Light irradiation device and light irradiation method

Abstract

To provide a light irradiation device that can uniformly irradiate an object to be irradiated having an uneven surface with light by reducing the influence of shadows caused by the uneven surface.SOLUTION: A light irradiation device 10 comprises a light source 11, a light diffusion fiber 13 that guides light from the light source 11 and emits light from the side, and a massive light emission unit 14 in which the light diffusion fiber 13 is embedded and which transmits the light emitted from the side from the light diffusion fiber 13 and emits it to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light irradiation device and a light irradiation method. [Background technology]

[0002] Side-emitting light-diffusing fibers can be used for lighting, advertising, decoration, and the like, similar to discharge tubes such as fluorescent lamps and neon tubes (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-131530 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One light irradiation method involves placing a light source such as an LED near the target and directly irradiating the target with light from the light source. Another light irradiation method involves extending an optical fiber connected to the light source to the target and indirectly irradiating the target with light from the light source via the optical fiber. These light irradiation methods have the problem that if the target has an uneven surface, shadows caused by the unevenness can make it difficult to uniformly irradiate the target with light.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a light irradiation device that can uniformly irradiate an object having an uneven surface with light by reducing the influence of shadows caused by the unevenness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a light source, a light diffusing fiber that guides light from the light source and emits light from a side surface, and a light emitting section that is made of a block of rubber or resin in which the light diffusing fiber is embedded and that transmits the light that has emitted light from the side surface of the light diffusing fiber and emits it to the outside, the light source is provided outside the light output unit, and further includes an optical fiber having one end connected to the light source and the other end connected to the light diffusing fiber;In this light irradiation device, the light emitting surface of the light emitting part that emits light to the object to be irradiated is made of a material that is plastic at 5°C to 35°C.

[0007] The present invention provides A light irradiation method using the light irradiation device of the present invention, Light diffusing fiber embedded in the light output section the light diffusing fiber and the light emitted from the side of the light diffusing fiber is transmitted through the light emitting portion and emitted to the outside, thereby irradiating the object to be illuminated with light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a light diffusing fiber embedded in a massive light emitting section is made to emit light from the side, and the light emitted from the side of the light diffusing fiber is passed through the light emitting section and diffused before being emitted to the outside, and this light is then irradiated onto an object to be illuminated with light. This makes it possible to irradiate light evenly onto an object to be illuminated that has an uneven surface, while reducing the effect of shadows caused by the unevenness. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 1B] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a light diffusing fiber. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing one mode of a method of using the light irradiation device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a modified example of the light irradiation device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a first configuration of a light irradiation device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a second configuration of the light irradiation device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of a light irradiation device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 10A] 13 is a first explanatory diagram of a method for producing a resin molded product using a light irradiation device according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10B] 13 is a second explanatory diagram of the method for producing a resin molded product using the light irradiation device according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) 1A and 1B show a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 1. This light irradiation device 10 can be used in many fields that require localized light irradiation, such as chemical surface treatment, thin film formation, and medicine.

[0012] The light irradiation device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a light source 11, an optical fiber 12, a light diffusing fiber 13, and a light emitting section .

[0013] The light source 11 is not particularly limited and may be composed of, for example, a laser. Examples of the laser of the light source 11 include a semiconductor laser, a light-emitting diode, a solid-state laser, and a gas laser. Of these, a semiconductor laser is preferred as the laser of the light source 11 from the viewpoints of its small size, excellent portability, good controllability, and high optical coupling efficiency with the optical fiber 12. The wavelength of the laser light emitted by the laser of the light source 11 is selected appropriately depending on the application, but is generally in the range from ultraviolet wavelengths to infrared wavelengths. The output form of the laser light may be either continuous light (CW) or pulsed light. The output power of the laser light is selected appropriately depending on the application, but is generally on the order of several mW to several tens of W.

[0014] One end of the optical fiber 12 is connected to the light source 11 and guides light from the light source 11. The optical fiber 12 typically has a core with a relatively high refractive index, a cladding with a relatively low refractive index that covers the core, and a coating layer that further covers the cladding. The type of optical fiber 12 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a silica-based fiber in which the core and cladding are made of quartz, a plastic-based fiber in which the core and cladding are made of resin, or a hybrid-based fiber in which the core is made of quartz and the cladding is made of resin. Examples of materials for forming the coating layer include photocurable acrylic resin. It is preferable that the optical fiber 12 has low transmission loss for the light from the light source 11 that it guides.

[0015] One end of the light diffusing fiber 13 is connected to the other end of the optical fiber 12, and the light is guided from the light source 11 and incident through the optical fiber 12, while emitting light from the side. As shown in FIG. 2, the light diffusing fiber 13 typically includes a core 131 having a relatively high refractive index, a clad 132 having a relatively low refractive index that covers the core 131, and a coating layer 133 that further covers the core 131. In the light diffusing fiber 13, light scatterers 134 are dispersedly added to the core 131 and / or the clad 132. However, adding the light scatterers 134 to the core 131 increases material costs, so it is preferable that the light scatterers 134 be added to the clad 132 rather than the core 131, as shown in FIG. 2. The light scatterers 134 may also be added to the coating layer 133.

[0016] The light diffusing fiber 13 is preferably a hybrid fiber having a core 131 made of quartz and a clad 132 made of a resin such as a silicone resin, but may also be a quartz fiber or a plastic fiber. The coating layer 133 may be formed from a material such as a fluororesin.

[0017] The diameter of the core 131 of the light diffusing fiber 13 is, for example, 10 μm or more and 2000 μm or less. The core 131 of the light diffusing fiber 13 is connected to the core 131 of the optical fiber 12, and it is preferable that the diameter of the core 131 of the light diffusing fiber 13 is larger than the diameter of the core 131 of the optical fiber 12. The outer diameter of the cladding 132 is, for example, 100 μm or more and 10000 μm or less. The outer diameter of the coating layer 133 is, for example, 200 μm or more and 20000 μm or less.

[0018] The light scatterer 134 is not particularly limited, and is composed of, for example, particles of an organic material, an inorganic material, a ceramic material, or a metal material. Examples of organic materials include polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin and polystyrene (PS) resin. Examples of inorganic materials include quartz. Examples of ceramic materials include light-transmitting TiO2. Examples of metal materials include aluminum and gold. The light scatterer 134 may also be composed of fine bubbles. The particle diameter of the light scatterer 134 is, for example, 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

[0019] The light-emitting section 14 is formed in a block shape, and the light-diffusing fiber 13 is embedded therein. The light-emitting section 14 transmits light emitted from the side of the light-diffusing fiber 13 and emits it to the outside. Here, "block-shaped" in this application refers to a shape in which the light-diffusing fiber 13 is not covered with a layer so that its outer shape is visible. Specific shapes of the light-emitting section 14 include, for example, a cube, a rectangular parallelepiped, a plate-like body with a planar shape such as a polygonal, circular, or elliptical shape, a column-like body with a planar shape such as a polygonal, circular, or elliptical shape, a sphere, and a hemisphere. The light-emitting section 14 is formed of a transparent or translucent material that transmits light emitted from the side of the light-diffusing fiber 13. Examples of such materials include silicone rubber, silicone resin, urethane resin, fluororesin, and shape-memory polymer. These materials may have a crosslinked structure or may not be crosslinked.

[0020] The light diffusing fiber 13 embedded in the light emitting portion 14 may be arranged straight in one dimension. However, from the viewpoint of uniformly emitting light emitted from the side surface of the light diffusing fiber 13 to the outside of the light emitting portion 14, it is preferable that the light diffusing fiber 13 be arranged two-dimensionally, for example, in a zigzag or spiral shape, or be arranged three-dimensionally, for example, in a coil shape or randomly, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. From the viewpoint of efficiently obtaining leaked light, the light diffusing fiber 13 preferably includes many bent and deformed portions. From the viewpoint of avoiding loss due to side emission and tip emission outside the light emitting portion 14, it is preferable that both the one end of the light diffusing fiber 13 connected to the optical fiber 12 and the other tip end are provided within the light emitting portion 14.

[0021] In a light irradiation method using the light irradiation device 10 according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A , the light emitting unit 14 is disposed facing the target 20 to be illuminated. When the light source 11 is turned on, light from the light source 11 is guided by the optical fiber 12. The light guided by the optical fiber 12 enters the light diffusing fiber 13, is then guided by the light diffusing fiber 13, and is emitted from the side. The light emitted from the light diffusing fiber 13 passes through the light emitting unit 14 and is diffused in all directions within the light emitting unit 14, and is then emitted to the outside of the light emitting unit 14. The light emitted to the outside of the light emitting unit 14 is irradiated onto the target 20 to be illuminated. In other words, the light emitting unit 14 constitutes a new light source that emits light uniformly throughout its entire area.

[0022] According to the light irradiation device 10 of embodiment 1, the light emitted from the side of the light diffusion fiber 13 is transmitted through the light emitting section 14 and diffused before being emitted to the outside, and is then irradiated onto the object to be irradiated 20, thereby making it possible to irradiate light evenly onto the object to be irradiated 20 having an uneven surface by reducing the influence of shadows caused by the unevenness.

[0023] 3, a liquid resin material 30 that is the same as or similar to the resin material that forms the light emitting portion 14 may be interposed between the light emitting portion 14 and the uneven surface of the light-irradiated object 20. In this way, the light from the light emitting portion 14 is irradiated onto the light-irradiated object 20 without passing through a space, so the influence of shadows caused by the unevenness can be more effectively reduced. Note that the liquid resin material may be cured and solidified before the light is irradiated from the light emitting portion 14 onto the light-irradiated object 20.

[0024] (Embodiment 2) 4 shows a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 2. Note that parts with the same names as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in embodiment 1.

[0025] In the light irradiation device 10 according to the second embodiment, the light output section 14 is formed of a soft material that is plastic at a predetermined temperature (for example, a specific temperature such as 25°C or a temperature range such as room temperature (5°C to 35°C)). According to the light irradiation device 10 according to the second embodiment, the light output section 14 is plastic and easily deformed. Therefore, the light output section 14 is deformed to conform to the uneven surface of the target 20 to be irradiated with light and is brought into contact with it. Light from the light output section 14 is irradiated onto the target 20 without passing through a space. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the influence of shadows caused by the unevenness and to uniformly irradiate the target 20 with light via the contact surface with the light output section 14. Note that, from the viewpoint of eliminating the air gap between the light output section 14 and the target 20 to increase the amount of light irradiated from the light output section 14 onto the target 20, a liquid material such as water or a refractive index adjuster may be interposed between them. Furthermore, by forming a suction cup on the surface that contacts the object 20 to be irradiated with light, the adhesion to the object 20 to be irradiated with light can be further improved.

[0026] Furthermore, even if the light emitting portion 14 is deformed, the light diffusing fiber 13 is highly flexible and has a wide range of light scattering directions, so there is little change in the distribution of light supplied to the light emitting portion 14. On the other hand, in the case of a configuration in which a solid-state light source such as an LED is embedded in the light emitting portion, when the light emitting portion is deformed, the light emitting direction also changes because the solid-state light source has a limited light emitting direction, and this causes a large change in the distribution of light supplied to the light emitting portion, ultimately resulting in a biased light irradiation distribution on the illuminated object.

[0027] Examples of plastic materials include silicone rubber, silicone resin, urethane resin, fluororesin, and shape-memory polymer. Silicone rubber and silicone resin are preferred as the plastic material for forming the light emitting portion 14, due to their high flexibility and excellent light transmittance across a wide wavelength range, from ultraviolet to infrared. The hardness of the plastic material for forming the light emitting portion 14, as measured with a Type A durometer, is, for example, A10 to A90. The plastic material for forming the light emitting portion 14 preferably has tackiness, as it provides high adhesion to the light-irradiated object 20. Examples of such tackiness include gel-like materials such as silicone gel and urethane gel. The hardness of preferred gel-like materials, as measured with an Asker C hardness scale, is, for example, 0 to 7. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. Shape-memory polymers can be restored to their memorized shape by heating or light irradiation. By returning to the memorized shape to match the object to be irradiated at the time of irradiation, it is possible to conform more closely to the surface of the object to be irradiated, making it possible to irradiate light more efficiently.

[0028] 5, the light emitting portion 14 may have a structure in which the structure of the light diffusing fiber 13 is embedded in an inner core portion 141 made of a hard material such as urethane resin or acrylic resin that has no plasticity at room temperature (5°C to 35°C), and an outer coating portion 142 made of a soft material such as silicone resin that has plasticity at room temperature (5°C to 35°C) is provided to cover the inner core portion 141. Furthermore, with such a configuration, the hardness and light transmittance of each portion of the light emitting portion 14 can be adjusted.

[0029] The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0030] (Embodiment 3) 6 shows a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 3. Note that parts with the same names as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in embodiment 1.

[0031] In light irradiation device 10 according to the third embodiment, light scatterers 143 are added so as to be dispersed in light output section 14. According to light irradiation device 10 according to the third embodiment, light scatterers 143 are added to light output section 14, and therefore, a multiple scattering effect of light is generated by light scatterers 143, so that light can be more uniformly irradiated onto irradiation target 20, and the efficiency of extracting light from light output section 14 can be improved.

[0032] The light scatterers 143 are not particularly limited, and may be made of particles of an organic material, an inorganic material, a ceramic material, or a metal material, similar to those added to the light diffusing fiber 13. Examples of organic materials include polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin and polystyrene (PS) resin. Examples of inorganic materials include quartz. Examples of ceramic materials include light-transmitting TiO2. Examples of metal materials include aluminum and gold. The light scatterers 143 may also be made of fine bubbles. The particle size of the light scatterers 143 is, for example, 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

[0033] The light irradiation device 10 according to the third embodiment may be a combination of the configuration of the second embodiment. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0034] (Embodiment 4) 7 shows a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 4. Note that parts with the same names as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in embodiment 1.

[0035] In the light irradiation device 10 according to the fourth embodiment, the light emitting section 14 is doped with a phosphor 144 so that it is dispersed. According to the light irradiation device 10 according to the fourth embodiment, the phosphor 144 is doped in the light emitting section 14. The phosphor 144 is excited by light from the light diffusing fiber 13, and emits fluorescence of a wavelength that cannot be obtained by the light source 11 near the target 20. This fluorescence can then be irradiated onto the target 20 before it attenuates. For example, in photodynamic therapy (PDT) in medicine, light that excites an administered photosensitizer is generated by a large dye laser or solid-state laser and transmitted to the target via optical fiber. However, with the light irradiation device 10 according to the fourth embodiment, the light required for treatment is generated within the light emitting section 14, which is in close contact with the target (affected area). This minimizes light attenuation and can be expected to produce a high therapeutic effect. The phosphor 144 can be, for example, Y3Al5O4, which emits yellow light using blue light with a wavelength of approximately 440 nm as excitation light. 12 and CaAlSiN3, which emits red light.

[0036] The light irradiation device 10 according to the fourth embodiment may be a combination of the configurations of the second embodiment and / or the third embodiment. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0037] (Embodiment 5) 8A and 8B show a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 5. Note that parts with the same names as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in embodiment 1.

[0038] In the light irradiation device 10 according to the fifth embodiment, a light reflecting structure 145 is provided in a layer on the side opposite to the target 20 from the embedded position of the light diffusing fiber 13 in the light emitting section 14. According to the light irradiation device 10 according to the fifth embodiment, the light reflecting structure 145 is provided on the side opposite to the target 20 from the embedded position of the light diffusing fiber 13. Therefore, light emitted from the side of the light diffusing fiber 13 opposite to the target 20 is also reflected by the light reflecting structure 145 and irradiated onto the target 20, thereby enabling efficient irradiation of the target 20 with light.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8A, the light reflecting structure 145 may be attached to the outside of the light emitting section 14. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 8B, the light reflecting structure 145 may be embedded inside the light emitting section 14. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8B, the light reflecting structure 145 may be curved in a concave shape on the side facing the light diffusing fiber 13 so as to collect light.

[0040] The light reflecting structure 145 may be made of, for example, a metal film, or may be made of a resin layer to which highly reflective particles such as zirconia or titanium oxide are added.

[0041] The light irradiation device 10 according to the fifth embodiment may be a combination of one or more of the configurations of the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0042] (Embodiment 6) 9 shows a light irradiation device 10 according to embodiment 6. Note that parts with the same names as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in embodiment 1.

[0043] In the light irradiation device 10 according to the sixth embodiment, a cavity 146 is formed on the surface of the light emitting portion 14. Using the light irradiation device 10 according to the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10A, a photocurable resin serving as the target 20 to be irradiated is placed in the cavity 146 of the light emitting portion 14, irradiated with light from the light emitting portion 14 to cure, and then demolded from the light emitting portion 14 as shown in FIG. 10B, to produce a resin molded product 40. If the light emitting portion 14 is made of a soft, rubber-like material, the resin molded product 40 can be easily demolded. Furthermore, when the photocurable resin is an ultraviolet (UV) curable resin, the presence of oxygen near the UV-irradiated surface can cause poor curing. However, using the light irradiation device 10 according to the sixth embodiment, the absence of oxygen near the UV-irradiated surface can prevent such poor curing.

[0044] The light irradiation device 10 according to the sixth embodiment may be a combination of one or more of the configurations of the second embodiment, the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment, and the fifth embodiment. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0045] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiments 1 to 6, the light source 11 and the light diffusion fiber 13 are connected via the optical fiber 12, and the light is guided from the light source 11 to the light output section 14 by the optical fiber 12. However, this is not particularly limited to this, and the light source 11 and the light diffusion fiber 13 may be directly connected, and the light may be guided from the light source 11 to the light output section 14 by the light diffusion fiber 13.

[0046] In the above embodiments 1 to 6, the light source 11, the optical fiber 12, the light diffusion fiber 13 and the light emitting section 14 are all configured as a single component, but this is not particularly limited to this, and any one or more of these may be configured as a multiple component. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] The present invention is useful in the technical fields of light irradiation devices and light irradiation methods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Light irradiation device 11 Light source 12 Optical Fiber 13 Light diffusing fiber 131 cores 132 Clad 133 Covering layer 134 Light scatterer 14 Light output section 141 Inner core part 142 Outer covering part 143 Light scatterer 144 Phosphor 145 Light reflective structure 146 Cavity 20. Irradiated object 30 Liquid resin material 40 Resin molded products

Claims

1. A light source and a light diffusing fiber that guides light from the light source and emits light from a side surface; a light emitting portion made of a block of rubber or resin in which the light diffusing fiber is embedded and which transmits light emitted from the side surface of the light diffusing fiber and emits the light to the outside; Equipped with the light source is provided outside the light emitting unit, an optical fiber having one end connected to the light source and the other end connected to the light diffusing fiber; A light irradiation device in which the light emitting surface of the light emitting part that emits light toward the object to be irradiated is formed of a material that has plasticity at 5°C to 35°C.

2. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, A light irradiation device in which light scattering materials are added to the light exit portion so as to be dispersed therein.

3. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, A light irradiation device in which a phosphor is added to the light emitting part so as to be dispersed.

4. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, a light irradiating device in which a light reflecting structure is provided on the side of the light emitting portion opposite to the side of the object to be irradiated with light from the position where the light diffusing fiber is embedded;

5. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, The light irradiating device has a tip of the light diffusing fiber provided inside the light emitting portion.

6. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, A light irradiation device in which a connection portion between the light diffusing fiber and the optical fiber is provided within the light emitting portion.

7. The light irradiation device according to claim 1, A light irradiation device configured such that the light emitting surface of the light emitting unit toward the object to be irradiated is deformed to correspond to the uneven surface of the object to be irradiated and is brought into contact with the object to be irradiated, thereby irradiating light from the light emitting unit onto the object to be irradiated without passing through space.

8. A light irradiation method using the light irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A light irradiation method in which light from the light source is guided to a light diffusion fiber embedded in the light emitting section, causing the light diffusion fiber to emit light from the side, and the light emitted from the side from the light diffusion fiber is transmitted through the light emitting section and emitted to the outside, thereby irradiating an object to be illuminated with light.

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