Patent ID: 7390129

Claim:
A light source, comprising: a solid-state light-emitting chip that supplies light of a predetermined wavelength range, the solid-state light-emitting chip defining a light-emitting surface; a solid-state light-emitting chip supporting part that supports the solid-state light-emitting chip; an optical guide that reflects the light from the solid-state light-emitting chip to cause the light to exit in an illuminating direction, the optical guide defining a light incident surface, the light incident surface and the light-emitting surface of the solid-state light-emitting chip being provided at a predetermined spacing, the light-emitting surface of the solid-state light-emitting chip having a rectangular shape having a first side and having a second side substantially equal to or shorter than the first side, the predetermined spacing being smaller than the length of the second side, wherein the illuminating direction of the light exiting from a light-exiting surface of the optical guide is substantially perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the solid-state light-emitting chip; and an optical guide supporting part that supports the optical guide.