LED illuminator with improved beam quality
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. In the preferred embodiment, the achromatic doublet lens, the singlet lens, or both the singlet and the doublet lens have a planar surface.
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;
an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing enabling the illuminator to be worn as a headlamp; and
wherein the achromatic doublet lens, the singlet lens, or both the singlet and the doublet lens have a planar surface.
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 achromatic doublet lens, the singlet lens, or both the singlet and the doublet lens have a planar surface;
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.