Light emitting diode illumination system

• Main Authors: BRUKILACCHIO THOMAS J, CONNER ARLIE R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.06.2015
• Subjects: BLASTING; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTROTHERAPY; FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMSTHEREOF; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21Sand F21V, RELATING TO THEFORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THELIGHT EMITTED; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATINGELEMENTS; LIGHTING; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RADIATION THERAPY; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHERARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; SURGERY; TESTING; ULTRASOUND THERAPY; WEAPONS

The present invention provides a light engine having four light sources. A combination of collimators, bandpass filters, dichroic mirrors, and other elements is operative to direct light from the light sources onto a main optical axis from where it may be focused into a light guide for transport to an instrument or device. Particular embodiments of the invention provide for computer control, intensity control, color control, and light source modulation. Additional embodiments include particular light sources including light pipes and lasers. The light engine provides white light having a high color rendering index and suitable for applications in microscopy, endoscopy, and/or bioanalytical instrumentation.