Lighting Element

Abstract

Surgical lighting must balance various needs of a user: the light must be bright, but not too thermally hot; directed at a target, but not shining elsewhere; be robust, yet compact. Often much of these myriad needs must be accomplished by ever small illumination elements placed into devices requiring ever lower profiles. However, current surgical illumination options require the use of bulky lighting elements if the desire target is to be illuminated or, conversely, use weaker lighting elements for sleeker designs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An electrosurgical system, comprising:
 one or more conductor elements;   a light emitting device configured to receive an electrical power from the one or more conductor elements and use the electrical power to emit light, wherein the light emitting device is configured such that at least one of a color of the light or a color temperature of the light is changeable during use by altering at least one of an amount of current of the electrical power of a potential of the electrical power;   an electrosurgical electrode configured to deliver radiofrequency (RF) energy to tissue to cut or coagulate the tissue; and   an optical element disposed between the light emitting device and a distal portion of the electrosurgical electrode, wherein the optical element is configured to receive the light emitted by the light emitting device and direct the light onto a target region.   
     
     
         22 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the electrosurgical electrode comprises a blade. 
     
     
         23 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , further comprising a heat sink, wherein the light emitting device is coupled to a distal portion of the heat sink. 
     
     
         24 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 23 , wherein the heat sink comprises one or more channels that are sized and shaped to conform to the one or more conductor elements such that the one or more conductor elements reside within the heat sink. 
     
     
         25 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , further comprising a cladding extending along a length of the optical element. 
     
     
         26 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the optical element comprises a non-fiber optic optical waveguide. 
     
     
         27 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 26 , wherein the non-fiber optic optical waveguide comprises a channel that is sized to receive a proximal portion of the electrosurgical electrode. 
     
     
         28 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device comprises a slot that is sized to receive a portion of the electrosurgical electrode. 
     
     
         29 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitters. 
     
     
         30 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , further comprising a handpiece, wherein the electrosurgical electrode and the light emitting device are rotatable relative to the handpiece. 
     
     
         31 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , further comprising a handpiece and a shaft, wherein the shaft is a metal tube, wherein the shaft and the light emitting device form an assembly that is configured to telescope in or out of the handpiece. 
     
     
         32 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , further comprising a handpiece, wherein the light emitting device is disposed in a handpiece. 
     
     
         33 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device is configured to emit light is configured to emit the light with a first color at a first time and emit the light with a second color at a second time. 
     
     
         34 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 33 , wherein the first color is white and the second color is red. 
     
     
         35 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device is configured to emit light is configured to emit the light with a first color temperature at a first time and emit the light with a second color temperature at a second time. 
     
     
         36 . The electrosurgical system of  claim 21 , wherein the light emitting device is configured to emit the light as strobed light. 
     
     
         37 . A method for illuminating a target region, comprising:
 providing an electrosurgical system comprising:
 one or more conductor elements, 
 a light emitting device configured to receive an electrical power from the one or more conductor elements and use the electrical power to emit light, 
 an electrosurgical electrode, and 
 an optical element disposed between the light emitting device and a distal portion of the electrosurgical electrode, wherein the optical element is configured to receive the light emitted by the light emitting device and direct the light onto a target region; 
   illuminating, using the optical element, the target region with the light emitted by the light emitting device;   changing at least one of a color of the light or a color temperature of the light during use by altering at least one of an amount of current of the electrical power of a potential of the electrical power; and   supply radiofrequency (RF) energy to the electrosurgical electrode.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising emitting the light with a first color at a first time and emitting the light with a second color at a second time. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first color is white and the second color is red. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising emitting the light with a first color temperature at a first time and emitting the light with a second color temperature at a second time.