Electrical adapter for medical diagnostic instruments using LEDs as illumination sources
First Claim
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1. An adapter for use with a medical diagnostic instrument originally configured with an incandescent lamp as an illumination source and a power supply specifically designed for powering said incandescent lamp, and wherein:
- said adapter having means is configured for permitting at least one LED to be used as the illumination source for said instrument and permitting said power supply to be used without alteration to enable energization of proper supply of electrical power to said at least one LED, andmeanssaid adapter employing adapter electronics for matching a polarity of said supply of electrical power between said power supply and said at least one LED and said power supply.
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Abstract
An adapter for permitting a medical diagnostic instrument having an illumination source including at least one LED (light emitting diode) to be used with a power supply normally configured for use with a diagnostic instrument having at least one incandescent lamp as an illumination source. The adapter includes circuitry for compensating LED specific characteristics for permitting the power supply to be used with the LED.
70 Citations
100 Claims
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1. An adapter for use with a medical diagnostic instrument originally configured with an incandescent lamp as an illumination source and a power supply specifically designed for powering said incandescent lamp, and wherein:
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said adapter having means is configured for permitting at least one LED to be used as the illumination source for said instrument and permitting said power supply to be used without alteration to enable energization of proper supply of electrical power to said at least one LED, and meanssaid adapter employing adapter electronics for matching a polarity of said supply of electrical power between said power supply and said at least one LED and said power supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 81)
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18. A method for adapting a existing medical diagnostic instrument so as to incorporate at least one white LED as an illumination source, said existing instrument including a power supply for energizing a miniature incandescent bulb as an illumination source, said instrument including an existing instrument head and a existing instrument handle wherein said existing instrument head and said existing instrument handle include mating interconnecting ends which interlock said instrument head and said handle in a mechanical interconnection while simultaneously maintaining an electrical interface between said incandescent lamp and said power supply, said method including the steps of:
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attaching an adapter between said instrument head and said instrument handle, said adapter including means for electrically interconnecting at least one LED and said power supply as well as means for mechanically interconnecting said instrument head and said instrument handle; and mounting said at least one LED in one of said adapter and said instrument head. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A diagnostic instrument comprising:
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a power supply; an incandescent light source disposed in said instrument that is powered by said power supply; and an adapter including at least one LED light source, said adapter having circuitry to permit said at least one LED light source to operate with said power supply when said adapter is attached to said instrument, said adapter being interchangeable with said incandescent light source to permit alternative operation of each said light source.
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22. A method of using a diagnostic instrument, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an instrument with a releasably removable incandescent light source powered by a power supply; removing the incandescent light source from the instrument; and attaching an interchangeable adapter having an LED light source and circuitry that operates with said power supply when said adapter is attached to said instrument to permit alternative operation of said instrument of each said light source.
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- 23. In combination, an adapter for use with a medical diagnostic instrument, said instrument including a power supply that is electrically configured for solely powering an instrument having an incandescent lamp as an illumination source, said medical diagnostic instrument including an instrument head, a hand-grippable handle and at least one LED disposed in said instrument as the illumination source thereof, said adapter including means for electrically and mechanically interconnecting said power supply, and said at least one LED to enable said at least one LED to be used as said illumination source of said instrument and for effectively energizing said at least one LED, said adapter being independently attached between said instrument head and said hand-grippable handle and wherein said instrument head and said hand-grippable handle further include interconnect means for interconnecting said instrument head to said handle for providing a mechanical interface and maintaining an electrical interface between said power supply and an incandescent lamp when an incandescent lamp is typically used in the instrument, and in which said adapter includes respective ends adapted to connect to said interconnect means to provide said mechanical interface while creating an electrical interface between said power supply and said at least one LED.
- 30. In combination, an adapter for use with a medical diagnostic instrument, including a power supply that is electrically configured for solely powering an instrument having an incandescent lamp as an illumination source, said medical diagnostic instrument including an instrument as the illumination source thereof, said adapter including means for electrically and mechanically interconnecting said power supply and said at least one LED to enable said at least one LED to be used as said illumination source of said instrument and for effectively energizing said at least one LED, wherein said adapter permits said at least one LED to be energized by said power supply without modification thereof wherein said instrument includes at least one of at least one LED and an incandescent lamp as the illumination source, said combination further including means for selectively activating said adapter depending on the illumination source provided in said instrument, including means for sensing the type of illumination source in said instrument.
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43. A method for adapting a medical diagnostic instrument for use with at least one LED as an illumination source, said instrument including a power supply typically only electrically configured for energizing an incandescent lamp as an illumination source, said method comprising the steps of:
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adding an adapter to at least one of an instrument head, an instrument handle and said instrument power supply and electrically connecting said adapter to said power supply and said at least one LED to energize same without modification to said power supply; and matching the polarity between said at least one LED and said power supply. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method for adapting a medical diagnostic instrument for use with at least one LED as an illumination source, said instrument including a power supply typically only electrically configured for energizing an incandescent lamp as an illumination source, said method comprising the steps of:
adding an adapter to at least one of an instrument head, and instrument handle and said instrument power supply and electrically connecting said adapter to said power supply and said at least one LED to energize same without modification to said power supply, wherein said instrument includes at least one of at least one LED and an incandescent lamp as the illumination source for said instrument, said method further including the additional steps of selectively activating said adapter depending on the illumination source provided in said instrument and of sensing the illumination source in said instrument. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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76. A method as recited in cliam 75, including the step of optically filtering said at least one LED.
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82. An adaptor that is configured for providing electrical power to a light-emitting diode that is incorporated into a hand held device that was originally designed to project light via an incandescent illumination source, said adapter comprising:
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at least one output electrical contact through which output electrical power is transferred to at least one light-emitting diode; at least one input electrical contact through which input electrical power is received from an electrical power supply that is designed to supply power to an incandescent light source; and means for matching a polarity between said at least one light emitting diode and said power supply and wherein said adaptor is configured to transfer electrical power to said light emitting diode while said adaptor and said light-emitting diode are incorporated within a hand-held device, said device having a body that is comprised of at least a first portion and a second portion that are mechanically attachable and detachable with respect to each other via a connection location of said device; and
whereinsaid adaptor is configured to be incorporated into said device via insertion of said adaptor through said connection location of said device, for enabling said device to use light from said light emitting diode. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. An adaptor that is configured for providing electrical power to a light emitting diode, comprising:
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at least one output electrical contact through which output electrical power is transferred to at least one light-emitting diode; at least one input electrical contact through which input electrical power is received from an input electrical power source that is designed to supply power to an non light-emitting diode light source; and means for matching a polarity between said at least one light emitting diode and said power supply, wherein said adaptor being configured to transfer power from said input electrical power source to said light emitting diode while said adaptor and said at least one light-emitting diode are incorporated into a hand held medical diagnostic device, enabling said device to project light from said at least one light emitting diode; and
whereinsaid device being configured to provide an opening through which to access said non light-emitting diode light source; and
whereinsaid adaptor is configured to be incorporated into said device via insertion of said adaptor through said opening of said device. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99)
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100. An adapter for use with a medical diagnostic instrument originally configured with an incandescent lamp as an illumination source and a power supply specifically designed for powering said incandescent lamp,
said adapter having means for permitting at least one LED to be used as the illumination source for said instrument and permitting said power supply to be used without alteration to enable energization of said at least one LED, and means for matching a polarity between said at least one LED and said power supply.
Specification