Dyonics, Inc.

Smith & Nephew Dyonics, Inc.

Rochelle Prescott

Dennis C Leiner

An improved system for projecting uniform illumination for observation, combining a flexible fiber light guide with a clad cane element which mixes light rays from the fiber bundle to provide uniform brightness across the output face of the clad cane element in a system which lends itself to compactness in design. The fiber light guide comprises a flexible bundle or small, discrete clad fibers, and the bundle receives light from a primary light source at one end. The clad fibers are joined together at the other end to define, along with the spaces therebetween, an output face which forms a source of light of non-uniform brightness. This non-uniform light is received by the clad can element, which has a transparent, homogeneous core with a high refractive index and a thin clad having a low refractive index surrounding the core. The clad cane element is of sufficient size and disposition so that all the light from the bundle is received by the clad cane element, and is of sufficient length so that the light rays from the bundle are internally mixed so that the light is uniform at an output face of the clad cane element. A downstream lens is located at a distance at least equal to its focal length from the output face of the clad cane element, and the lens receives the uniform light therefrom and focuses the image of the output face of the clad cane element on the object plane to be illuminated, in a sharply defined beam with essentially total conservation of brightness.

Fiber bundle illumination system

An optical system and method is disclosed for substantially correcting an image transmitted through at least one gradient index lens for chromatic aberration by means of a homogeneous lens affixed thereto. In preferred embodiments, at least one of the gradient index lenses is a relay lens. The length of the relay lens is varied about an integral number of half periods and the homogeneous lens has a positive or negative curvature, depending upon the nature of the correction required. A method of determining the curvature of the homogeneous lens and the length of the relay lens for the desired degree of correction is also claimed.

Chromatic aberration corrected gradient index lens system

An optical system comprising at least two gradient index lenses further includes spacer means of substantially homogenous substance affixed therebetween to provide increased light throughput by substantial maximization of the optical invariant of the system.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Rochelle Prescott