US Patent 8702291 Illuminatable apparatus and method of manufacturing same

An illuminatable apparatus includes a fabric sheet containing fiber optic rods interwoven with fabric threads. The ends of the fiber optic rods are bundled together to form a ferrule which is removably insertable into a holder carrying a light source and a power source. An outer ferrule can be fixed over the sleeve-like ferrule or robust applications. The holder may be removably attached to articles of clothing. The illuminatable fabric sheet can be used as an optical bandage, in a medical cast, in a negative pressure device, or in a bed pad/sheet, or in a therapeutic brace support.