Broad-spectrum illuminator for microscopy applications, using the emissions of luminescent materials

• US 9,235,039 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DiCon Fiber Optics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DiCon Fiber Optics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Ho-Shang
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/072,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 359385-390, 362/249.02, 362/311.02, 362/231, 362/233, 362/268
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0076 arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens

Abstract

A broad-spectrum, multiple wavelength illuminator comprises a luminescent body, and a plurality of semiconductor chips spaced apart from the luminescent body emitting light within one or more wavelength ranges towards the luminescent body, causing the luminescent body to emit light of one or more wavelength ranges. An optical element adjacent to the luminescent body collects light emitted by the luminescent body. An optical device collects light collected by the optical element. An aperture located between the optical element and the optical device passes the light emitted by the luminescent body along an optical axis, wherein light collected by the optical element and the optical device and passed by the aperture forms a beam of light illuminating a target. Alternatively, instead of being spaced apart from the chips, the luminescent body may be a layer adjacent to the chips.

Claims

1. A broad-spectrum, multiple wavelength illuminator for providing light along an optical axis, comprising:

a luminescent body;

a plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips emitting light within one or more wavelength ranges towards said luminescent body, causing said luminescent body to emit light of one or more wavelength ranges, said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips spaced apart from said luminescent body;

a plurality of optical devices, each of the optical devices focusing light emitted from a corresponding one of the LED chips or arrays of LED chips onto the luminescent body;

an optical element adjacent to the luminescent body that collects light emitted by the luminescent body; and

an optical device that collects and directs light emitted by the luminescent body and collected by said optical element along said optical axis.

2. The illuminator of claim 1, said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips spaced apart from said luminescent body by at least 2 mm.

3. The illuminator of claim 1, said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips including organic light emitting diodes.

4. The illuminator of claim 3, wherein said luminescent body emits light from a light emitting area having a diameter that is not more than 15 mm.

5. The illuminator of claim 3, wherein said luminescent body emits light from a light emitting area having a diameter that is in a range of about 2-10 mm.

6. The illuminator of claim 3, wherein said luminescent body emits light from a light emitting area having a diameter that is in a range of about 2-4 mm.

7. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein said at least some of the LED chips or arrays of LED chips emit light in the indigo to blue wavelength range.

8. The illuminator of claim 1, said luminescent body comprising one or more types of phosphors or quantum dots, emitting light of one or more wavelength ranges.

9. The illuminator of claim 1, said luminescent body emitting light of substantially uniform intensity across a broad spectrum, including the range of about 400-700 nm.

10. The illuminator of claim 1, said luminescent body emitting light of multiple wavelengths or multiple wavelength ranges.

11. The illuminator of claim 1, further comprising an aperture located in the optical axis between the optical element and the optical device passing the light emitted by the luminescent body along said optical axis, wherein light collected by said optical element and said optical device and passed by the aperture forms a beam of light illuminating a target.

12. The illuminator of claim 1, further comprising a reflector that supports the luminescent body and that reflects light emitted by said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips towards said optical element, said optical element collecting and directing light emitted by the plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips and light emitted by the luminescent body along said axis towards an aperture and said optical device.

13. The illuminator of claim 12, wherein the light emitted by the plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips supplements the light emitted by the luminescent body to provide light of substantially uniform intensity across a broad spectrum.

14. The illuminator of claim 1, further comprising a diffusing/scattering/homogenizing element located in a path of the beam between the luminescent body and the aperture so that the beam illuminating the target is substantially spectrally uniform across an area of the target illuminated by the beam.

15. A method for providing light along an optical axis, comprising:

causing a plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips to emit light within different wavelength ranges towards a luminescent body spaced apart from said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips;

using each of a plurality of optical devices to focus light emitted from a corresponding one of the LED chips or arrays of LED chips onto the luminescent body, causing said luminescent body to emit light; and

collecting light emitted by the luminescent body;

passing the light collected from the luminescent body through an aperture to form a beam along the optical axis; and

collimating the beam and directing the collimated beam along said optical axis to a target.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said luminescent body is caused to emit light of substantially uniform intensity across a broad spectrum, including the range of about 400-700 nm.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said luminescent body is caused to emitting light of multiple wavelengths or multiple wavelength ranges.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising reflecting light emitted by said plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips, wherein said collecting collects and said collimating and directing collimates and directs said reflected light from the plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips and light emitted by the luminescent body along said axis towards said target.

19. The illuminator of claim 18, wherein said at least some of the LED chips or arrays of LED chips emit light in the 410-490 nm wavelength range.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the light emitted by the plurality of LED chips or arrays of LED chips supplements the light emitted by the luminescent body to provide light of substantially uniform intensity across a broad spectrum.

21. A broad-spectrum, multiple wavelength illuminator for providing light along an optical axis, comprising:

a luminescent body;

a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting laser chips emitting light within one or more wavelength ranges towards said luminescent body along different optical paths without any optical elements in said optical paths, causing said luminescent body to emit light of one or more wavelength ranges, said plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting laser chips spaced apart from said luminescent body; and

an optical element adjacent to the luminescent body that collects light emitted by the luminescent body; and

an optical device that collects and directs light emitted by the luminescent body and collected by said optical element along said optical axis.

22. A broad-spectrum, multiple wavelength illuminator for providing light along an optical axis, comprising:

a luminescent body emitting light from a light emitting area having a diameter that is in a range of about 2-10 mm;

a plurality of semiconductor chips emitting light within one or more wavelength ranges towards said luminescent body along directions away from said optical axis, causing said luminescent body to emit light of one or more wavelength ranges, said plurality of semiconductor chips spaced apart from said luminescent body;

an optical element adjacent to the luminescent body that collects light emitted by the luminescent body; and

an optical device that collects and directs light emitted by the luminescent body and collected by said optical element along said optical axis.

23. The illuminator of claim 22, wherein said luminescent body is supported on a surface that is not a mirror.

24. The illuminator of claim 22, wherein said luminescent body is on said optical axis, said plurality of semiconductor chips emitting light towards said luminescent body along directions away from said optical axis.

25. The illuminator of claim 22, said plurality of semiconductor chips including vertical cavity surface emitting laser chips, wherein light provided by said vertical cavity surface emitting laser chips is directed to the luminescent body along an optical path without any optical element in said optical path.

26. The illuminator of claim 22, said optical element comprising a half ball lens, said optical device comprising a second lens collecting light collected by the half ball lens, said illuminator further comprising an aperture that passes and shapes the light collected by the second lens into a beam and a third lens focusing the beam to a target.

27. The illuminator of claim 26, further comprising a diffusing/scattering/homogenizing element located in a path between the luminescent body and the aperture so that the light illuminating the luminescent body is substantially spectrally uniform across an area of the luminescent body.

28. A broad-spectrum, multiple wavelength illuminator for providing light along an optical axis, comprising:

a luminescent body comprising different regions containing different luminescent materials or different mixtures of luminescent materials;

a plurality of semiconductor chips emitting light within one or more wavelength ranges towards said luminescent body along directions away from said optical axis, causing the different regions of said luminescent body to emit light of different wavelength ranges, said plurality of semiconductor chips spaced apart from said luminescent body;

an optical element adjacent to the luminescent body that collects light emitted by the luminescent body; and

an optical device that collects and directs light emitted by the luminescent body and collected by said optical element along said optical axis.