| 摘要 |
A light-conducting bougie consisting of an elongate flexible member operable for conducting light from the proximal end of the bougie to the distal portion thereof. The light-conducting bougie is made from a substantially homogenous, optically transparent polymer being flexible and operable for the transmission of light. The bougie is particularly useful for transilluminating tissue within a body. In operation, the distal end of the bougie is inserted into a hollow tissue such as the esophagus by passage through the mouth. Illuminating light from a light source enters the proximal end of the bougie and is conducted to the distal portion thereof to exit the bougie and transilluminate the surrounding wall of the organ or structure. The present invention provides an improved bougie wherein the intensity of the portion of light directed radially outward from the distal end portion of the bougie is increased without the addition of material scattering centers to the polymeric body. The improved lateral deflection of transillumination light from the bougie is due to the intentional formation of one or more voids disposed within the homogenous polymer forming the distal end portion of the bougie. The void and the polymer have different indices of refraction which cause lateral reflection and/or refraction of light propagating axially through the bougie at the polymer/void interface. |
