Patent ID: 7668214

Claim:
A light source comprising: a plurality of planar emitters for emitting light, wherein an emission of each said emitter is characterized by a slow-axis divergence and a fast-axis divergence; a plurality of fast-axis collimating means, one per each emitter, for collimating the emission of each emitter into a fast-axis collimated beam, wherein said fast-axis collimated beam continues to diverge in a slow-axis divergence plane; a slow axis collimating means, disposed downstream of the fast-axis collimating means, for collimating the fast-axis collimated beams into a single collimated beam; and a plurality of redirecting means, for redirecting the fast-axis collimated beams, so as to couple said fast-axis collimated beams to the slow axis collimating means such that: the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other and to an optical axis of the slow axis collimating means, the slow-axis divergence planes of the fast-axis collimated beams are substantially parallel to each other, and optical path lengths from the planar emitters to the slow axis collimating means are substantially equal, wherein the planar emitters are disposed on both sides of the optical axis of the slow axis collimating means.