Patent ID: 8283866

Claim:
A method of operating an electrodeless plasma lamp device, the method comprising: providing a plasma lamp device comprising: a conductive housing having a spatial volume defined within the conductive housing, the spatial volume having an inner region and an outer region; a dielectric body having an outer surface region disposed within or partially within the inner region of the spatial volume of the conductive housing and a conductive material overlying the outer surface region of the dielectric body; a gas-filled vessel having a transparent body having an inner surface and an outer surface and a cavity formed within the inner surface, the gas-filled vessel comprising a first end region and a second end region and a length defined between the first end region and the second end region; a first coupling-element spatially disposed within the inner region of the conductive housing coupled to the first end region of the gas-filled vessel, the other end of the first coupling-element being electrically connected to the conductive material; an input coupling-element spatially disposed within the outer region of the conductive housing and within a predetermined distance from the first coupling-element; a gap provided between the input coupling-element and the first coupling-element; an RF source comprising an RF amplifier, an input, and an output, the output of the RF source being coupled to the first coupling-element through the gap and the input coupling-element and the input of the RF source being coupled to a feedback coupling-element; transferring RF energy from the RF source to the input coupling-element, the RF energy having a frequency ranging from about 100 MHz to about 20 GHz; illuminating electromagnetic energy substantially from the length of the gas-filled vessel from discharge of the gas-filled vessel.