LED Light Source with Selective Power Module for Photo-Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Photo-therapy devices face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs, prolonging treatment time while adhering to daily illumination limits, and preventing skin overheating due to heat generated by LED-based light-emitting devices.
Innovation Solution
A light-emitting device with a power module that selectively supplies power to subsets of light-emitting elements during non-overlapping time intervals, reducing the maximum current requirement and allowing for temporal and spatial distribution of light output, thereby reducing overheating and extending treatment time without increasing power capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light-emitting device uses LED-based light sources to provide illumination for photo-therapy, then the device can achieve effective treatment results, but heat is generated that may cause skin overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic illumination by controlling the LED light source to emit light in pulses rather than continuously. The control unit activates the LED for specific time intervals (illumination periods) followed by rest periods, creating a periodic action pattern. This approach maintains effective treatment through sufficient light exposure while allowing heat dissipation during rest periods, thereby preventing skin overheating.
2Area of stationary object
If the power module is designed to supply power to all light-emitting elements simultaneously, then the device can provide full illumination coverage, but the current driver becomes expensive and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light-emitting elements into multiple separate groups or channels. Instead of requiring a single high-power current driver to power all LEDs simultaneously, the system uses multiple lower-power current drivers, each responsible for a specific group of LEDs. This segmentation allows full illumination coverage to be achieved while using more affordable, lower-specification electronic components, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
3Productivity
If the device illuminates the entire skin area simultaneously at high intensity, then the treatment is effective, but the daily illumination limit is reached quickly, limiting treatment time
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit implements periodic illumination cycles where the LED light source is activated for specific durations followed by rest periods. During illumination periods, high-intensity light is delivered to achieve effective treatment results. During rest periods, the light source is deactivated, allowing the skin to recover and preventing accumulation of excessive illumination dose. This periodic approach enables extended treatment sessions while respecting daily illumination limits.
4Ease of manufacture
If multiple current drivers are used to power different groups of LEDs, then the device can be more cost-effective, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple current drivers into a single integrated control unit that manages power distribution to different LED groups. Rather than using completely separate driver circuits for each LED group, the control unit consolidates the control functionality, managing multiple LED channels through a unified architecture. This merging approach reduces overall system complexity while still enabling cost-effective operation with multiple lower-power drivers.
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 configuration lowers manufacturing costs, extends treatment time, and reduces the risk of skin overheating by managing heat dissipation through selective power distribution and sequential illumination of skin areas.
Implementation Method 1
A light-emitting device of a photo-therapy device generally comprises a power supply and a current driver for driving the light source or light sources of the light-emitting device
Implementation Method 2
about one third of the power dissipated in the LED or LEDs may be converted to light
Implementation Method 3
about one third of the power dissipated in the LED or LEDs may be converted to light with the remainder of the power dissipated in the LED or LEDs being converted to heat
Data Source
AI summary
A light-emitting device (100) is disclosed. The light-emitting device (100) comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements (135) or light sources and a power module (120) adapted to selectively convey, supply or provide electrical power to the light-emitting elements (135). The power module (120) may be dimensioned such as to be able to power only a proper subset of the light-emitting elements (135) of the light-emitting device (100) at a given time, the subset having a maximum number of light-emitting elements (135) included therein with respect to the number of light-emitting elements (135) included in the all subsets of the light-emitting elements (135) of the light-emitting device (100). The plurality of sets of light-emitting elements (135) may be arranged so as to emit light over a light emission area, and the plurality of sets of light-emitting elements (135) may be arranged relatively to each other such that different sets of light-emitting elements (135) emit light over different portions of the light emission area.