for example or pre-hospital situations (trauma center, field medicine, airborne evacuation) provides an even greater challenge as it must be performed under less than optimal medical conditions. These different types of lighting are not always suited for such conditions.
One attempt to overcome this problem has been to combine a cannula, which is a surgical tool, and a light-source. For example, Carlson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,254 claim a surgical resection tool with irrigation, lighting, suction and vision. However, it is not disposable and light is conducted through a dedicated optical fiber.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,730, Luloh describes a special cannula for eye surgery that has a plurality of optical fibers running outside said cannula externally.
Berkowitz et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,129 claim a technique and apparatus for microsurgery including lighter-irrigator hypodermic tube. Light is conducted through optical fibers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,471 Florin designed a suction/washing unit for brain surgery that is comprised of two tubes having a fiber optic light-source at their front-end.
A suction and illumination device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,356 by Wallace, in which light is provided through optical fibers located between two concentric tubes.
Schultz in U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,134 provides light to various dental instruments by means of a single continuous optical fiber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,686 to Duggan and Jennings describes a dental appliance that includes a bite block and a suction tube attachment. A fiber optic light source is slidably and removably secured within the bite block.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,420 to Walker claims a dental mirror system having a fluid conduit and/or a suction unit and a light transmitting cable to illuminate the work area.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,934 to Nath describes a flexible light guide of the liquid filled type. The liquid is contained in a flexible plastic tube. An infrared light is guided through the liquid within a living body for medical applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,154 to Coulter et al. discloses a glove apparatus including a glove member treated with an illuminative substance having phosphorescence or fluorescent illuminative properties, and a light circuit system integrally packaged therewith. Light from the light circuit system is contained within a ring-like light housing member which is preferably mounted on a finger section of the glove member. The outer glove surface may be decorated to ornately represent a fictional cartoon character, when the glove is implemented as a toy item.
WO 97/31219 to Trow discloses a work or surgical glove and illuminator assembly which includes an illuminator oriented to project a light beam distally of the glove toward the work surface. The illuminator may have a self-contained light source, or utilize fiber optic-transmitted light from a remote light source. The illuminator may be disposed within the interior of the glove and projects a beam of light through a glove tip which is translucent or transparent. The assembly is useful when examining or operating upon an anatomical part of a patient.
GB 2343361 to Spooner discloses a glove, particularly for cyclists, designed to give an illuminated signal so that other road users are made aware of the cyclist's presence. The glove includes an electric light, an electric battery and two electrical contacts arranged to be touched together to switch the light on by completing an electrical circuit between the battery and the electric light. In use, the wearer of the glove brings his thumb and forefinger together so that the two electrical contacts touch and the electric light is illuminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,105 to Koenen relates to a glove which has a source of illumination mounted on the glove itself, for projecting light through a glove tip.
German Patent No. DE 19952430 is also of interest as background art.
In all aforementioned patents, there is a source of illumination mounted on the glove or other device, but not incorporated within the glove. It should be noted that some of these patents indicate non-medical uses for the glove or other device, as such devices clearly have a broad range of possible applications, including but also extending beyond medical applications.
Issalene and Lantrua in U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,837 claim a surgical or dental instrument and cannulae for aspirating, cleaning, drying and illuminating. A light source is placed in a housing behind a sleeve. The cannula is shaped and positioned for the light generated by the light source to be conveyed in the sleeve then in the cannula, whose wall performs the role of a light guide. Light is conducted axially to the cannula's open end where it emerges out. In one of the embodiments, the cannula tip has a circular bead that improves light distribution at the cannula's tip. However, the cannula's front tip, that is the only light emitting zone, provides a very limited illuminated area. Furthermore, the cannula's tip may be very close to or even in contact with soft tissues that may block the light.
Such “tip-only” illuminating cannulae provide a limited illumination area. In many medical procedures it is advantageous to have a much larger area being illuminated and seen clearly. Also, cannulae in general can only provide light in a limited area near the cannula itself, regardless of the overall area being illuminated. This is a clear disadvantage, because the functions of the cannula may require it to be located at a distance from the area which must be illuminated for the surgeon and/or other medical personnel. Also, a cannula may not always be present.
Furthermore, such cannula are clearly only useful for surgical procedures. A more advantageous lighting device and system would provide directed light for many different types of procedures and environments, including non-medical environments.