Patent · US Expired

Multiport illuminator optic design for macro-fibers

US5790723A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
16References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 1996
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 13, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S385/901
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The inventive system, which is used in transmitting illumination from a central source to a variety of remote locations, efficiently couples the light originating from an arc lamp, or similar source, into a multiplicity of flexible macroscopic fibers. The combination of the several elements of the inventive system results in a very efficient transfer of the energy of the light source to the fibers. Light from the arc lamp is fed into a circular light pipe, and then directly into a multi-sectored lens, without any requirement of a collimated lens. The multi-sectored lens then focusses the light into the multiplicity of flexible macroscopic fibers.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.