Light Irradiation Apparatus with Rotating Stage and LED Array
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light irradiation apparatuses for reaction vessels are complex and difficult to maintain due to separate light sources, which complicates the mechanism and makes replacement challenging, especially when heat generation issues from mercury lamps are not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A light irradiation apparatus with a rotating stage holding reaction vessels, multiple LEDs arranged to provide balanced light irradiation, and a mirror to reflect light efficiently, along with a collimator for parallel light conversion, allowing for robust and efficient light distribution with reduced heat generation using LEDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If multiple separate light sources are arranged to irradiate reaction vessels, then light irradiation coverage is improved, but device complexity increases and maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate light sources into a single integrated light source unit that can irradiate multiple reaction vessels. This merging approach maintains comprehensive light coverage while reducing the number of separate components, thereby simplifying the overall mechanism and improving maintainability.
Solution Approach 2:
The light source unit is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple reaction vessels simultaneously. By making the light source universal rather than dedicated to single vessels, the system achieves broad illumination coverage without requiring separate specialized light sources for each vessel.
2Illumination intensity
If mercury lamps are used for light irradiation, then light output is improved, but heat generation increases and cooling mechanisms become necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the light source by replacing mercury lamps with LED lights. This parameter change transitions from a high-heat, high-intensity light source to a low-heat, controlled-intensity source, thereby reducing heat generation while maintaining adequate light output for the reaction vessels.
3Temperature
If LED light sources are used, then heat generation is reduced, but light irradiation efficiency may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reflector as an intermediary component between the LED light source and the reaction vessels. The reflector redirects and concentrates the LED light toward the vessels, compensating for the lower inherent intensity of LEDs compared to mercury lamps, thereby maintaining irradiation efficiency while benefiting from reduced heat generation.
4Temperature
If cooling mechanisms are added to manage heat, then temperature control is improved, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the cooling mechanism from the system by selecting an LED light source that inherently generates minimal heat. This elimination of the cooling subsystem significantly reduces the apparatus size and complexity while still achieving adequate temperature control for the photoreaction experiment.
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 apparatus achieves simple configuration, easy handling, and efficient light irradiation with reduced heat generation, enabling balanced and uniform light exposure to multiple reaction vessels while minimizing the size and complexity of the apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
at least one light emitting diode being disposed in each light irradiation mechanism
Implementation Method 2
a mirror configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source unit and irradiate the reflected light to the reaction vessels
Implementation Method 3
a collimator configured to convert the light emitted from the light source unit into a parallel light and output the parallel light to the mirror
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to provide a light irradiation apparatus irradiating a light to a sample in a reaction vessel while stirring the sample more efficiently. A rotating stage can rotate around a first axis that is a central axis thereof. A holding mechanism holds reaction vessels whose longitudinal directions are a direction of the central axis on a circumference around the first axis on the rotating stage at equal intervals. Rotation mechanisms hold bottoms of the reaction vessels and rotate the reaction vessels around second axes that are central axes of the reaction vessels, respectively. A light irradiation mechanism is disposed on the rotating stage and irradiates a light emitted from at least one light emitting diode to the reaction vessels from a predetermined direction.