LED illuminator with improved beam quality

• US 8,047,684 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Scientific Corporation (VISTA Information Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Scientific Corporation (VISTA Information Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Byung J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/623,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20110122598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 362/268, 362/270, 362/271, 362/273, 362/277, 362/331, 362/335, 362/336
• US Class Current: 362/268
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0692 head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/06 by movement of refractors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/065 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/008 Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/14 by axial movement of one or more lenses or groups of lenses relative to the image plane for continuously varying the equivalent focal length of the objective
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00

Abstract

An improved illuminator with an adjustable beam pattern to be worn by medical and dental professionals includes a housing, a light-emitting diode (LED) disposed in the housing outputting light through a distal opening in the housing, an achromatic doublet lens mounted in the opening in the housing, and a singlet lens disposed between the LED and the achromatic lens. The distance between the singlet lens and the doublet lens may be adjustable, and/or distance between the LED and the singlet lens may be adjustable, through a threaded connections, for example.

Claims

1. An illuminator of the type worn by medical and dental professionals, comprising:

a housing;

a light-emitting diode (LED) disposed in the housing outputting light through a distal opening in the housing;

an achromatic doublet lens mounted in the opening in the housing;

a singlet lens disposed between the LED and the achromatic lens; and

an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing enabling the illuminator to be worn as a headlamp.

2. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the distance between the singlet lens and the doublet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection.

3. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the distance between the LED and the singlet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection.

4. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein:

the distance between the singlet lens and the doublet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection; and

the distance between the LED and the singlet lens is adjustable through a different threaded connection.

5. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism is a clip-on connector.

6. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED is a white LED.

7. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED includes an integral lens.

8. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the LED includes an integral spherical lens.

9. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the output light has a non-collimated, divergent beam pattern.

10. The illuminator of claim 1, wherein:

the output light has a non-collimated, divergent beam pattern; and

the beam pattern is adjustable through movement of one or both of the lenses.

11. An illuminator of the type worn by medical and dental professionals, comprising:

a housing having a distal opening;

a light-emitting diode (LED) disposed in the housing;

an achromatic doublet lens mounted in the distal opening;

a singlet lens disposed in the housing between the LED and the achromatic lens;

wherein the lenses output a non-collimated, divergent beam pattern; and

an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing enabling the illuminator to be worn as a headlamp.

12. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the distance between the singlet lens and the doublet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection.

13. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the distance between the LED and the singlet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection.

14. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein:

the distance between the singlet lens and the doublet lens is adjustable through a threaded connection; and

the distance between the LED and the singlet lens is adjustable through a different threaded connection.

15. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the attachment mechanism is a clip-on connector.

16. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the LED is a white LED.

17. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the LED includes an integral lens.

18. The illuminator of claim 11, wherein the LED includes an integral spherical lens.