January 25, 2005 – Edmund Optics Inc., Barrington, NJ, has unveiled an illumination delivery technology to increasing illumination brightness in LEDs as well as their lifetimes.
The patent-pending optical technology, EOS, used in conjunction with an LED, more effectively directs light into a tightly focused and manageable bundle of light, minimizing thermal concerns that impact the life of the chip, the company claims. The technology could make LEDs 2x-5x brighter than quartz halogen and last 20x-50x longer, according to Chris Cummings, R&D engineer at Edmund Optics. John Stack, president and COO, added that the technology “will be applicable to future developments at the source/die level.”
The first product to use the technology is a LED fiber optic illuminator for the industrial vision market, available in 2Q06. Other end-use applications include improved LEDs in automotive headlamps, scientific instrument lighting, infrared military illuminators, surgical headlamps, and portable projector systems.