Optical article and illumination system for endoscope
View Patent ↗An optical element, wherein axially symmetric or not, an output surface of which contains a plurality of indentations configured to increase a degree of divergence of light that is incident onto such surface through an input surface of the optical element. In one implementation, each of the indentations defines a corresponding aspheric lenslet the plurality of which encircles the central opening in the optical element. The optical element can he configured as a lightguide having the specified output surface. An illumination system for a laparoscope employing such optical element as an addition to the optical fiber bundle of the laparoscope or as a fiber bundle itself that has the specified output surface.
1. An article of manufacture comprising:
an optically-transparent component having an optical axis and a thickness defined between first and second surfaces each of which is transverse to the optical axis,
wherein said optically-transparent component defines a first projected area on a plane that is transverse to the optical axis,
wherein one of the first and second surfaces contains a plurality of indentations disposed along a closed curve that circumscribes the optical axis; and
a screen having an optically-opaque area, the screen dimensioned to define a second projected area on said plane, the first and second projected areas being congruent with one another.
2. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein said closed curve is an ellipse.
3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein said one of the first and second surfaces contains a surface area with a cross-sectional profile represented by an even polynomial function z=Σ m=0 20 C m x 2m ,
wherein x is a coordinate measured along said one of the first and second surfaces and C m represents a polynomial coefficient.
4. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein said optically-transparent component includes a plate.
5. An article of manufacture according to claim 4 , wherein said plate has a cross-section with a perimeter defined by a differentiable closed curve, said cross-section defined in a plane that is transverse to the optical axis.
6. An article of manufacture according to claim 4 , wherein said plate has a planar surface.
7. An article of manufacture according to claim 4 , wherein said plate has an annularly-shaped cross section in a plane that is transverse to said optical axis.
8. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein said screen has a plurality of optically-transparent apertures therein.
9. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , further comprising a lightguide in optical communication with the optically-transparent component through said screen.
10. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , further comprising a lightguide with an end surface that is abutted directly against said optically-transparent component.
11. An article of manufacture according to claim 1 , wherein said optically-transparent component includes a lightguide having a length that is equal to said thickness.
12. An article of manufacture according to claim 11 , wherein said light-guide includes a flexible bundle of optical fibers.
13. An endoscope comprising an article of manufacture according to claim 1 .