High intensity selectable poly or monochromatic slit light source apparatus for optical instruments

Abstract

An optical fiber apparatus is disclosed for providing light to optical and other instruments from an auxiliary light source which may include a laser. A disclosed embodiment comprises a retinascope with a light source optically connected to a fiber optic bundle having its individual fibers aligned in the shape of a circle at its input end and in the shape of a rectangle at its output end. Ferrules hold and align the fibers at both ends. The light source may be a pulsed or continuous wave laser producing substantially monochromatic light, or any other suitable poly- or monochromatic light source. The retinascope includes a holder for supporting the output ferrule and the fiber bundle output. The holder provides for adjusting both the linear and rotational position of the fiber optic bundle output end in relation to the retinascope head by including a cylindrical holder having an H-shaped slot through its side, a first sleeve surrounding the cylindrical holder, a headed set screw extending through a hold in the side of the first sleeve, then through the H-shaped slot, then through a threaded hold in an inner second sleeve, and finally against the output ferrule to hold the optical fiber output end in fixed alignment with the inner and outer sleeves. The retinascope may include a filter holder.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.