Fiber Optic Light Cables
Clear Choice Medical lists new and used fiber optic light cables. These light guide cables carry light from a light source to an endoscope or instrument. Compare source ends, scope ends and lengths across the listings below.
87 products · sorted by price (high to low)
Current listings include endoscope light cables from Karl Storz and Smith & Nephew. Pilling, ACMI, Luxtec and Cuda cables appear here as well. Some titles name the end fittings, such as a Wolf connection. You will also see adapters and autoclavable cords. Several cables have one end angled at 45 degrees. A few items are light carriers made for a particular scope, so read the title closely.
When you match a cable, start with the fiber bundle diameter. Titles that list it give the figure in millimeters, such as 3.5 mm or 4.8 mm. Then compare the length, listed in centimeters or feet. Confirm that the source end fits your light source port and that the scope end fits the light post on your endoscope. Clear Choice Medical is not affiliated with the makers named here.
The cable mix changes often, so check the grid above or ask Clear Choice Medical about a part number.
Common questions about Light Cables
What is the difference between a 3.5 mm and a 4.8 mm light cable?
The figure is the diameter of the glass fiber bundle, and makers pair each size with a range of endoscope diameters. Karl Storz states that the diameter given is that of the fibers on the instrument side. Its light cable catalog pairs 4.8 to 5.0 mm cables with endoscopes of 6.6 to 12.0 mm. It pairs 3.0 to 3.5 mm cables with endoscopes of 3.0 to 6.5 mm. It pairs 2.0 to 2.5 mm cables with endoscopes of 0.8 to 2.9 mm. Stryker's cable manual also says to match cable diameter to the endoscope in use. Special endoscopes can differ, so check the maker's chart.
What is a universal light guide cable?
A universal light guide cable is a fiber optic light cable that takes adapters at its ends. The adapters let one cable connect to light sources and endoscopes from different makers. Stryker's universal cable uses light source adapters for Stryker/ACMI/Zimmer, Olympus, Storz and Wolf/Dyonics sources. It also uses endoscope adapters for Stryker/ACMI, Wolf/Dyonics and Storz/Olympus endoscopes. Karl Storz sells adapters of its own for other makers' light sources and endoscopes. When a listing shows a universal cable, check which adapters the title and photos include. Listing photos show the actual cable, so compare the fittings shown with your equipment.
How can I tell if a fiber optic light cable has broken fibers?
Hold one end of the cable toward daylight and look at the other end. Broken fibers show up as black spots in that end face. Do this only with the cable disconnected, since Stryker warns never to look into a cable end while the light source runs. Glass fibers are fragile and break progressively as a cable is used. Broken fibers lower the amount of light the cable carries. Stryker's cable manual says to replace a cable when damaged fibers or connectors compromise light transmission. It also warns that pulling, stretching or kinking the cable causes irreversible damage to the glass fibers.