DE102010013835A1 - Method for coupling light that is emitted from white light LED chip in coupling surface of light guidance cable or fiber bundle in endoscope, involves grounding surface mold at coupling surface so that coupling efficiencies are maximum - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves grounding a surface mold at a coupling surface that is assigned to a LED-chip (6) as a truncated cone, pyramid and spherical convex type such that a surface coupling efficiency and an angular coupling efficiency between the arbitrary designed LED-chip and arbitrary designed light conductor bundles are maximum. A fiber cone or glass cone depends on area size, area geometry and diameter ratio of the coupling surface and exhibits length that ranges from 10 mm to 5 m. Small and larger diameters of the fiber cone or glass cone are utilized as a coupling point at the LED-chip. An independent claim is also included for a device for coupling the light that is emitted from the LED chip in the coupling surface of the light guidance cable or fiber bundle in an endoscope.

Description

The invention is concerned with the coupling of light, which is emitted by LED, preferably white LED, in fiber bundles z. B. for use in endoscopy.

In recent years, the LEDs that emit a white light have found entrance into illuminations for endoscopy. The main purpose is to couple as much as possible of the light emitted by the available LED components into fiber bundles of different diameters. The existing LED are offered both as a chip LED, as well as with attached lens, or even with windows and have very different dimensions.

Many solutions have been offered to couple the emitted light of this LED into fiber bundles. This can be done in the classical way by means of lenses, such as z. B. in the DE 102007027615 and shown in many other applications. The hitherto diverse designs of lens systems in patents and in publications have the decisive disadvantage that optical systems have to be constructed from a plurality of lenses (eg collimator systems). The lens systems are also very large and expensive. The diameters of these lens systems are usually much larger than the LED and the fiber bundles themselves when transmitting the usually large beam angles of the LEDs. In order to keep the optical transmission paths of these lenses small and to minimize the necessary installation space, the lenses used must be very short-focal length. In some cases, aspheres have to be used to realize the required angular transformation for coupling into fiber bundles. Due to the multiple lenses used, a portion of the emitted light of the LED is lost by reflection and scattering on the lens surfaces, which is particularly disadvantageous.

The coupling into fiber bundles is also attempted by means of optical elements made of PMMA, which are designed as special three-dimensional beam guiding structures, which are commercially available in large numbers. Here, rotationally symmetric elements are provided which are intended to catch as many as possible of all the rays emitted by the LED in their solid angle and to guide them in a desired direction by means of spherical or aspherical or even partially reflecting surface parts. An example of this is the US 2006/0044820 in which some of the very special beam guiding components are described. A disadvantage of these elements are their dimensions, since due to the required solid angle, these elements are several times larger in diameter than the LED itself. The disadvantage here is also the very high price for these precision turned parts in small quantities. For newly developed endoscopes, an adaptation of these elements is usually only possible through recalculation and customization. This also applies to the LED to be used. For each type of LED, a specific element must be calculated and manufactured.

Similar to the beam guiding elements described, highly specific reflectors for LEDs have also been developed, which should collect as much as possible all emitted light beams and direct them in one direction. In the case of both beam guidance components, the optical elements and the reflectors, there is the great disadvantage that in the deliberately forced good angular conversion the exit surfaces become very large and thus a large proportion of the radiation can not be coupled into the fiber bundles.

For coupling the light of the LED it is much better than with lens systems possible to bring the fiber bundles and the LED chip surfaces into direct contact with each other, as it is in the US 7229201 has been described in detail (so-called shock coupling). Here, the best Einkoppelergebnisse have been achieved over all other known methods. The disadvantage of this butt coupling is that the commercially available fiber bundle diameters or also the fiber bundle diameters used in the endoscopes are not adapted to all current LED chip sizes or can not be adapted. In the described US patent, the illustrated fiber bundles are shown smaller than the actual LED chip, which generally leads to losses in the corners (inscribed circle). Since the LED chips are typically square or rectangular, it is necessary for full light transmission to use fiber bundle diameters larger than the LED chip area (perimeter) in a butt coupling. This would be associated with many LEDs a risk of injury to the bonding wires.

Also in the US20030219207 a fiber bundle placed on the LED chip surface is described which, due to the bonding wires, must be smaller than the entire chip surface. Deviating from all known realized LED, this patent also claims a concave LED chip surface, which is particularly disadvantageous.

Also, for the LED, which have a lens glued on the chip, a coupling into a fiber bundle is possible by the fiber bundle is placed directly on the Linsenkuppe or on a window in front of the chip, as z. B. in the US2009 / 0040783 is described. The removal of the lenses or the grinding of existing lenses on LED devices are in these Publications claimed. The disadvantage of a coupling of fiber bundles on lens caps of LED or on windowed LED chips is that the farther away from the LED chip the receiving fiber bundle is arranged, due to the beam divergence of the rays emitted by the LED, the area of the beam cross section becomes larger , In order for the most effective possible transmission of the radiation emitted into the solid angle, the diameters of the fiber optic bundles would have to be larger with increasing distance from the chip, which is generally not always possible. It can be seen that methods of shock coupling and coupling to lenses due to poor areal matching can not provide sufficient coupling efficiency and not for all, eg. B. installed in an endoscope, fiber bundles are suitable. If the existing lens or window has to be removed from an LED chip, this can lead to the violation of the sensitive conversion layer. Also, placing the fiber bundle directly on the conversion layer can lead to violations of the conversion layer.

In many LED chips, in contrast to the images shown in the above patents, the bonding wires are on the light-emitting side, which thus prevent direct contact of fiber bundle end faces over the entire LED surface and reduce the maximum bundling diameter aufzusetzenden.

In order to detect as many emitted light beams as possible in these methods of butt coupling or direct placement on LED chips or lens caps or windows, fiber cones have been used in many cases. Such as B. in the US2009 / 0122573 described, the fiber cone is used for aperture conversion and size adjustment by being placed with its small diameter on the LED chip and the large diameter of the fiber cone comes into contact with the fiber bundle to be used. The disadvantages here are also the adaptation of the diameter of the small side of the fiber cone to the LED chip, which must indeed be performed as a perimeter around the LED chip to record as many rays, then possibly bonding wires can be damaged. When using a fiber cone, the question of the aspect ratio, ie the quotient of small fiber diameter to large fiber diameter, is decisive. This aspect ratio, the need to adapt to the area of the LED (perimeter), and adapt to the continuity of the fiber bundle, limits the use of a fiber cone.

The embodiments of all known LED chips are square or rectangular, the embodiments of known Lichtleitkabel coupling surfaces are round, so that here is an unmatched surface coupling before. If the coupling diameter is chosen to be larger than the diagonal of the LED chip (circumference), there are portions (circular sections) in which no light is transmitted. If the diameter of the light guide cable coupled to the shock coupling is selected to be smaller than the diameter of the LED chip (inscribed circle), then the radiation of the chip coming from the protruding edge regions is lost. This is problematic when LED components are used with lenses, Here, the aufzusetzende Lichtleitbündel coupling surface must have a larger diameter than the LED chip to detect all the rays. Is here z. B. a known fiber cone used for coupling, then these mismatches in the geometry of the surface are also present in the round coupling surface of the fiber cone. In addition, the angle conversion between the coupling surface and the decoupling surface is added to the fiber cone or glass cone as a parameter to be taken into account. This makes it very problematic to find corresponding fiber cones or glass cones with given LED components and given bundle diameters of illumination fiber bundles in the endoscopy, which have an adapted aspect ratio (small diameter to large diameter) for a minimal loss.

Fiber cones or glass cones are available with selectable aspect ratio. For a given LED having a fixed chip area and a given fiber bundle with a fixed diameter to be coupled into, a fiber cone or glass cone may be selected which is adapted. This adjustment is a compromise, as matching the diameter of the fiber or glass cone to the LED and fiber bundle does not result in complete angular conversion and / or area conversion. The proportions that contribute the angular conversion and the proportions that contribute to the area conversion to the total transmitted luminous flux are different depending on the fiber or glass cone used. For this reason, the selection of a fiber cone z. B. on experimental and metrological basis for the occurring coupling cases in endoscopy always a compromise.

The present invention aims to provide methods and apparatus for coupling LED light commercial LED in the fiber bundles used in endoscopy of endoscopes or light guide cable with the disadvantages described above, such. As large and expensive optical systems or expensive special beam shaping parts, expensive and inefficient reflectors, the necessary removal of lenses or windows on the LED, violations of the conversion layer, necessary curved versions of LED chips, short circuits or injuries of bonding wires avoided and that the fit in the plane or aperture of fiber cones or glass cones is improved.

• – Flächengröße der Koppelflächen
• – Flächengeometrie der Koppelflächen
• – Durchmesserverhältnis der Koppelflächen

durch eine zusätzliche Veränderung des Oberflächenform insbesondere der Einkoppelseite zur LED optimiert wird.To adapt fiber bundles of endoscopes or optical cables to existing LED components in chip form, with windows or with lenses, according to the invention, a per se known fiber cone or glass cone is provided, which after selection in the following parameters

• - Area size of the coupling surfaces
• - Surface geometry of the coupling surfaces
• - Diameter ratio of the coupling surfaces

is optimized by an additional change in the surface shape, in particular the coupling side to the LED.

The invention will be explained below with reference to the following figures.

Figure 1: Beam path of a single beam on a fiber

Fig. 2: Beam path of a single beam at an obliquely ground fiber

Image 3: Acceptance beam cone on an obliquely ground fiber

Figure 4: A direct coupling of a fiber optic cable to a commercially available LED according to the prior art

Figure 5: A coupling of a fiber optic cable to a commercial LED by means of a fiber cone according to the prior art

Figure 6: A coupling of a fiber optic cable to a commercially available LED by means of a fiber cone with the best angle conversion according to the prior art

Figure 7: A coupling of a fiber optic cable to a commercially available LED by means of a fiber cone with a trimmed as a truncated pyramid surface shape and optimized aspect ratio according to the inventive concept

Figure 8: A fiber cone with a spherically convex surface shape according to the concept of the invention

Figure 9: A fiber cone with a truncated pyramidal surface shape according to the concept of the invention

Figure 10: A fiber cone with a faceted ground surface shape according to the concept of the invention

Figure 11: A fiber cone with a square adapted and spherically ground surface shape according to the inventive concept

In the pictures show:

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

a single fiber

2

Acceptance angle of the fiber

3

Lot on the entrance surface of the fiber

4

Range of detection of the emitted rays

5

Detection angle β '

6

LED chip

7

Bevel grinding angles

8th

swivel angle

9

High-power LED

10

light guide bundle

11

fiber cone

12

fiber cone 2

Commercially available LEDs have square or rectangular chip surfaces and emit the beam in a maximum solid angle between 140 ° and 160 °. Commercially available fiber bundles have acceptance angles of up to 120 °. Only in this acceptance angle of the fiber bundles, which can be calculated from the aperture of the fiber bundles, light beams can be coupled. The most commonly used inexpensive fiber bundles, however, have acceptance angles of up to 60 °. This means that when using a fiber bundle or a fiber cone in direct shock coupling to an LED chip never more than 120 ° or 60 ° can be detected as a beam cone of the LED. In the case of most LEDs, this shock coupling loses approximately 10% to 34% of the radiation provided by the angle mismatch alone.

If one considers a single beam (Figure 1), which enters a step index fiber from air, then the angle of this beam through the acceptance angle ( 2 ) of the fiber resulting from the numerical aperture of the fiber: NA = sin α

α₁

= halber Eintrittswinkel (an der LED)

α₂

= halber Austrittswinkel (Faserbündel)

D₁

= Eintrittsdurchmesser (an der LED)

D₂

= Austrittsdurchmesser (Faserbündel)

To light beams with larger apertures, z. B. to be able to couple from the LED chips within this acceptance angle of the fiber, an aperture conversion by an optical element is necessary. α ₁ · D ₁ = α ₂ · D ₂

α ₁

= half entrance angle (at the LED)

α ₂

= half exit angle (fiber bundles)

D ₁

= Inlet diameter (at the LED)

D ₂

= Exit diameter (fiber bundles)

According to the Lagrangian invariant, an aperture transformation always involves an opposite change in diameter. Ie. The LED chip with the generally larger aperture would always have to be smaller in the emitting surface than the fiber bundle with the smaller aperture, into which the coupling is to be made if as much light power as possible is to be coupled into the fiber bundle. This is not always the case. In order to adapt any desired LED to any fiber bundle, both an area adaptation and a solid angle adaptation must take place by means of an interposed optical element.

It is now necessary to find a compromise for a particular LED fiber bundle combination which on the one hand does not violate the Lagrangian invariant, on the other hand provides the highest possible coupling effectiveness. This can be z. Example, by a fiber cone or a glass cone, which is executed in a surface and / or angle adjustment according to the invention and additionally in particular on the side facing the LED Einkoppelseite or on both sides has an inventive surface shape. In a preferred adaptation according to the invention, the fiber cone z. B. at the point of entry of the LED radiation, a geometrically adapted to the LED chip surface shape, which is provided with a convex bevel according to the invention.

The adaptation modes according to the invention bring about a much wider and individually selectable adjustment range of the fiber cones by the combination of surface adaptation, angle adaptation and the additional introduction of a polished surface of the surfaces, as he deals with the o. Manufacturing parameters of the fiber cone can be realized alone.

According to the invention, the well-known effect is utilized for an adaptation that with an obliquely ground fiber the acceptance beam cone is no longer concentric with the axis of the fiber. Figure 2 shows that, according to the law of refraction, the acceptance beam cone of the fiber is at a tilt angle (FIG. 8th ) corresponding to an angle resulting from the ray calculations ( 7 ) against the solder on the entrance surface ( 3 ) is pivoted. With reference to the axis of the fiber, however, the angular detection range ( 5 ) a new, higher one-sided angle β '( 5 ) for a still to be coupled into the fiber beam. Due to the pivoting of the acceptance beam cone, the area of detection of the emitted beams ( 4 ) larger (see opposite Fig. 1).

A beam cone emitted by the LED will only be coupled into the fiber within the acceptance angle. If the fiber is now located at the edge of the emitting region of the LED, thus only a small part of the rays from the LED can be coupled in, since the acceptance angle of the edge fiber projects beyond the chip surface. (Image 1)

The maximum acceptance angle of a fiber with n (core) = 1.62 and n (cladding) = 1.487 is approximately from + 40.0 ° to -40.0 °. If the Faserendfläche z. B. inclined at 8 ° obliquely (7), then the acceptance cone is pivoted and in the range of about + 57.5 ° to -22.5 °. A beam cone emitted by the LED can thus couple light into the fiber with a 40 ° acceptance angle in the angular range up to β '= 57.5 °. For an unpolished fiber, it is only 40 ° according to the above calculation.

From this obliquely cut fiber so an angular range of the emitted surface is detected, which emerges from the direction of the center of the emitting LED surface. (Picture 2)

If z. B. a fiber cone placed on an LED chip, which is larger than the diagonal of the chip in the small diameter (perimeter), then receive the lying in the protruding circular sections fibers of the fiber cone very little light, since only a few emitted beams from the LED Chip still reach the acceptance angle of these fibers. If these fibers lying in the edge region are now ground obliquely, as shown in FIG. 3, then the beam cone of these fibers pivots in the direction of the chip.

This allows more beams from the LED chip, in particular also rays that can not be detected with the normal acceptance angle, to be coupled in. The oblique bevel of these edge fibers thus contributes to increasing the sum of the coupled radiation and thus significantly increases the coupling efficiency.

This results in a larger area of the input beam of the fiber cone on the LED chip. If the edge fibers of the fiber cone are ground at an angle, the detectable emission range increases and the edge surfaces are illuminated. Thus, with an adapted oblique bevel of the edge regions of the fiber cone with existing aspect ratio a better selectable solid angle conversion with uniform illumination of the entire surface. In addition, caused by the oblique grinding in the context of the invention, the effect that a fiber cone or a fiber bundle can be placed directly on an LED chip, which is contacted at its edges with bonding wires, since the obliquely ground edge portions protrude at a distance from the LED chip ,

In a preferred embodiment, a high power LED ( 9 ) of the type "Phlatlight" Luminus used as an example. The LED has an LED chip with an edge length of 3 mm × 3 mm as the emitting surface. The LED is provided with a window, according to the technical documentation is thus the beam only at a distance of 0.6 mm from the chip can be coupled. According to technical data, the LED emits in a solid angle of about 140 °.

The emitted radiation is now to be coupled into a standard light-conducting bundle with a diameter of 4.8 mm and an acceptance angle of 60 ° with as little loss as possible.

In FIG. 4 it is first shown how, according to a prior art, the one end (plug) of the optical fiber cable (FIG. 10 ) is placed directly on the window. In this case, the LED ( 9 ) detected rays in the range of the acceptance angle of 60 ° and there is a Einkoppelverlust due to the angle of greater than 50%. Due to the large diameter of the fiber optic cable ( 10 ) are also lost more than 30% beam components, since the diameter of 4.8 mm is greater than the diagonal of the 4.2 mm chip and the LED chip.

In FIG. 5, according to a prior art, a fiber cone (FIG. 11 ) between LED ( 9 ) and fiber optic cables ( 10 ) set. The fibers of the fiber cone ( 11 ) should have an acceptance angle of 80 °.

It is now the task of finding a fiber cone with an optimal aspect ratio. For this purpose, the solution according to the invention will be explained below with reference to this fiber cone. The following borderline cases in a table are considered against each other:

1. Solid angle adjustment (see Table 1, Case 1)

In order to convert the radiation from the solid angle of the LED (140 °) to the acceptance angle of the fiber bundle of 60 °, theoretically a fiber cone aspect ratio of 0.43 would be required. Since the commercial fiber cones have only an acceptance angle of 80 ° maximum, this aspect ratio can not be used, it would lead to an angular conversion of 80 ° × 0.43 = 34.3 °. Thus, considering only complete angle conversion, only a minimum aspect ratio of 0.75 can be selected to convert an 80 ° input beam range to a 60 ° output beam range. For a given fiber optic fiber bundle diameter of 4.8mm and a matched fiber cone exit diameter of also 4.8mm, at this complete angle conversion (80 ° to 60 °) the LED side end of the fiber cone would have a diameter of 3, 6 mm must have as shown in Figure 6. A diameter of 3.6 mm would then be smaller than the surface of the LED and only from the range of 3.6 mm the solid angle of the LED and only in the angular range of 80 ° capture. There would be losses of 13% in the solid angle transmission. Since the diameter of 3.6 mm is smaller than the diagonal of the LED and this protrudes beyond the edges on the sides, additional area losses of about 21% would occur.

2. Adjustment with fiber cone with round fiber bundle (see Table 1, Case 2)

In order to cover the entire area of the square LED chip, the diameter of the small window of the fiber cone would have to correspond approximately to the diagonal of the square. This would be a diameter of 4.2 mm. To transform from 4.2 mm to the 4.8 mm of the fiber bundle through a fiber cone would result in an aspect ratio of 0.875. With this aspect ratio, an angle conversion would result from a maximum detectable input beam angle of the fiber cone of 80 ° to an output beam angle of 70 °.

This output beam angle in turn can not be coupled into the fiber bundle, which has only an acceptance angle of 60 °. Thus, even with this aspect ratio of the fiber cone, the transmitted radiation in the solid angle of the LED is greatly curtailed.

By integration over the recorded solid angle one obtains here an angle loss of approx. 12%. Here, however, the aspect is added that, although the surface of the LED chip is fully imaged on the large fiber cone diameter, but the protruding edge regions of the small and the large fiber cone diameter are not illuminated (imaging effect of the fiber cone). This additionally adds a loss of surface area on the coupling side fiber cone light guide bundle. The aspect ratio re-enlarges the area of the LED (3 mm × 3 mm) to 3.39 mm × 3.39 mm. This is an area of 11.5 mm ² , which is ready at the coupling point to the fiber bundle. This results in an additional area loss of approximately 37%.

3. Adaptation with a fiber cone according to the invention with a square small and a round large area of the fiber bundle (Table 1, Case 3)

If the small area of the fiber cone in shape and size of the LED chip executed, so approximately in the square 3 mm × 3 mm, this would result in an exact surface adaptation to the said LED. With the area of the square Thus, an aspect ratio of about 0.71 (calculated in terms of the equivalent diameter ratio) would result in the input side and the area of the round coupling side for an optical fiber bundle of 4.8 mm diameter. Thus, such a fiber cone would transmit a solid angle of the LED of 80 ° and its full area on the round fiber bundle with a diameter of 4.8 mm in a converted solid angle of 56.8 °. This results in losses of 7% in the solid angle, but no losses in the area.

4. adaptation with a fiber cone according to the invention with a round fiber bundle and a ground round input surface (Table 1, Case 4)

Based on a fiber bundle diameter of 4.8 mm and a full angle detection of the square LED surface, a fiber cone with a diameter ratio of about 4.1 mm to 4.8 mm would be used, which corresponds to an aspect ratio of 0.857. Thus, the transmitted solid angle of the fiber cone 80 ° × 0.857 = 68.56 °, so that here still a solid angle loss of about 10% occurs. Since there are protruding edges of the small surface of the fiber cone (diameter 4.11 mm) over the LED chip, an additional area loss would also occur through the non-illuminated circular segments. Now, this small surface of the fiber cone is radiused spherical with a radius as a convex lens surface, so that at the edges of the small diameter of the fiber cone results in a Schlibffehlstellung by 8 °. As a result, the edge fibers have an acceptance angle pivoted in the direction of the LED center. The result of this tilted acceptance angle is that the edge areas beyond the LED chip area (in this case, circle segments with a height of 0.56 mm on each side) are likewise fully illuminated. In this case, as in case 3, no area loss is obtained by an additional coupling of beams of the LED, so that it remains here at a solid angle loss of 10%.

5. Adaptation with a fiber cone according to the invention with a ground square small input fiber bundle and a round output bundle (Table 1, Case 5)

Starting from an exact aspect ratio for adjusting the angle conversion from 80 ° to 60 °, ie an aspect ratio of 0.75, the result would be a square input area of 3.19 mm × 3.19 mm for a given starting diameter of 4.8 mm. The angle conversion would be exactly adjusted. However, the protruding edge areas would lead only to a partial illumination of the fiber bundle at the large diameter 4.8 mm. Now, the square fiber end surface of the fiber cone in the edge regions is inclined by a small amount obliquely in the form of a pyramid or spherically. The detectable beam area of all 4 sides is pivoted towards the center of the chip and can take rays from larger angles. Such a ground fiber cone would no longer have any losses in the angular and surface conversion and would optimally couple all beam components of the LED that are theoretically possible into the fiber bundle.

However, it is also possible to take an optimized angle and surface adaptation for a round input diameter of the fiber cone. By grinding the edge regions of the fiber cone or the entire side of the fiber cone facing the LED, an adaptation of the area ratio at the adapted diameters (aspect ratio) of the fiber cone required by the solid angle conversion is achieved. Combinations of the adjustments according to the invention are possible in a variety of forms for the different coupling tasks LED to fiber bundles.

FIG. 7 shows one of the couplings of the high-power LED according to the invention (FIG. 9 ) to the fiber cone ( 12 ). Here is the one with the LED ( 9 ) in contact area ( 13 ) of the fiber cone ( 12 ) not ground flat, but in this example in the form of a truncated pyramid. Due to the pivoting of the acceptance cones in the area of the pyramid sides, the small diameter of the fiber cone can be chosen to be larger than the required aspect ratio allows for complete area conversion. For example, now a diameter of 4.1 mm is coupled to the LED window and a diameter of 4.8 mm on the Lichtleitbündel. Thus, the aspect ratio is about 0.86. It will be converted by the larger aspect ratio through the fiber cone only an angular range of the LED of 70 °. However, the area of the detected area is 100% of the chip area compared to the previous fiber cone in Figure 6. About 45% of the coupling surface protrude beyond the square emission surface and form edge segments that are only partially irradiated. In these edge segments are now due to the truncated pyramid-shaped bevel of the coupling surface ( 13 ) the acceptance angle is pivoted in the direction of the LED chip and additional radiation components are detected, which are coupled at the other coupling point of the fiber cone in the light guide cable.

According to this embodiment according to the invention for adaptation of the coupling surface to the LED thus results in a higher coupling efficiency compared to a butt coupling of a fiber bundle to an LED or the use of an unmatched fiber cone or a lens system.

Further embodiments of a fiber cone according to the claims are shown in Figures 8-11. Depending on the LED used and the type of light bundle to be coupled in, the corresponding design can be determined by calculations in a standard beam calculation program (eg Zemax).

The invention thus provides the opportunity to expand the range of use of fiber cones or glass cones or fiber couplers and to make an adaptation to the coupling of different LED. By choosing the aspect ratio, the shape of the coupling and decoupling surface and spatial design of the coupling and decoupling arise a large number of adjustment options.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102007027615 [0003]
• US 2006/0044820 [0004]
• US 7229201 [0006]
• US 20030219207 [0007]
• US 2009/0040783 [0008]
• US 2009/0122573 [0010]

Claims (13)

Method and device for coupling of LED to fiber optic cable or fiber bundle in endoscopy using commercially available LED in a version with or without lens, preferably white light LED, for coupling the light emitted by the LED in the room light in the coupling surface of a fiber bundle of any diameter Use of a fiber cone or glass cone, characterized in that the fiber cone or the glass cone, starting from the parameters - area size of the coupling surfaces - surface geometry of the coupling surfaces - diameter ratio of the coupling surfaces receives a calculated surface shape in particular at the LED associated coupling surface receives ground, with the surface coupling efficiency and the Winkelkoppeleffizienz between arbitrarily executed LED and arbitrarily executed fiber optic bundles are maximum. Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claim 1, characterized in that the fiber cone used is designed as a taped flexible fiber cable usual length, preferably in the range of 10 mm to 5 m Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling surface of the fiber or glass cone is ground as a truncated cone Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling surface of the fiber or glass cone is ground as a pyramid Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling point of the fiber or glass cone is ground faceted Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling point of the fiber or glass cone is ground spherical convex Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling point of the fiber or glass cone is ground aspherically convex Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy, according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the surface shape of the at least one coupling point of the fiber or glass cone is ground after calculated maximum beam injection in a freeform Method and device for coupling of LED to fiber optic cable or fiber bundle in endoscopy according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the smaller diameter of the fiber or glass cone is used as a coupling point to the LED Method and device for coupling of LED to fiber optic cable or fiber bundle in endoscopy according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coupling of the LED to the larger diameter of the fiber or glass cone is used Method and device for coupling LED to optical fiber cable or fiber bundle in endoscopy according to claim 1-8, characterized in that the surface geometry of the at least one coupling surface of the fiber or glass cone of the surface geometry of the chip surface of the LED used and / or the fiber bundle used, preferably square or rectangular, is adjusted Method and device for coupling LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 3-8, characterized in that only one edge region of the coupling surface receives a surface shape ground Method and device for coupling of LED to fiber bundles in endoscopy according to claims 1-12, characterized in that both the coupling surface and the decoupling surface get a surface shape ground

Images