Patent ID: 8979316
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: F21V,F21W,F21Y,G02B,H05B

Abstract:
1. A LED array spot illuminator for providing light along an optical axis to illuminate a spot, comprising: a substrate; at least one array of multiple LED chips without individual packaging supported by said substrate, wherein the LED chips emit light within different wavelength ranges and are distributed laterally with respect to said axis over a light-emitting area, said LED chips having light emitting surfaces for emitting light in directions transverse to said area, wherein the dimensions of the light-emitting area do not exceed 25 mm; an optical element adjacent to the light emitting surfaces of the LED chips in said at least one array and in the optical axis collecting light emitted by the LED chips; an optical device that collects and directs light emitted by the LED chips of the at least one array and collected by said optical element to output light illuminating the spot in directions within a cone angle from and along said axis, said optical device including one or more lenses; an aperture located in the optical axis between the optical element and the optical device passing the light emitted by the LED chips of the at least one array along said axis, wherein light collected by said optical element and said optical device and passed by the aperture forms a beam of light illuminating the spot, defining a boundary for and shape of the spot; a diffusing/scattering/homogenizing element located in a path of the beam between the at least one array of multiple LED chips and the aperture so that the beam illuminating the spot is substantially spectrally uniform, across the illuminated spot; and an instrument for adjusting a distance between the optical element and at least one of the one or more lenses to adjust said cone angle, to select the size of the illuminated spot, and to define a sharp boundary for the spot.