Light guide

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To permit discharging of air bubbles produced in liquid and to maintain good photoconductivity by providing air permeable liquid tight members which inhibit only the passage of gases between the outside circumference of transparent window members and the inside surface of a tube. CONSTITUTION:Light from a light source 5 is made incident to one window member 3, repeats total reflection on the inside surface of a tube 1 and is emitted from a window member 3 at the other end. When light is irradiated from the source 5, liquid 2 is heated and air bubbles appear in the liquid and stick to the inside surface of the tube 1. The tube 1 is repeated of curving during endoscope inspection or the like and since the liquid 2 is flowed by the convection caused by heating, the air bubbles peel from the inside surface of the tube 1, move to the member 3 side and are discharged to the outside through air permeable liquid tight members 4. Hence, the occurrence of the inconvenience of degraded photoconduction efficiency by the air bubbles is obviated and the lighting light is always transmitted in high efficiency.

Inventors

• 👤 Takeaki Nakamura

Bibliographic Details