Prismatic Light Guide Layout for Uniform Endoscope Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light source devices for endoscopes struggle to uniformly distribute illumination light across the effective irradiation range, leading to uneven illuminance, which affects the quality of in-vivo imaging.
Innovation Solution
A light source device with a prismatic light guide that reflects light emitted from semiconductor light sources multiple times, ensuring the light enters perpendicular to the reflecting surface, thereby uniformly mixing the light and eliminating positional intensity unevenness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light sources are arranged on concentric circles and light is mixed by a rod, then illuminance uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light source array is segmented into multiple light sources arranged on concentric circles, allowing independent control and optimization of light emission from different zones to achieve uniform illuminance distribution
Solution Approach 2:
A rod is introduced as an intermediary element to mix the light from multiple sources arranged on concentric circles, creating uniform illuminance without requiring complex optical systems
2Illumination intensity
If a prismatic light guide with multiple reflections is used, then illuminance uniformity is improved, but light loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide transitions from a simple linear path to a prismatic structure with multiple reflection surfaces, utilizing three-dimensional geometric optics to redistribute light uniformly while maintaining efficiency through controlled reflections
Solution Approach 2:
The optical parameters of the light guide are optimized by controlling the angle of incidence to be perpendicular to reflecting surfaces, maximizing reflection efficiency and minimizing light loss while achieving uniform illuminance distribution
3Illumination intensity
If light enters the light guide at an angle, then light distribution is improved, but positional intensity unevenness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is designed so that light enters perpendicular to the reflecting surfaces, creating equipotential conditions where all light paths experience equal reflection angles and distances, eliminating positional intensity variations and achieving uniform illuminance across the effective irradiation range
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 achieves uniform illuminance across the effective irradiation range, enhancing the quality of in-vivo imaging by suppressing illuminance unevenness and ensuring consistent light distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser lens configured to condense light emitted from the plurality of first semiconductor light sources
Implementation Method 2
the light guide guiding the light incident on the incident surface to the emission surface while reflecting the incident light in the light guide a plurality of times
Implementation Method 3
ensuring the light enters perpendicular to the reflecting surface, thereby uniformly mixing the light and eliminating positional intensity unevenness
Data Source
AI summary
A light source device includes: a plurality of first semiconductor light sources; a condenser lens; and a light guide having a prismatic shape in which an incident surface is on a first side of a central axis direction of the prismatic shape and an emission surface is on a second side of the central axis direction of the prismatic shape, a positional relationship between the plurality of first semiconductor light sources, the condenser lens, and the light guide is set such that a traveling direction of the light incident on the incident surface from the first semiconductor light sources via the condenser lens is perpendicular to a reflecting surface of the light guide in a plan view as viewed in the central axis direction of the prismatic shape, the incident light being reflected on the reflecting surface in the light guide.