Dichroic Beam Combiner for Flexible RGB Endoscopic Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopic illumination systems lack flexibility in transitioning between white light illumination and narrowband vascular pattern enhanced illumination, resulting in suboptimal color representation of tissues.
Innovation Solution
An illumination apparatus utilizing a beam combiner with three light sources and dichroic reflective surfaces to combine non-overlapping wavelength bands, producing a combined light closer to the white point of the CIE1931 color space, incorporating RGB illumination for more natural color representation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional green wide light illumination is used for vascular imaging, then the system structure is simple and compatible with existing endoscopes, but the color representation of tissues is suboptimal and lacks natural colors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple light sources (violet light source, green light source, and red light source) with a beam combiner to merge their wavelength bands into a single illumination beam. This merging enables true RGB illumination that produces whitish light closer to the white point in CIE1931, achieving natural color representation while maintaining compatibility with existing endoscope structures through the use of standard optical fiber guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system is designed to provide multiple functions: it can operate in narrowband vascular pattern enhanced illumination mode using violet and green light, and in true color white light illumination mode by combining all three light sources. The beam combiner and light sources are configured to enable both imaging modes, making the system universally applicable for different diagnostic needs while improving color accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light sources with non-overlapping wavelength bands are combined, then flexibility between WLI and narrowband illumination is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a beam combiner as an intermediary device that receives light from multiple independent light sources and combines them into a single output beam. The beam combiner uses dichroic mirrors to selectively reflect and transmit different wavelength bands, acting as a mediator that enables flexible switching between illumination modes without requiring complex mechanical adjustments or multiple separate optical paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system is segmented into independent functional modules: a violet light source module, a green light source module, a red light source module, and a beam combiner module. Each module can be independently controlled and optimized, allowing flexible combination for different imaging modes while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through modular design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances vascular imaging by providing higher flexibility and allowing true RGB illumination, enabling more natural color observation of tissues compared to standard green wide illumination.
Implementation Method 1
the combining portion comprises two dichroic reflective surfaces; the combining portion is configured to pass a first passing wavelength band of the first light and to block the first light of a wavelength range outside the first passing wavelength band
Data Source
AI summary
It is provided an illumination apparatus, comprising a beam combiner comprising two dichroic reflective surfaces and configured to combine a first light from a first light source, a second light from a second light source, and a third light from a third light source into combined light; a combination of the second light passing through the combiner and the third light passing through the combiner is closer to the white point than each of the second light and the first light passing through the combining portion; or the third light passing through the combiner is closer to the white point than each of the second light and the first light passing through the combining portion.