Electroluminescent Layer Illumination Homogeneity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current illumination systems for optical devices, such as microscopes, face challenges in providing flexible and homogeneous lighting with adjustable color and brightness, often requiring expensive and energy-inefficient solutions like variable colored filters and neutral density filters, which are inflexible and cannot compensate for inhomogeneous illumination effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of a self-luminous layer, preferably an electroluminescent layer like OLED or TOLED, positioned in the illumination beam path, allows for precise control of color and brightness through individual area activation, enabling homogeneous illumination and color correction across the field of view without the need for additional filters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If variable colored filters are used to adjust illumination color and brightness, then color adjustment capability is improved, but device complexity and energy inefficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical filter-based color adjustment system with an electroluminescent layer that can be electrically controlled to emit different colors and intensities of light, eliminating the need for physical filters and their associated mechanical adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The electroluminescent layer allows continuous adjustment of illumination parameters (color temperature, brightness) by changing electrical input parameters, enabling dynamic adaptation without physical component changes
2Stability of the object's composition
If neutral density filters are used to compensate for inhomogeneous illumination, then illumination uniformity is improved, but device complexity and energy efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The electroluminescent layer can be divided into multiple independently controllable regions that emit different intensities of light, allowing local adjustment of illumination to compensate for non-uniformity without wasting energy through absorption filters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces passive neutral density filters with an active electroluminescent system that generates light locally where needed, converting energy loss through absorption into efficient light generation
3Illumination intensity
If lamp current is increased to change color temperature and increase brightness, then brightness is improved, but energy efficiency and lamp lifespan worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The electroluminescent layer enables independent control of brightness and color temperature through separate electrical parameters, allowing brightness increase without the energy-inefficient and lifespan-reducing current increase required by traditional lamps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the incandescent/halogen lamp system with an electroluminescent system that converts electrical energy directly to light with much higher efficiency, eliminating the thermal radiation losses inherent in traditional lighting
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
This solution provides a cost-effective and energy-efficient means to adjust illumination, ensuring consistent color and brightness across the field of view, compensating for inhomogeneities and manufacturing variations, and is suitable for various microscope settings.
Implementation Method 1
a self-luminous layer, preferably an electroluminescent layer like OLED or TOLED
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an illumination device (100, 600) for an optical device, a microscope or a macroscope (200, 300, 400, 500, 700, 800), wherein light emitted from a first illumination source (101, 601) is directed via an illumination beam path onto an object (106, 606) to be illuminated which is arranged in an object plane (106', 606'). The invention is characterized in that at least one second illumination source (103, 603), which can be positioned in the illumination beam path, is provided and is formed so as to be transparent or semi-transparent and self-illuminating, and at least partially transmits light emitted by the first illumination source (101, 601), wherein the object plane (106', 606') together with the object (106, 606) to be illuminated is illuminated by both the first and second illumination source.