Patent ID: 8162928

Claim:
A method of lighting the interior of an eye comprising: (a) providing an eye surgical instrument comprising at least one optical fiber having a free end with a light exit and a second end opposite the free end configured for optical association with a light source; (b) providing that the at least one optical fiber is surrounded as far as the light exit by a coating that prevents exit of light; (c) providing a stop on the optical fiber, the stop being configured for selectable slidable movement along the length of the coating of the fiber; (d) sliding the stop along the coating of the fiber to define an insertion part of the fiber of a first select length between the free end of the fiber and the stop, wherein a distal end of the stop is proximal to a distal end of the coating; (e) inserting the insertion portion into the eye of a patient; and (f) withdrawing at least a portion of the insertion part from the eye and selectively sliding the stop along the coating of the fiber to define an insertion part of a second select length, wherein the distal end of the stop is proximal to the distal end of the coating.