Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
  • G02B6/0005—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type
  • G02B6/0006—Coupling light into the fibre
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
  • G02B6/32—Optical coupling means having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
  • G02B6/4201—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
  • G02B6/4204—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details the coupling comprising intermediate optical elements, e.g. lenses, holograms

Definitions

• a headlamp assembly for a surgeon is typically connected to an illumination source through for example a 5 millimeter fiber optic cable.
• the illumination source includes a projection lamp having a filament which produces light. The light is then adjusted through a condenser assembly to form a beam of light which has a spotsize adapted for the fiber optic bundle of the 5 millimeter fiber optic cable.
• a socket is included as part of the illumination source and permits a first end of the 5 millimeter fiber optic cable to be inserted and removed from the illumination source.
• the 5 millimeter fiber optic cable is coupled at its second end to a headmounted projection module for illuminating a field of view for a surgeon. In some environments it is desirable to utilize a fiber optic cable which is smaller than a 5 millimeter fiber optic cable.
• spotsize adapter for fiber optic coupling.
• the spotsize adapter converts the spotsize utilized with the fiber optic bundle of a first size fiber optic cable into a spotsize adapted for the fiber optic bundle of a second size fiber optic cable.
• the spotsize is adapted by way of a bi-convex lens positioned within the spotsize adapter.
• the lens may be aspheric on one or both sides
• the first end of the adapter fits into the standard socket for the first size fiber optic cable and the second end receives the second size fiber optic cable. In this manner a different size cable can be used with an existing illumination system, resulting in increased comfort for the user and an increased amount of light presented to an instrument attached to the distal end of the fiber optic cable.
• Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a prior art illumination source coupled to a five millimeter fiber optic cable;
• Fig. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the spotsize adapter of the present invention
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an illumination source coupled to the spotsize adapter of the present invention.
• Fig. 4 is a diagram of a headmounted headlamp including the smaller sized fiber optic cable.
• a prior art illumination source 26 is shown.
• a 5 millimeter fiber optic cable 40 is coupled to socket 24 of the illumination source 26.
• the illumination source 26 includes a projection lamp 28 having a filament 30.
• An optical system 32 such as a condenser, adapts the light emitted by the projection lamp 28 to a beam of light having a spotsize compatible with the fiber optic bundle 44 of the 5 millimeter fiber optic cable 40.
• the fiber optic cable 40 includes a jacket 42 which is relatively stiff and unwieldy as compared to fiber optic cables of different sizes.
• the spotsize adapter 10 comprises a cylindrical adapter housing 22 having a central bore 42 disposed therethrough.
• the adapter housing 22 has an outside diameter approximately equal to the outside diameter of, for example, a 5 millimeter fiber optic cable.
• a first end 40 of the adapter housing 22 can be coupled to the socket 24 of the illumination source 26.
• the adapter housing 22 has a lens 20 disposed within the central bore 42.
• Lens 20 in this embodiment is an aspheric bi-convex lens.
• a ferrule 18 is included as part of the adapter 10, however in alternate embodiments the ferrule need not be part of the adapter or the ferrule may be attached to the end of the fiber optic cable and inserted into and removed from the adapter.
• the ferrule 18 is positioned such that its first end 43 is inserted into the second end 41 of the adapter housing 22.
• the ferrule 18 includes a central bore 44 which is adapted to receive the fiber optic bundle 14 of a 3.0 or 3.5 millimeter fiber optic cable 12 partially therein.
• the smaller fiber optic cable 12 includes a jacket 16 which is smaller and more flexible, and thus easier to maneuver, than that of the 5 millimeter fiber optic cable described above.
• the ferrule 18 forms a termination of cable 12.
• light provided by filament 30 of projection lamp 28 is adapted by optical system 32 to provide a beam of light having a spotsize compatible with the optical fiber bundle of a 5 millimeter fiber optic cable.
• Optical system 32 comprises one or more planar/convex lenses.
• Bi- convex lens 20 converts the beam of light having the spotsize adapted for the fiber optic bundle of the 5 millimeter cable to a beam of light having a spotsize compatible with the fiber optic bundle 14 of a 3.0 millimeter fiber optic cable or a 3.5 millimeter fiber optic cable 12.
• a first end of the fiber optic cable 12 is in optical communication with the beam of light exiting lens 20, and thus provides light to an instrument (not shown) coupled to a second end of the fiber optic cable 12.
• the lens 20 is anti-reflective (AR) coated and has both convex surfaces aspherically formed to minimize aberrations for the preferred application of supplying light to surgeons headlamps 34 supported on headbands 36 and used to illuminate surgeons work areas, as shown in Fig. 4.
• the numerical aperture of the beam applied from the lens 20 is optimized to the numerical aperture of the fiber bundle 14.
• the lens 20 is located at a distance relative to the condenser 32 in order to capture a maximum amount of the illumination from the condenser 32 and thus enhances the amount of light available at the headlamp 34 compared to prior art designs.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Optical Couplings Of Light Guides (AREA)
• Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=21756358

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

• 1997
  • 1997-03-03 JP JP9531991A patent/JP2000506286A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-03-03 WO PCT/US1997/003656 patent/WO1997033189A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1997-03-03 EP EP97908969A patent/EP0900400A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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