Ophthalmic medical instrument with illuminated snare

An ophthalmic surgical instrument for severing a lens of an eye, comprising:

• an elongated shaft having a distal end portion;
• a wire extending along the elongated shaft and having a looped segment disposed adjacent the distal end portion and being configured to move between a contracted configuration and a dilated configuration, in which the looped segment assumes a diameter approximating the a diameter and shape of a lens of an eye, the looped segment having a bottom portion configured to engage and sever a bottom portion of the lens upon moving toward the contracted configuration when the looped segment is placed around the lens,
• a light-conducting element extending along at least a portion of a length of the looped segment, and
• a light source in communication with the light-conducting element, such that light from the light source travels through the element and illuminates at least a portion of the length of the looped segment,
• wherein the light-conducting element is a tube that surrounds the wire, and wherein the wire is bent in two places in opposite directions at the bottom portion of the looped segment, so as to create an intermediate section that is not parallel to the looped segment and extends toward the elongated shaft, and wherein the tube terminates at the intermediate section of the looped segment, so that a distal end of the tube is facing the elongated shaft.