Apparatus and methods relating to wavelength conditioning of illumination

• US 8,570,635 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tidal Photonics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tidal Photonics Incorporated
• Inventors: MacKinnon, Nicholas B., MacAulay, Calum E., Stange, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, James
• Application Number:
  US12/870,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20110051216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 359/239
• US Class Current: 359/239
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3922 and measurement of the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]

Abstract

Lighting systems comprising a spectrum former upstream from a reflective pixelated spatial light modulator (reflective SLM), the SLM reflecting substantially all of the light in the spectrum into at least two different light paths, that do not reflect back to the light source or the spectrum former. At least one of the light paths acts as a projection light path and transmits desired light out of the lighting system. The lighting systems provide virtually any desired color(s) and intensity(s) of light, and avoid overheating problems by deflecting unwanted light and other electromagnetic radiation out of the system or to a heat management system. The systems can be part of another system, a luminaire, or any other suitable light source. The systems can provide virtually any desired light, from the light seen at the break of morning to specialized light for treating cancer or psoriasis, and may change color and intensity at speeds that are perceptually instantaneous.

Claims

1. A lighting system that provides a selected, variable selected spectral output and wavelength dependent intensity distribution, the lighting system comprising:

a) a high output light source and an aperture wherein the high output light source is focused on the aperture and the aperture transmits light from the light source along a light path in an image of the aperture;

b) a spectrum former downstream from and optically connected to receive the image of the aperture and is configured to provide a spectrum from the image of the aperture; and

c) a pixelated spatial light modulator located downstream from and optically connected to the spectrum former, the pixelated spatial light modulator configured to pass desired light from the spectrum former to select a segment of light, wherein the pixelated spatial light modulator is operably connected to at least one controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls an on/off pattern of pixels in the pixelated spatial light modulator to provide a variable desired segment of light consisting essentially of a variable desired selected spectral output and a desired wavelength dependent intensity distribution.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a focusing element between the high output light source and the aperture that focused light from the high output light source onto the aperture.

3. The lighting system of claim 2 wherein the focusing element is a lens.

4. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a collimating element between the aperture and the spectrum former that collimates light from the aperture onto the spectrum former.

5. The lighting system of claim 4 wherein the collimating element is a lens.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the high power light source is a xenon arc lamp.

7. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the high power light source is a ceramic xenon arc lamp with an integral reflector.

8. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the aperture comprises a light guide.

9. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein the light guide is at least one of a liquid light guide or an optical fiber.

10. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the aperture comprises a plurality of optical fibers arranged as an aperture.

11. A method of providing light to a target comprising providing a variable selected spectral output and wavelength dependent intensity distribution in the light emitted to the target, the method comprising:

directing focused light from a high output light source to an aperture;

transmitting light from the aperture to a spectrum former along a light path, wherein the light is in an image of the aperture;

receiving the light at the spectrum former and generating a spectrum from the light; and

transmitting the spectrum to a pixelated spatial light modulator located downstream from and optically connected to the spectrum former, wherein the pixelated spatial light modulator is configured to pass desired light from the spectrum former to select a segment of light, and wherein the pixelated spatial light modulator is operably connected to at least one controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls an on/off pattern of pixels in the pixelated spatial light modulator to provide a desired segment of light consisting essentially of a desired selected spectral output and a desired wavelength dependent intensity distribution.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises providing a focusing element between the high output light source and the aperture and focusing the light from the high output light source onto the aperture.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the focusing element is a lens.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises providing a collimating element between the aperture and the spectrum former and collimating light from the aperture onto the spectrum former.

15. The lighting system of claim 14 wherein the collimating element is a lens.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the high power light source is a xenon arc lamp and the method further comprises generating the light from a xenon arc lamp.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the high power light source is a ceramic xenon arc lamp with an integral reflector and the method further comprises generating the light from a ceramic xenon arc lamp with an integral reflector.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the aperture comprises a light guide.

19. The lighting system of claim 18 wherein the light guide is at least one of a liquid light guide or an optical fiber.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the aperture comprises a plurality of optical fibers arranged as an aperture.