Patent ID: 8355214

Claim:
An apparatus for collecting light from a source into a beam of light, said apparatus comprising: a front surface comprising a selectively light transmitting portion; a back surface comprising a reflecting portion; and an internal region disposed between the front surface and back surface; said selectively light transmitting portion comprising a side facing the internal region which selectively reflects light incident from the source back through the internal region towards the reflecting portion of the back surface; said reflecting portion of the back surface reflecting the light from the front surface back through the internal region towards the front surface; and said selectively light transmitting portion selectively transmitting at least a portion of light incident from the reflecting portion of the back surface out of the internal region to form the beam of light; the apparatus having a focal point located in a focal plane, and wherein: the source is located proximal to the focal point, and the front and back surfaces are configured to cooperate to collect light from the source and substantially collimate the light into the beam, and the front surface and back surface are aspherical surfaces adapted to substantially eliminate spherical and comatic aberration associated with light collected from the source located proximal to the focal point.