Enhanced LED illuminator

• US 20110149591A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Research Limited (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Smith, Ronald T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/555
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0008 provided with illuminating means A61B3/117 takes precedence; goniolenses used for laser treatment A61F9/009; illuminating means for optical instruments G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298

Abstract

An ophthalmic illuminator is disclosed, one embodiment comprising: an illumination source and an optical fiber for transmitting a combined light beam from the illumination source to a site, such as a surgical site within an eye, wherein the illumination source comprises a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips optically coupled to a corresponding plurality of light pipes, the LED chips and light pipes arranged in a configuration such that the light pipes converge together at their distal ends to form a cubic box having five sides formed by the distal ends of the light guides and an open side from which the combined light beam, composed of light from a plurality of light beams generated by the LED chips and transmitted to the cubic box by the light guides, is emitted. The luminance of the combined light beam has a luminance greater than the luminance of any one of the plurality of LED chips.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic illuminator comprising:

an illumination source; and

an optical fiber for transmitting a combined light beam from the illumination source to a site;

wherein the illumination source comprises;

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips optically coupled to a corresponding plurality of light pipes, the plurality of LED chips and light pipes arranged in a configuration such that the plurality of light pipes converge together at their distal ends to form a cubic box having five sides formed by the distal ends of the light pipes and an open side from which the combined light beam, composed of light from a plurality of light beams generated by the LED chips and transmitted to the cubic box by the light guides, is emitted.

2. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein a luminance of the combined light beam has a luminance greater than a luminance of any one of the plurality of LED chips.

3. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED chips are high-powered white LED chips.

4. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein the light pipes are square solid light pipes.

5. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, further comprising a mirror having a reflecting surface facing in towards the interior of the cubic box.

6. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein the illumination source further comprises a supporting structure for supporting in place the plurality of LED chips and light pipes.

7. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein the illumination source comprises five LED chips and five corresponding light pipes arranged such that each square light pipe and LED pair is orthogonal to the others.

8. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 7, wherein the illumination source further comprises a cubical supporting structure to position and hold in place the LED chips and light pipes.

9. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, further comprising a coupling optical component, optically coupled to the plurality of light pipes, for transmitting the combined light beam from the cubic box open side to the optical fiber.

10. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, further comprising an endo-illuminator probe and a connector port for coupling the illumination source to the endo-illuminator probe.

11. The ophthalmic illuminator of claim 1, wherein the site is a surgical site in an eye.