Granted Patent B2

US 8,979,301 · App. 13/415,561 · Granted Mar 17, 2015

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. An apparatus for providing a light output to an optical guide for illumination of an object to be imaged, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of solid state light-emitting sources each of which are independently powered and independently controlled, each light-emitting source emitting light at a wavelength that is different from a wavelength emitted by the other light-emitting sources;

a heat sink configured to thermally couple the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources and provide conduction of heat generated by the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources; and

optical elements configured to collect, collimate, and combine the emissions from the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources into a combined beam of light to be optically coupled to a light guide at an output of the apparatus,

wherein light emitted from each of the light-emitting sources travels an optical path length from the respective light-emitting source to the output, the optical path lengths from the light-emitting sources to the output increasing with the wavelength of the light emitted from the respective light-emitting source from a nearest one of the light-emitting sources relative to the output to a farthest one of the light-emitting sources relative to the output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solid state light sources are selected from the group comprising light emitting diodes and diode lasers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical elements include a field lens and an aspheric lens configured to collect and collimate the emission from each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a dichroic filter configured to couple the collimated emission from each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources into the combined beam of light directed along a common path to an output port.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical elements are arranged such that the optical path length of each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources increases as said wavelength increases.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources is substantially at a focal point of a compound collector group.

7. An apparatus for providing a light output to an optical guide for illumination of an object to be imaged, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of solid state light-emitting sources each of which are independently powered and independently controlled, each light-emitting source emitting light at a wavelength which is different from the wavelength emitted by the other light-emitting sources;

a single heat spreader plate having a substantially planar configuration;

a heat sink mounted to a first planar surface of said single heat spreader plate to form a common planar arrangement between the heat sink and the single heat plate, said plurality of solid state light-emitting sources mounted to a second planar surface of said single heat spreader plate, the second planar surface being substantially parallel with the first planar surface, the head spreader plate being configured to thermally couple the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources and the heat sink and provide conduction of heat generated by the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources; and

optical elements to collect, collimate, and combine the emissions from the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources into a combined beam of light to be optically coupled to the light guide,

wherein light emitted from each of the light-emitting sources travels an optical path length from the respective light-emitting source to the output, the optical path lengths from the light-emitting sources to the output varying based on a wavelength of the light emitted from the respective light-emitting source.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the solid state light sources are selected from the group comprising light emitting diodes and diode lasers.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the optical elements include a field lens and an aspheric lens configured to collect and collimate the emission from each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a dichroic filter configured to couple the collimated emission from each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources into the combined beam of light directed along a common path to an output port.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the optical elements are arranged such that relative optical path lengths associated with each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources are based on relative differences in said wavelengths.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the optical elements are arranged such that the optical path length of each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources increases as said wavelength increases.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of solid state light-emitting sources is substantially at a focal point of a compound collector group.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the optical path lengths from the light-emitting sources to the output increase with the wavelength of the light emitted from the respective light source from a nearest one of the light-emitting sources relative to the output to a farthest one of the light-emitting sources relative to the output.

Assignments (19)