Patent ID: 8275231

Claim:
An optical waveguide, comprising: a tubular or hose-type housing which has an input opening, an output opening and a center line extending from the input opening to the output opening; and a series of transparent spheres in the interior of the housing lined up along the center line, wherein the housing is designed as a flexible hose and the spheres are spaced apart in the housing, and the guidance of the light takes place due to the refraction of a light beam when entering or exiting from the transparent spheres; a spacing arrangement extending from the input opening to the output opening which provides a spacing between the spheres, and wherein a helically wound projection is present as the spacing arrangement on the inside of the housing extending from the input opening to the output opening, with spacing of coils of the helically wound projection from each other being chosen so that the spheres are located between adjacent coils.