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Flat and transparent front-lighting system using microprisms

  • US 5,860,722 A
  • Filed: 03/25/1997
  • Issued: 01/19/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A system having a first side and a second side, said system for illuminating an object with exciting light on said first side of said illumination system to cause said object to fluoresce with light of a wavelength different from that of said exciting light, and so that said object may be viewed by an observer located on said second side of said illuminating system, said system comprising:

  • (a) a light pipe assembly having opposing forward and rearward faces, wherein said light pipe assembly includes means for insuring that visible light passing across the opposing faces of the light pipe assembly does so in a substantially undistorted manner, whereby the observer is able to view said object through the light pipe assembly substantially free of distortion;

    (b) an arrangement for directing light into said light pipe assembly in a predetermined way, and(c) an arrangement of optical components forming part of said light pipe assembly for reflecting substantially all of the light directed into said light pipe assembly in said predetermined way in a forward direction through the forward face of said light pipe assembly, said light pipe assembly including said arrangement of optical components being substantially transparent to light in a direction across the opposing forward and rearward faces of said light pipe assembly such that said light pipe assembly can be positioned between the object being illuminated and the observer without in any significant way disrupting the observer'"'"'s view of the object.

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