Ophthalmic Endoilluminator with Diffraction Grating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ophthalmic endoilluminators face challenges in providing efficient and safe structured illumination for ophthalmic procedures, particularly in the posterior segment of the eye, due to limitations in light quality and the difficulty in achieving desirable contrast with existing illuminator probes.
Innovation Solution
An ophthalmic endoilluminator system that fiber-couples a light source with an optical grating to an optical fiber, utilizing a surface relief grating and an overlayer to diffract light into N diffraction orders with uniform intensity, and incorporates a secondary pump source to enhance LED brightness without overdriving the LED, ensuring stable and efficient illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a conventional light source with optical elements is used to illuminate the posterior segment of the eye, then the illumination can reach the interior regions, but the light quality and contrast are insufficient for desirable structured illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination is segmented into multiple discrete spots arranged in a structured pattern (e.g., hexagonal, square, or triangular lattice) rather than using a single continuous beam. This segmentation enables gradient field imaging by creating distinct illuminated regions with controlled intensity variations, improving both light quality and contrast for visualizing retinal structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spatial distribution parameter of the illumination by using a diffraction grating to transform a single input beam into multiple output beams with specific angular separations. This parameter change creates a structured illumination pattern that provides desirable contrast while maintaining adequate illumination intensity throughout the posterior segment.
2Illumination intensity
If the LED is overdriven to increase brightness for better illumination, then the illumination intensity improves, but the LED lifetime decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing brightness by driving the LED harder (one-dimensional approach), the system uses a diffraction grating to split the LED output into multiple spatial directions, creating multiple illumination spots. This transforms the problem from increasing intensity in one dimension to distributing light across multiple spatial dimensions, maintaining LED lifetime while providing sufficient illumination through increased spatial coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The single LED beam is segmented into multiple spots by the diffraction grating, allowing the system to achieve comprehensive illumination of the posterior segment through multiple lower-intensity spots rather than relying on a single high-intensity beam that would require overdriving the LED.
3Device complexity
If a single optical fiber is used to deliver light to the posterior segment, then the device complexity is reduced, but achieving uniform structured illumination across multiple spots becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A diffraction grating is introduced as an intermediary element at the distal end of the optical fiber. This grating transforms the single-mode output of the fiber into multiple diffraction orders that form the structured illumination pattern. This approach maintains the simplicity of a single optical fiber delivery system while achieving uniform multi-spot illumination through the intermediary diffraction element.
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 system provides improved light quality and contrast for ophthalmic procedures, extending LED lifetime and reducing the need for frequent replacements, while ensuring safe and effective illumination within the eye.
Implementation Method 1
The optical grating is operable to diffract incident light into N diffraction orders, the N diffraction orders having a uniform intensity
Implementation Method 2
the optical grating having a surface relief grating, and an overlayer optically coupled to the surface relief grating
Data Source
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AI summary
An ophthalmic endoilluminator is provided. The ophthalmic endoilluminator includes a light source, a first optical assembly, an optical coupling element, and an optical fiber having an optical grating located distally on the optical fiber, the optical fiber optically coupled to the optical coupling element. The first optical assembly receives and substantially collimates the white light. The optical coupling element receives the substantially collimated white light from the first optical assembly and directs the light to an optical fiber. The optical grating couples to the distal end of the optical fiber, the optical grating having a surface relief grating, and an overlayer optically coupled to the surface relief grating. The optical grating is operable to substantially diffract incident light into N diffraction orders, the N diffraction orders having a substantially uniform intensity.