Light source

A method for providing a light beam to a utilization device that requires a beam intensity of at least N light units per given beam area, comprising the steps of;

• providing low intensity light source means for emitting light over a relatively large area, the intensity of said emitted light over said relatively large area being less than said N light units per given area,
• providing a polymer member structurally arranged with said light source means to occupy said relatively large area in a manner to gather substantially all of the light that is emitted by said light source means, said polymer member having an exposed edge portion,
• tapering said exposed edge portion in a manner to provide an external beam having a beam intensity that is equal to at least N light units per given beam area, and
• transmitting said gathered light through said polymer member to said exposed edge portion, whereat light is emitted as an external beam having a cross section that corresponds to the physical shape of said exposed edge portion, said external beam having a beam intensity that is equal to at least N light units per given beam area.

A unit area light amplifier, comprising;

• light source means operable to emit a surface of light having a given light intensity per unit area of said surface,
• fluorescent dyed polymer means arranged to encircle said light source means, to thereby receive substantially all of the light within said surface of light,
• edge means formed as portion of said polymer means, said edge means having a cross sectional area that is less than the area of said surface of light, and
• wherein said light source means comprises a linear lamp, wherein said surface of light comprises a cylindrical surface of light surrounding said lamp, said cylindrical surface of light having an axis corresponding generally to the position of said lamp, and wherein said polymer means comprises a hollow cylinder surrounding said lamp, said hollow polymer cylinder having an axis corresponding generally to the position of said lamp, and said hollow polymeric cylinder having at least one exposed edge portion comprising said edge means.

In combination;

• a plurality of linear light sources, each of said light sources having a central axis, said plurality of light sources being mounted with the plurality of central axes thereof arranged to be mutually parallel, and said plurality of central axes occupying a cylindrical volume having a central axis,
• a like plurality of fluorescent dyed polymeric sheets, each sheet of which is located between two adjacent ones of said plurality light sources, so as to receive light from said adjacent light sources,
• each of said plurality of polymeric sheets including a linear extending edge portion extending parallel to the central axis of said cylindrical volume, said plurality of edge portions being positioned such that if said plurality of edge portions were extended said plurality of edge portions would meet at the central axis of said cylindrical volume, and
• light gathering means positioned at said central axis of said cylindrical volume, the light gathering means being operable to gather light emitted by said plurality of edge portions.