Surgical light pipe and the like

Claim 1

A LIGHT PIPE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BUNDLE OF FLEXIBLE, TRANSPARENT, LIGHT-CONDUCTING FIBERS, THREE HEATRESISTANT PROTECTIVE TUBULAR LAYERS SURROUNDING THE LENGTH OF SAID LIGHT PIPE, SAID PROTECTIVE LAYERS COMPRISING A FIRST PRESURE RESISTANT, IMPERMEABLE TUBE HAVING ANNULAR CONFORMATIONS WHEREBY SAID TUBE IS FLEXIBLE AND CRUSH-RESISTANT, SAID FIRST TUBE LYING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID BUNDLE OF FIBERS, SAID FIRST TUBE HAVING AN INTERNAL CROSSSECTIONAL AREA SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN SAID BUNDLE, A SECOND BRAIDED METAL PROTECTIVE TUBE HAVING A PREDETERMINED MAXIMUM LENGTH, SAID SECOND TUBE SURROUNDING SAID PRESSURE RESISTANT IMPERMEABLE TUBE, AND A THIRD SMOOTH OUTER-SURFACE FLEXIBLE TUBE SURROUNDING SAID BRAIDED TUBE AND PROVIDING A SMOOTH SURFACE TO SAID LIGHT PIPE, AT EACH END OF THE LIGHT PIPE A RIGID CAP SECURED THERETO AND SEALED TO SAID TUBES, THE ENDS OF FIBERS OF SAID FIBER BUNDLE BONDED WITH BONDING MATERIAL, AND EACH END OF SAID FIBER BUNDLE BONDED TO HE INSIDE OF THE RESPECTIVE RIGID CAP, SAID LIGHT PIPE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LEAK-PROOF UNDER STEM PRESSURE ON THE ORDER OF 25 P.S.I., PREVENTING ENTRY OF STEM TO SAID FIBERS, SAID THREE TUBES TOGETHER CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED, RELATIVE TO SAID FIBER BUNDLE, TO LIMIT BENDING THEREOF WITHIN THE PREDETERMINED BEND LIMIT OF SAID BUNDLE.