WO2005046463A1

WO2005046463A1 - Illuminator for medical application with white led lamp

Info

Publication number: WO2005046463A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002464
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong-Bae Kim
Original assignee: Yong-Bae Kim
Priority date: 2003-11-15
Filing date: 2003-11-15
Publication date: 2005-05-26
Also published as: AU2003276775A8; AU2003276775A1

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide an illuminator for medical application. The illuminator for medical application has a body (20) to include a power supply unit (24) therein, a head (10) to be inserted into a desired body part of a patient to be examined, and a white LED lamp (15) provided in the head (10) to emit white light when the power supply unit (24) supplies electricity to the white LED lamp (15).The illuminator for medical application further has a printed circuit board (16) to mount the white LED lamp (15), a first thread (16) connected to a first side of the printed circuit board (16), a first terminal (14) connected to a second side of the printed circuit board (16), a second thread (21) connected to a first side of the power supply unit (24), and a second terminal (22) connected to a second side of the power supply unit (24).

Description

ILLUMINATOR FOR MEDICAL APPLICATION WITH WHITE LED LAMP

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to an illuminator for medical applications and, more particularly, to an illuminator for medical applications which has a white LED lamp in a removable head thereof, thus being used as an otocsope or a throatscope by changing heads, as desired, and which reduces power consumption and, simultaneously, allows a user to ensure a clear sight by providing white light which is radiated from the white LED lamp and is similar to natural light.

Background Art

Illuminators for medical applications are apparatuses in which head thereof is inserted into desired body parts of patients, such as the ears, noses, eyes, and the throats, etc., so that a user examines a state of each of the desired body parts of the patients. Generally, the conventional illuminators for medical applications include a light emitting unit which comprises a halogen lamp, so as to illuminate a desired body part of the patient into which a part of the illuminator is inserted. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional illuminator for medical applications, and FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an electric circuit for a halogen lamp which is used as a light emitting unit in the conventional illuminator. The above-mentioned conventional illuminator of FIG. 1 is an otoscope, as an example. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 denotes a head. 2 denotes a body, 3 denotes an insert part, 4 denotes a magnifying glass, 5 denotes an ON/OFF switch, 6 denotes the halogen lamp, and 7 denotes a power supply unit. In the conventional illuminator of FIGS. 1 and 2, the head 1 of the otoscope includes the insert part 3 which is inserted into an ear of a patient, the magnifying glass 4 which magnifies a desired portion of a sight ensured by the insert part 3, and the halogen lamp 6 which emits light to illuminate the desired portion ensured by the insert part 3. The body 2 is integrated with the head 1 and has therein the power supply unit 7, such as a disposable battery, a rechargeable battery, and etc., and has thereon the ON/OFF switch 5 to control a supply of electricity from the power supply unit 7 to the halogen lamp 6. That is, in the conventional otoscope, to examine a desired portion of the ear of the patient, the insert part 3 is inserted into the ear of the patient, and the ON/OFF switch 5 is turned on, so that the halogen lamp 6 is turned on by the electricity supplied from the power supply unit 7. Light emitted from the halogen lamp 6 is illuminated at the desired portion of the ear of the patient into which the insert part 3 is inserted. Thus, the user examines the desired portion of the ear by use of the magnifying glass 4. However, because the halogen lamp 6 of the conventional illuminator emits the light by heat generation of a filament thereof, the desired portion of the patient body to be examined is illuminated by red light. Therefore, the user cannot clearly examine the desired portion of the patient body. Furthermore, the expected lifetime of the disposable battery or the rechargeable battery used as the power supply unit is reduced, because the power consumption of the halogen lamp is higher. The conventional illuminator adds additional expenses for the user, because the expected lifetime of the halogen lamp, which uses gases filling the halogen lamp, in addition to the filament, is reduced due to the heat generation of the filament and other undesired environments caused by the gases. In case of examining the throat of a patient, a throatscope comprising a head integrated with a body must be required. That is, the conventional illuminators for medical applications, such as otoscopes or throatscopes, comprise a single body having the body 2 integrated with the head 1 , so that the head 1 cannot be removed from the body 2. Therefore, the users must purchase the otoscopes and the throatscopes, separately, thus paying excessively.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind t above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present inventi is to provide an illuminator for medical applications which has a white LED lari in a removable head thereof, thus being used as an otocsope or a throatscope 1 changing heads, as desired, and which reduces power consumption, and of whi the expected lifetime increases. The above and/or other aspects are achieved by providing an illuminat for medical applications, having a body to include a power supply unit therein, head to be inserted into a desired body part of a patient to be examined, and white LED lamp provided in the head to emit white light when the power supp unit supplies electricity to the white LED lamp. The head may include a printed circuit board to mount the white LE lamp thereon, and a first means for combining the head and the body, which connected to one side of the printed circuit board. The first means is provide on an external surface of a lower end of the head, and is made of an electrical conductive material. The head may further include a first electrode, which connected to the other side of the printed circuit board and is projected from tl lower end of the head. The body may include a second means for combining the head and tl body, which is connected to one side of the power supply unit. The secon means is provided on an internal surface of an upper end of the body and is mac of an electrically conductive material. The second means engages with the fir; means of the head. The body may further include a second electrode connecte to the other side of the power supply unit. The second electrode is projected int the upper end of the body, which has the second means on the internal surfac thereof. Due to the above-mentioned construction, the illuminator for medi< application of the present invention can be used in a variety of ways as illuminator, such as an otoscope, a throatscope, and etc., by changing the hea which are removably coupled to the body, as desired. In addition, the expect lifetime of the power supply unit, such as a disposable battery, a rechargeat battery, and etc., increases, and the expected lifetime of the illuminator of t present invention increases, because the white LED lamp, which is used as t light emitting unit, is provided in the head of the illuminator of the prese invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the prese invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed descriptu taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional illuminator for medic applications; FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an electric circuit for a halogen lamp hic is used as an emitting unit in the conventional illuminator of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an illuminator for medic applications with a white LED lamp, according to a first embodiment of tl present invention; FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the illuminator of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of an electric circuit for the white LED lam of the illuminator of FIG. 3; and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a head of an illuminator for medic* applications with a white LED lamp, according to a second embodiment of th present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which t reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to desij same or similar components. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illuminator for medical app with a white LED lamp 15, according to a first embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the illuminato] 3. FIGS. 3 and 4 show an otoscope, as an example of the illuminator. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the reference numeral 10 denotes a head, l i e insert part, 12 denotes a magnifying glass, 13 denotes a first thread, 14 c first electrode, 15 denotes the white LED lamp, 16 denotes a printed circv. 17 denotes a first wire, 18 denotes a second wire, 20 denotes a body, 21 c second thread, 22 denotes a second electrode, 23 denotes an ON/OFF s\ denotes a power supply unit, 25 denotes a conductive connecting strip, 2t a negative pole, and the reference character R denotes a resistor. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the insert part 11 of the illuminati present invention is coupled to a side of the head 10 to be inserted into ar patient and to allow a user to examine a desired portion of the ear of the The magnifying glass 12 is mounted to the other side of the head 10 to the desired portion of the ear which is ensured by the insert part 11. T. LED ( light emitting diode ) lamp 15, which is mounted on the printe board 16, is installed in the head 10 to be directed toward a hole of the in 13. In the illuminator, because the white LED lamp 15 emits wh through a light emitting chip thereof when the power supply unit 24 electricity to the white LED lamp 15, power consumption by the Ian reduced and the expected lifetime of the lamp 15 increases, in comparis conventional halogen lamps which emit light by heat generation of filai response to an application of electricity. The light emitted from the wh lamp 15 include a visible light range of 400~670nm, so that the white L. 15 emits the light similar to natural light. The white LED lamp 15 is mounted to the printed circuit board an anode and a cathode of the white LED lamp 15 respectively mount printed circuit board 16 through a soldering process. The first wire 17 second wire 18, which are lead from the printed circuit board 16, are resj connected to the first electrode 14 which is projected from a lower en head 10, and the first thread 13 which is an external thread provide external surface of the lower end of the head 10. The first threa preferably made of an electrically conductive material to supply electrici white LED lamp 15. The second thread 21, which is an internal thread provided on an surface of an upper end of the body 20, engages with the first thread 1 second electrode 22 is projected into the upper end of the body 20 whicr second thread 21 on the internal surface thereof, so that the second elec contacts with the first electrode 14 of the head 10. Furthermore, the thread 21 is preferably made of an electrically conductive material tc electricity to the white LED lamp 15 in the same manner as that desirec first thread 13. The second electrode 22 contacts with a positive pole (+) of th supply unit 24, such as a disposable battery, a rechargeable battery, and et second thread 21 is connected to a negative pole (-) 26 of the power sup

24 through the conductive connecting strip 25. The conductive connect)

25 is preferably opened or closed by an operation of the ON/OFF switch 23. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of an electric circuit for the lamp 1. illuminator of FIG. 3. The operation of the illuminator for medical appl according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be d( herein below. To examine an ear of the patient, the insert part 11 is inserted intc of the patient, and the ON/OFF switch 23 is turned on to .close the cor connecting strip 25, so that the electricity is supplied from the power suj 24 to the first electrode 14 through the conductive connecting strip 25 second electrode 22. Sequentially, the electricity is supplied to the anoc white LED lamp 15 soldered to the printed circuit board 16, through electrode 14, so that the white LED lamp 15 is turned on to emit wh The white light emitted from the white LED lamp 15 is illuminated at ∑ portion of the ear of the patient through the hole of the insert part 11. thus examines the state of the ear of the patient by use of the magnifying which magnifies the desired portion of the ear. When the ON/OFF switch 23 is turned off after the user exam state of the ear of the patient, the electric circuit of FIG. 5, in which the pole (-) 26 of the power supply unit 24 is connected through the co connecting strip 25 to the second thread 21 which engages with the first t connected to the cathode of the white LED lamp 15 through the second is opened, so that the white LED lamp 15 is turned off to stop the emissύ white light. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a head 10 of an illuminator for applications with a white LED lamp 15, according to a second embodime present invention. FIG. 6 shows a throatscope, as an example of the illuminator. 6, the reference numeral 30 denotes a head of the throatscope, 31 de insert part, 33 denotes a third thread, and 34 denotes a third terminal. To examine the throat of the patient after the user examined tl the patient using the otoscope shown in FIG. 3, the head 10 of the oto FIG. 3 is separated from the body 20. The head 30 of the throatscope s the FIG. 6 is coupled to the body 20, so that the third thread 33 of the engages with the second thread 21 of the body 20. The second a electrodes 22 and 34 are thus brought into contact with each other, and tl and cathode of the white LED lamp 15 are connected to the positive and poles (+) (-) of the power supply unit 24, respectively. Thereafter, the u on the ON/OFF switch 23, so that the white LED lamp 15 is turned on. examines the throat of the patient using white light emitted from the wh lamp 15.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the illuminator for medical applications accc the present invention has a white LED lamp which is installed in a rei head to emit white light in response to an activation of a light emitting c printed circuit board, so that the expected lifetime of the illuminator ir Because power consumption of the white LED lamp is reduced, the c lifetime of a power supply unit of the illuminator, such as a disposable b rechargeable battery, and etc., increases. Because the white LED laπ white light similar to natural light, a user clearly examines a desired pon patient. Furthermore, the head is removably coupled to a body illuminator, so that the illuminator of the present invention is able to be various kinds of illuminators, such as an otoscope, an throatscope, and changing the heads, as desired. Therefore, the user does not need to se purchase the otoscope and the throatscope, so that illuminator of the invention does not force the user to pay excessively. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention hi disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will apprec various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without d from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accom claims.

Claims

1. An illuminator for medical application, comprising: a body; a power supply unit provided in the body; a head to be inserted into a desired body part of a patient to be e and a white light emitting diode ( LED ) lamp provided in the hea white light when the power supply unit supplies electricity to the wl lamp.

2. The illuminator for medical application according to claim 1. the head comprises: a printed circuit board on which the white LED lamp is mounted; a first means for combining the head and the body, which is pre a lower end of the head and connected at one side of the printed circuit send an electric current; and a first electrode connected at the other side of the printed circi the first electrode being projected from the lower end of the head.

3. The illuminator for medical application according to claim 1, the body comprises: a second means for combining the head and the body, which is on an upper end of the body, connected to one side of the power supply engaging with a first means for combining the head and the body to electric current; and a second electrode connected at the other side of the power sup the second electrode being projected into the upper end of the body.