Patent ID: 7925129

Claim:
An optical concentrator, comprising: a plurality of optical elements disposed adjacent each other with each of the plurality of optical elements including: a) a concentrating element for collecting and repositioning light; and b) an associated redirecting element which is optically associated with and physically separate from the concentrating element for receiving light from the concentrating element, wherein the concentrating element of each of the plurality of optical elements is separated from at least one portion of the associated redirecting element by a layer within which the light does not undergo a repositioning change of direction, and the layer being contiguous between at least a portion of each of the associated redirecting elements; the optical concentrator further including a stepped waveguide for receiving the light from the at least one portion of the associated redirecting element which is constructed to reposition the light into the stepped waveguide for accumulation, the waveguide aggregating the light from the plurality of optical elements to provide optical concentration of the light for use thereof.