CN-121986283-A - Uniform illumination of ophthalmic surgical microscope using fiber optic bundles and homogenizers

Abstract

An optical system for forming uniform illumination is disclosed. The optical system includes a light source coupled to a plurality of first light carriers providing a plurality of light intensities and a second light carrier coupled to the plurality of first light carriers. The second light carrier spatially homogenizes the plurality of light intensities to form a homogenized light intensity. The optical system further comprises an illumination module coupled to the second light carrier and operable to receive the homogenized light intensity.

Inventors

• P Rama
• R.T. SMITH
• J. PARKER

Assignees

• 爱尔康公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20250220

Priority Date

20240221

Claims (15)

1. 1. An optical system, the optical system comprising: a light source coupled to a plurality of first light carriers providing a plurality of light intensities; A second optical carrier coupled to the plurality of first optical carriers, the second optical carrier spatially homogenizing the plurality of light intensities to form a homogenized light intensity, and An illumination module coupled to the second light carrier and operable to receive the homogenized light intensity.
2. 2. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first optical carriers comprises randomized optical fiber bundles.
3. 3. The optical system of claim 2, wherein the randomized fiber bundle comprises a first end and a second end, the first end comprising fused fibers of the randomized fiber bundle and the second end comprising epoxy-bonded fibers of the randomized fiber bundle.
4. 4. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first optical carriers comprises at least one of a fiber optic bundle comprising a beam splitting rod, a bifurcated fiber optic bundle, or a fiber optic bundle comprising one or more fiber optic beam splitters.
5. 5. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second optical carrier comprises a cylindrical clad rod borosilicate.
6. 6. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second optical carrier comprises air.
7. 7. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second light carrier comprises a hexagonal rod comprising a circular aperture.
8. 8. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second light carrier comprises at least one of a cylindrical shape, a hexagonal shape, a rectangular shape, or a square shape.
9. 9. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second optical carrier comprises a cladding.
10. 10. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the second optical carrier comprises a mirrored surface.
11. 11. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the illumination module comprises at least one of a lens or a beam splitter.
12. 12. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one of a laser, an ultraviolet light source, an Infrared (IR) light source, a near IR light source, or one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
13. 13. The optical system of claim 12, wherein the second light carrier mixes light colors from the plurality of light intensities.
14. 14. An optical system, the optical system comprising: A light source coupled to a light carrier that spatially homogenizes a plurality of light intensities to form a homogenized light intensity; An optical head comprising an illumination module coupled to the light carrier and operable to receive the homogenized light intensity, and Wherein the optical head is spaced apart from the light source.
15. 15. The optical system of claim 14, wherein: The light source is coupled to a base of the microscope; The optical head being coupled to a portion of an arm of the microscope, and The portion of the arm is positioned above the corneal plane.

Description

Uniform illumination of ophthalmic surgical microscope using fiber optic bundles and homogenizers Background This section provides information to facilitate a better understanding of various aspects of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. Ophthalmic microscopes are typically designed to provide high contrast and detailed imaging of all areas of the eye. The illumination system of the ophthalmic microscope provides light to illuminate an area of the eye at a working area (e.g., a corneal plane) during eye surgery. While these illumination systems can provide illumination to the eye, they still suffer from non-uniform light distribution and provide poor color mixing at the region being observed (e.g., the cornea plane). In addition, these systems typically suffer from bending losses in the optical waveguide as the ophthalmic microscope arm and/or optical head are moved. Disclosure of Invention This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. Certain embodiments herein relate to an optical system including a light source coupled to a plurality of first light carriers providing a plurality of light intensities and a second light carrier coupled to the plurality of first light carriers. The second light carrier spatially homogenizes the plurality of light intensities to form a homogenized light intensity. The optical system further comprises an illumination module coupled to the second light carrier and operable to receive the homogenized light intensity. Certain embodiments herein relate to an optical system comprising a light source coupled to an optical carrier. The optical carrier spatially homogenizes the plurality of light intensities to form a homogenized light intensity. The optical system further includes an optical head having an illumination module coupled to the light carrier and operable to receive the homogenized light intensity. The optical head is spaced apart from the light source. Drawings A more complete understanding of the subject matter of the present disclosure may be obtained by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an example microscope in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 illustrates an example optical system operable to be coupled to or integrated with a microscope (e.g., the microscope of fig. 1) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 3A illustrates a first end of a randomized optical fiber bundle according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 3B illustrates a second end of a randomized optical fiber bundle according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 4A illustrates a fiber optic bundle having a beam splitting rod in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 4B illustrates a bifurcated fiber optic bundle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 4C illustrates a fiber optic bundle having a fiber optic splitter according to aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of a second optical carrier in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a second light carrier having a hexagonal shape in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Detailed Description It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described. Various ophthalmic microscopes can utilize single-core optical fibers or Liquid Light Guides (LLGs) as the waveguide medium in the microscope. While light transmittance from LLGs is good, they suffer from several drawbacks. For example, LLGs are less mechanically reliable, especially at transport temperatures, which are typically below-40 ℃ and sometimes above 70 ℃. In addition, seals that protect the liquid inside the LLG are prone to rupture, which may lead to the formation of bubbles within the LLG. Once the LLG seal breaks, the damage is irreversible. Furthermore, LLG typically has a lifetime of only about 2 to 4 years, and thus LLG is not suitable for long-life devices. Another problem with LLG is that it allows for a large bend radius, thereby preventing optomechanical engineers from designing flexible