Illumination – Light fiber – rod – or pipe – Medical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2001-11-20
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light fiber, rod, or pipe
Medical
C600S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318887
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light source for an endoscope, and, in particular, to a light source arrangement for a battery-powered light source unit for an endoscope.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, light source units are used to illuminate the inside of an organ of a human body while the inside of the organ is observed by, for example, an electronic endoscope. Such a light source unit is equipped with a lamp such as a halogen lamp and a xenon lamp as a light source. Light from the lamp is introduced into a light guide of the electronic endoscope to an illumination window and applied to a location to be observed and video displayed.
The light source, e.g. the halogen lamp and the xenon lamp, is energized by commercial power supply because it consumes electric power to somewhat significant extent. In view of less electric power consumption as well as miniaturization and lightening for portability, it is desired for the light source unit to use a battery-powered light source arrangement. In the field of electronic endoscope and information processing machines, miniaturization and electric power reduction of the battery-powered light source unit are advanced in regard to electronic circuits and, on the other hand, make very slow progress in regard to light source units due to utilization of a halogen lamp or a xenon lamp which ensures a somewhat great amount of light.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a light source arrangement for a battery-powered light source unit for an endoscope which realizes miniaturization lightening for portability and electric power reduction of the battery-powered light source unit.
The foregoing object of the invention is accomplished by providing a light source arrangement for a battery-powered light source unit of an endoscope which has an illumination system. The light source arrangement comprises an optically transparent base board, light emitting means, for example a single bare light emitting element or a plurality of bare light emitting elements, arranged in close proximity to the back of the transparent base board, and a reflector disposed behind the transparent base board so as to reflect light emanating backward from the light emitting means toward the transparent base board.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the light source arrangement further comprises a power supply circuit printed on the back of the transparent base board and transparent electric conductive lead wires for connecting the light emitting means to the power supply circuit such as a patterned film of tin oxide (SnO
2
) and a patterned film of indium oxide (In
2
O
3
) which have low specific resistances.
According to the light source arrangement of the invention in which a single bare light emitting diode or a plurality of bare light emitting diodes are employed, light emanating from the bare light emoting diode or diodes are partly directed directly forward and partly directed backward and reflected by the reflector. Accordingly, almost entire amount of light emanating from the bare light emitting diode or the bare light emitting diodes are directed to the transparent base board, so that the light pass through the transparent base board are efficiently collected by the focusing lens and directed to the light guide. The utilization of a patterned film of tin oxide (SnO
2
) or a patterned film of indium oxide (In
2
O
3
) as the conductive lead wires for connecting the light emitting element to the power supply circuit resistances eliminates a loss of light. Further, the utilization of a plurality of bare light emitting diodes provides a large amount of light and realizes a battery-powered light source unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3938177 (1976-02-01), Hansen
patent: 4758764 (1988-07-01), Kuga
patent: 4803992 (1989-02-01), Lemelson
patent: 4831429 (1989-05-01), Nikashima
patent: 5471023 (1995-11-01), Kaizu
patent: 5813403 (1998-09-01), Soller
patent: 5925898 (1999-07-01), Spath
patent: 6110106 (2000-08-01), MacKinnon
Cariaso Alan
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Sawhney Hargobind S.
Young & Thompson
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