Compact light source

• US 9,468,365 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanovas Intellectual Property, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sanovas, Inc.
• Inventors: Gunday, Erhan H., Gerrans, Lawrence J., Hsia, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Sevilla, Christian
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIBSON, ERIC SHANE
• Application Number:
  US13/837,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20140275806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00154 using guiding arrangements for insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320725 with radially expandable cutting or abrading elements A61B17/32075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22061 for spreading elements apart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• 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: A61M 25/10181 Means for forcing inflation fluid into the balloon

Abstract

A compact light source includes an LED for supplying light and an optical element that receives and transmits the light. The LED is disposed in an insulation housing to insulate the LED, which has a surface that conducts the heat it generates. A heat sink is coupled to the LED adjacent the conductive surface, and a thermal compound is sandwiched in between the heat sink and conductive surface in order to channel and dissipate the heat generated by the LED without heating up any surrounding structures. In some embodiments, the optical element is part of a collimator coupled to the insulation housing and is a doublet or plano convex lens.

Claims

1. A light source, comprising:

an LED for supplying light, said LED having a surface that conducts heat generated by said LED and having a portion that emits light;

an optical element that receives and transmits the light supplied by said LED;

a thermal insulation housing within which said LED is disposed for thermally insulating the LED such that said thermal insulation housing extends toward said optical element and beyond said portion of said LED that emits light;

a heat sink coupled to said thermal insulation housing and having a surface adjacent to the surface of said LED that conducts heat; and

a thermal compound disposed between the surface of said heat sink and the surface of said LED that conducts heat.

2. The light source of claim 1, wherein said insulation housing comprises polyimide.

3. The light source of claim 1, further comprising a collimator coupled to the insulation housing, wherein said optical element is disposed in said collimator.

4. The light source of claim 3, wherein said collimator comprises a receptacle adapted to receive a fiber optic cable.

5. The light source of claim 3, further comprising a light guide coupled to said collimator.

6. The light source of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises a positive lens.

7. The light source of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises an aspheric lens.

8. The light source of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises a plano-convex lens.

9. The light source of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises a doublet.

10. The light source of claim 1, further comprising a filter for filtering the light supplied by the LED.

11. The light source of claim 10, wherein said filter comprises an infrared filter.

12. The light source of claim 1, wherein said LED includes a condenser lens for transmitting the light.

13. The light source of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises an aluminum fin heat sink.

14. The light source of claim 1, wherein said thermal compound comprises a silicone medium.

15. The light source of claim 14, wherein said thermal compound is ceramic based.

16. The light source of claim 14, wherein said thermal compound is metal based.

17. The light source of claim 14, wherein said thermal compound is carbon based.

18. The light source of claim 1, wherein said surface of the LED that conducts heat comprises metal.

19. The light source of claim 1, wherein said LED is pulse-width modulated to control its light output.

20. The light source of claim 1, wherein said insulation housing and said heat sink are threaded such that said housing and heat sink screw together.

21. The light source of claim 1, further comprising an imaging module having a wall with a hole passing therethrough, wherein said insulation housing is at least partially disposed in the hole and mounted to said wall of said imaging module.

22. The light source of claim 1, wherein the LED includes a lens that transmits the light to said optical element.