# US 5,347,342 A · Transilluminator

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- Number: US 5,347,342 A
- Document ID: US5347342A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/040,670
- Filed: 1993-03-31
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-03-31
- Assignees: Fotodyne Incorporated
- Inventors: Timothy G. J. Ehr
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5347342A

## CPC

- G01N 27/44721: {by optical means}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A transilluminator comprising a housing having therein a UV-transmissible window and a UV light source supported within the housing for transmitting UV light through the window. A surface within the housing reflects an image of the light source through the window so that the light source appears at the window to be more than one light source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transilluminator comprising
a housing having therein a UV-transmissible window,
a UV light source supported within said housing for transmitting UV light through said window, and
means for reflecting an image of said light source through said window so that said light source appears at said window to be more than one light source.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said reflecting means produces a plurality of reflected images of said light source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 1 comprising a plurality of light sources for transmitting UV light through said window, and means for reflecting an image of each of said light sources through said window.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said UV-transmissible window is generally planar and said reflecting means comprises an element with a reflective surface disposed at an angle that is non-parallel and non-perpendicular with respect to said planar window.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 4 comprising a plurality of light sources for transmitting UV light through said window, and wherein said element is located between and provides a reflective surface for two of said light sources.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said light sources and said element are elongated and disposed in parallel relation within said housing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 6 wherein said element lies between adjacent light sources and has an inverted V-shape in cross section.

### Claim 8

A transilluminator comprising
a housing having therein a UV-transmissible window,
a light source supported within said housing for producing UV light, and
means for reflecting through said window UV light produced by said light source, said reflecting means comprising reflective surfaces located at opposite sides of and beneath said light source and sloping upwardly and outwardly away from said light source.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 8 comprising a plurality of light sources for transmitting UV light through said window and including reflective surfaces located at opposite sides of each of said light sources.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 9 wherein reflective surfaces between adjacent light sources form an inverted V-shape in cross section.

### Claim 11

A transilluminator comprising
a housing having therein a generally planar UV-transmissible window,
a plurality of spaced UV light sources supported within said housing for transmitting UV light through said window, and
means for producing a substantially uniform level of UV light intensity across said UV-transmissible window.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 11 wherein said means for producing a substantially uniform level of UV light intensity across said window includes means for reflecting through said window light from said plurality of UV light sources such that reflected UV light from said reflecting means cooperates with UV light transmitted directly from said light source through said window to produce said substantially uniform level of UV light intensity across said UV-transmissible window.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 12 wherein said reflecting means increases the UV light intensity at portions of said window where the UV light intensity caused by light transmitted directly from said UV light sources is reduced.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 12 wherein said reflecting means includes reflective surfaces located at opposite sides of each of said light sources.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said reflecting surfaces is beneath and slopes upwardly and outwardly away from the associate light source.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 15 wherein reflective surfaces between adjacent light sources form an inverted V-shape in cross section.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A transilluminator as set forth in claim 16 wherein said light sources and said reflective surfaces are elongated and disposed in parallel relation within said housing.