Medical/dental headlamp with adjustable proximity on/off sensor

• US 10,066,816 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Scientific Corporation (VISTA Information Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Scientific Corporation (VISTA Information Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Byung J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Evan
• Application Number:
  US15/136,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20160238220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/502 Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/35 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/06 with the light source coupled to the remainder of the device solely by cable
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/084 Head fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/20 Lighting for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A headlight incorporates an infrared sensor enabling the light to be turned ON and OFF without physical contact. The system includes a light source and a mechanism for coupling the light source to eyeglass frames or to a headband. A power supply and control unit is disposed remotely from the light source and is interconnected to the light source through an electrical cable. An infrared (IR) motion sensor is interconnected to the power supply and control unit, and electrical circuitry within the power supply and control unit is operative to turn the light source ON and OFF is response to the detection of a hand or other body part by the sensor. In the preferred embodiment, the light source includes a light-emitting diode (LED), and the IR detector is user-adjustable to set the ON/OFF activation distance in accordance with user preferences.

Claims

1. A motion-activated headlamp with adjustable proximity control, comprising:

a battery unit;

a head-mounted unit, including;

a light source;

a proximity sensor;

a power switch receiving power from the battery unit;

a user control;

a memory; and

a controller operative to perform the following functions;

(a) store a threshold signal in the memory when a hand or other object is detected at a control distance from the proximity sensor when the user control is activated during a proximity programming mode, and

(b) control the power switch, causing the light source to ON and OFF, if a hand or other object is detected at the control distance in accordance with the stored threshold value.

2. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).

3. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is an active infrared (IR) sensor including an IR emitter and an IR detector.

4. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the battery unit provides fixed-voltage power signals to the head-mounted unit such that no control signals are required from the head-mounted unit to the battery unit.

5. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the power switch receives a fixed-voltage power signal directly from the battery unit.

6. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, including a mechanism to attach the head-mounted unit to eyeglass frames or to a headband.

7. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the control distance is adjustable in the range of 1 to 12 inches or more.

8. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

9. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the power switch is a FET switch.

10. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the head-mounted unit includes a single housing.

11. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the head-mounted unit includes a separate housing for the light source.

12. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor further includes a bandpass filter based on a predetermined IR wavelength.

13. The motion-activated headlamp of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor further includes a bandpass filter based on a predetermined IR wavelength centered around 900 nm.