US Patent 12023005 Positioning a tube in a lumen via transillumination

An illumination system for illuminating a lumen within a body of a patient comprising a tube having a proximal end and an opposed distal end and an internal chamber, the tube being configured for placement within a lumen of the body. The system also includes an illumination subsystem including an optical fiber that is sized and configured to seat within the internal chamber of the tube and a light source for generating light that is emitted by the fiber optic cable. The optical fiber, when mounted within the tube and when the light source generates light, emits light at the distal end of the tube so as to transilluminate the lumen and surrounding tissue so as to be able to locate the distal end of the tube within the lumen of the patient.