Brightness Enhanced Light Sources for Medical Imaging

Spontaneous luminescent decay combined with total internal reflection (TIR), harnessed in devices known as luminescence (or fluorescence) concentrators (LCs), can generate light with intensity 10–1000 times greater than pump lamps or pump LEDs can provide directly [1]. LED pumped luminescent concentrators (LC) provide a low-cost, high-brightness, and energy efficient stable light output. Where LED light sources alone lack in intensity and brightness, LCs offer the potential for high-efficiency light, enhanced brightness and generation of new wavelength components whilst benefiting from the long lifetime and ruggedness of LEDs [2]. LCs provide a wide range of excitation and illumination applications, from medical applications to laser pumping [3]. However, a key challenge in using LC is the extraction of generated light due to the trapping of emitted light owing to the TIR.