# US 2017/0283755 A1 · Element for injecting light having an energy distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0283755 A1 - Document ID: US20170283755A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/529,064 - Filed: 2015-11-26 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-26 - Assignees: Friederich Alain Louis Andre; Huet Holdings - Applicants: Friederich Alain Louis Andre; Huet Holdings - Inventors: Alain FRIEDERICH; Gaël RUIZ; Mahmoud AFFI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283755A1 ## CPC - C12M 21/02: {Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12)} - C12M 31/08: {by conducting or reflecting elements located inside the reactor or in its structure} - C12M 31/10: {by light emitting elements located inside the reactor, e.g. LED or OLED} - F21K 9/61: using light guides - F21K 9/64: using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer - F21K 9/68: Details of reflectors forming part of the light source - G02B 6/0096: {the lights guides being of the hollow type} - G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre} - G02B 6/0035: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it} - C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS} - F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The invention relates to a light injector element (20) comprising a hollow body (21) extending according to a longitudinal axis (22), and a light source (23) placed facing an end (25) of the body (21), the light source (23) being configured to emit a light beam substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (22) of said body (21), the injector element (20) further comprising at least one optical element (35i) arranged inside the body (21) and configured to let through a fraction of the light beam propagating in a central part (36i) of the body (21), and deflect towards the outside of said body (21) a fraction of the light beam propagating in a peripheral part (37i) of the body so as to locally distribute energy emitted by the light source (23). The invention also relates to a photobioreactor (10) and a domestic lighting element comprising such a light injector element (20). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light injector element (20) comprising a hollow body (21) extending according to a longitudinal axis (22), and a light source (23) placed facing an end (25) of the body (21), the injector element (20) being characterized in that the light source (23) is configured to emit a light beam substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (22) of said body (21), and in that the injector element (20) further comprises at least one optical element (35i) arranged inside the body (21) and configured to let through a fraction of the light beam spreading in a central part (36i) of the body (21), and deflect towards the outside of said body (21) a fraction of the light beam spreading in a peripheral part (37i) of the body, so as to locally distribute energy emitted by the light source (23). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The injector element (20) according to claim 1, wherein the optical element (35i) has an opening (38i) substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis (22) of the body (21) so as to let through the fraction of the light beam spreading in the central part (36i) of the body (21). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 and 2, comprising a plurality of optical elements (35i) arranged inside the body (21), and extending at a distance from each other along said body (21), said optical elements (35i) being configured to let through a fraction of the light beam spreading in a central part (36i) of the body (21) more and more restricted as the optical elements (35i) are moved away from the light source (23) so as to distribute energy emitted by the light source (23) along the body (21). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The injector element (20) according to claim 3, wherein the optical elements (35i) each have an opening (38i) substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis (22) of the body (21) so as to let through a fraction of the light beam spreading in the central part (36i) of the body (21), said openings (38i) having a size decreasing when moving away relative to the light source (23). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the optical element(s) (35i) are diverging lenses or diverging deflective prisms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light source (23) comprises a plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes, said plurality of diodes being arranged so as to form an emission surface (26) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (22) of the body (21). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The injector element (20) according to claim 6, wherein the light source comprises vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes all configured to emit light at substantially equal wavelengths. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The injector element (20) according to claim 7, wherein a phosphor (39) is applied against a side wall (24, 24b, 21b) of the body (21), the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes being configured to emit light at wavelengths corresponding to blue light. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The injector element (20) according to claim 6, wherein the light source (23) comprises a first group of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes configured to emit light at wavelengths corresponding to red light, a second group of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes configured to emit light at wavelengths corresponding to blue light, and a third group of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes configured to emit light at wavelengths corresponding to, such that the injector element (20) emits white light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the light source (23) is configured to emit more light in a peripheral zone (33) than in a central zone (34) of the emission surface (26). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The injector element (20) according to claim 10, wherein the light source (23) is configured to emit light only in the peripheral zone (33). ### Claim 12 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the central zone (34) of the emission surface (26) contains no (VCSEL) diodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10, 11) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 10 and 11, further comprising a control unit (29) configured to control the light source (23) such that the peripheral zone (33) of the emission surface (26) emits more light than the central zone (24). ### Claim 14 (depends on 10, 11, 12, 13) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the light source (23) is configured to emit a non-uniform density of energy in the peripheral zone (33) of the emission surface (26). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The injector element (20) according to claim 14, wherein the (VCSEL) diodes each have an elementary emission surface, and wherein the elementary emission surfaces of the (VCSEL) diodes of the peripheral zone (33) have different dimensions such that the light source (23) emits non-uniform density of energy in the peripheral zone (33) of the emission surface (26). ### Claim 16 (depends on 14, 15) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 14 and 15, further comprising power injectors (28) configured to deliver the (VCSEL) diodes a non-uniform density of electric current or voltage such that the light source (23) emits a non-uniform density of energy in the peripheral zone (33) of the emission surface (26). ### Claim 17 (depends on 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the optical elements (35i) are configured to deflect towards the outside of the body (21) all the light emitted by the peripheral zone (33) of the emission surface (26). ### Claim 18 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 6 to 17, further comprising an end mirror (31) arranged at one end of the body (21) opposite the light source (23) so as to send back in the body (21) some of the light beam reflecting against said end mirror (31). ### Claim 19 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the body (21) has a cylindrical form, in particular cylindrical in revolution or parallelepiped. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The injector element (20) according to claim 19, wherein the body (21) has the form of a cylinder of revolution. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The injector element (20) according to claim 20, wherein a mirror (41) is applied against a part of the body (21) corresponding to a half-cylinder, so as to reflect towards the inside of the body (21) the energy emitted towards said mirror. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The injector element (20) according to claim 19, wherein the body (21) has the form of a half-cylinder of revolution. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The injector element (20) according to claim 22, wherein a mirror (42) is applied against a planar side wall (24a) so as to reflect towards the inside of the body (21) the energy emitted towards said mirror. ### Claim 24 (depends on 6, 7, 8, 9, 22, 23) The injector element (20) according to one of claims 6 to 9 in combination with one of claims 22 and 23, wherein the emission surface (26) of the light source (23) has the form of a half-disc, and wherein the light source (23) is configured to emit a quantity of light energy decreasing as it moves away from the straight line section (260) of the emission surface (26) in a direction (261) extending perpendicularly to said straight line section. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The injector element (20) according to claim 19, wherein the body (21) substantially has the form of a rectangular parallelepiped. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The injector element (20) according to claim 25, wherein the body (21) comprises a first plate (21a) and a second plate (21b), between which are placed at least one couple of optical elements (35i), the optical elements (35i) of each couple being placed facing and at a distance from each other so as to form an opening (38i) substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis (22) of the body (21) so as to let through the fraction of the light beam spreading in the central part (36i) of the body (21). ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The injector element (20) according to claim 25, wherein the body (21) comprises a plate (21b) and a plane mirror (43) placed facing each other, and at least one optical element (35i) placed at a distance from the plane mirror (43) so as to form an opening (38i) substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis (22) of the body (21) so as to let through the fraction of the light beam spreading in the central part (36i) of the body (21). ### Claim 28 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27) A photobioreactor (10) intended for culture especially continuous culture of photosynthetic microorganisms, preferably microalgae, said photobioreactor (10) comprising at least one culture container (11) intended to contain the culture medium (12) of the microorganisms, said photobioreactor (10) being characterized in that it comprises a light injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 to 27, the body (21) of said injector element (20) being placed in the culture container (11). ### Claim 29 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27) A lighting element (50) for domestic lighting, characterized in that it comprises a light injector element (20) according to one of claims 1 to 27. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The lighting element (50) according to claim 29, further comprising a mirror (40) placed facing the body (21) so as to reflect the energy emitted towards said mirror.