Abstract: Photonic lattice sources drive an optical fiber in an ophthalmic illuminator to illuminate the interior of an eye. To produce white light, an RGB combination of photonic lattice LEDs may be used. Alternatively, a bichromatic combination of photonic lattice LEDs produce white light.

Abstract: A surgical microscope (10) comprises an image display module for displaying an image to be overlaid into an observation beam path of the microscope, and an image sensor for recording an image of an eye (30) of an observer looking through the microscope. According to the invention, the image display module and the image sensor are formed by a common electronic module (28) produced in integrated circuit technology. The module (28) preferably has an organic light-emitting diode, produced in OLED-on-CMOS technology, for displaying the image to be overlaid. The image sensor may be formed by CMOS-compatible photodetectors.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an illuminator configured to emit light into an optical fiber includes at least one pump light source configured to emit short-wavelength light. The illuminator further includes a white phosphor disposed to receive the short-wavelength light and to emit white light in response. The illuminator also includes a light collector configured to collect the short-wavelength light at the white phosphor such that a brightness of the white light is greater than a brightness of the short-wavelength light.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illuminator is disclosed, one embodiment comprising: an illumination source and an optical fiber for transmitting a combined light beam from the illumination source to a site, such as a surgical site within an eye, wherein the illumination source comprises a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) chips optically coupled to a corresponding plurality of light pipes, the LED chips and light pipes arranged in a configuration such that the light pipes converge together at their distal ends to form a cubic box having five sides formed by the distal ends of the light guides and an open side from which the combined light beam, composed of light from a plurality of light beams generated by the LED chips and transmitted to the cubic box by the light guides, is emitted. The luminance of the combined light beam has a luminance greater than the luminance of any one of the plurality of LED chips.

Abstract: An ophthalmic endoilluminator is provided. The ophthalmic endoilluminator includes one or more white light emitting diodes (LEDs), an additional light source, a first optical assembly, an optical coupling element, and an optical fiber optically coupled to the optical coupling element. The white LED is capped with a phosphor layer. The additional light source illuminates at least a portion of an exterior surface of the phosphor layer within an absorption band of phosphor material of the phosphor layer in order to excite the phosphor layer and produce additional white light. The first optical assembly receives and substantially collimates the white light. The optical coupling element receives the substantially collimated white light from the first optical assembly and directs the light to an optical fiber. The optical fiber is then used to conduct the white light into an eye.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, an ophthalmic endoilluminator includes at least one pump light source and a scintillator fiber optically coupled to the pump light source. The scintillator fiber receives an output of the pump light source and produces light in a different wavelength range than the output of the pump light source. An optical coupling element couples the light to an optical fiber, which conducts the light into an eye.

Abstract: An arrangement for carrying out a surgical treatment of an eye includes a diagnostic instrument which is adapted to register eye-structure data. A data processing unit is adapted to generate, on the basis of the eye-structure data registered by the diagnostic instrument, a structural image that contains at least one mapping of a characteristic eye structure and also at least one positional marking arranged relative to the mapping of the characteristic eye structure. An image-data fade-in device is adapted to fade the structural image generated by the data processing unit into an image generated by a surgical microscope during the implementation of a surgical treatment of the eye.

Abstract: An ophthalmic illuminator is disclosed, one embodiment comprising: an illumination source, wherein the illumination source produces an arc; a lens, such as a condensing lens, for focusing light produced by the illumination source arc; and an optical fiber for carrying the focused light to a surgical site, such as an eye. The illumination source is positioned offset from a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber to compensate for shifting of the illumination source arc over time. The offset position can be such that the illumination source is positioned in a vertically offset position from the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber. The longitudinal axis corresponds to the optical path axis of the optical fiber. The ophthalmic illuminator can further comprise a reflector for reflecting the light produced by the illumination source arc, wherein the reflector is positioned offset from the illumination source to decrease the rate of erosion of an illumination source cathode.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for shaping an annular focal spot pattern to allow for more efficient optical coupling to a small gauge optical fiber. An embodiment of the present invention can include an illumination source operable to transmit an optical beam along an optical path, an optical fiber, and a correcting element positioned in the optical path between the illumination source and the optical fiber, the correcting element configured to reshape the optical beam to increase an amount of light received by the optical fiber.

Abstract: Generally speaking, the output brightness of an illuminator is varied by chopping an output light beam such that the beam is alternately interrupted and unhindered. An interrupter can be rapidly moved into and out of the transmission path of a light beam. The brightness of the light beam received at a site will be attenuated based on the amount of time per cycle the light beam remains obstructed versus unhindered.