Medical Light Source Combining Laser and White LED Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical light sources using lamp light sources or white LEDs struggle to efficiently collect light on small-diameter light guides due to their large light emission points and wide emission angles, leading to difficulties in achieving high color rendering properties and uniform illumination.
Innovation Solution
A medical light source apparatus that combines narrow-band light from a semiconductor laser with wide-band light from a source like a white LED, using an emission angle converting unit to adjust the emission angle of the narrow-band light to match that of the wide-band light, thereby improving color rendering properties and reducing illumination unevenness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a semiconductor laser with small light emission point and narrow emission angle is used, then light collection efficiency on small-diameter light guide is improved, but color rendering properties deteriorate due to narrow wavelength width
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines narrow-band light from a semiconductor laser with wide-band light from a white LED using a combining unit. This merging of two light sources with different spectral characteristics achieves both high light collection efficiency (from the laser) and good color rendering properties (from the LED combination), resolving the contradiction between productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If white light from semiconductor laser is combined with white light from another light source to increase color rendering properties, then color rendering properties are improved, but unevenness occurs due to difference in emission angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies an emission angle converting unit to change the emission angle parameter of the narrow-band light from the semiconductor laser. By adjusting this parameter to match the emission angle of the wide-band light from the white LED, the system achieves uniform illumination across the field of view while maintaining improved color rendering properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If lamp light source or white LED is used, then color rendering properties are maintained, but light collection efficiency on small-diameter light guide deteriorates due to large light emission point and wide emission angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of both lamp/LED (wide spectral coverage for good color rendering) and semiconductor laser (narrow emission angle for efficient light collection). The combining unit integrates these two light sources, allowing the system to achieve both high light collection efficiency and maintained color rendering properties that neither source could achieve alone.
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
The solution enables the generation of light with high color rendering properties while suppressing unevenness, effectively addressing the challenges of conventional light sources in medical applications.
Implementation Method 1
an emission angle converting unit configured to convert an emission angle of the narrow-band light
Implementation Method 2
a combining unit configured to combine the narrow-band light and the wide-band light
Data Source
AI summary
To generate light with high color rendering properties while suppressing an occurrence of unevenness. The present disclosure provides a medical system including: a medical device provided with an imaging unit configured to image an observation object; and a light source apparatus configured to generate light to irradiate the observation object, wherein the light source apparatus has: a narrow-band light source configured to emit narrow-band light of which a wavelength width is a narrow band; a wide-band light source configured to emit wide-band light of which the wavelength width is wider than the narrow-band light; a combining unit configured to combine the narrow-band light and the wide-band light; and an emission angle converting unit configured to convert an emission angle of the narrow-band light.