Medical Illumination Platform Uses Recycled Light

An innovative recycling light technology system increases fiber optic brightness in surgical operating systems.

The Wavien light emitting diode (LED) based medical illumination platform is based on a single proprietary RLT reflector that recycles high angle light generated by LEDs, which would otherwise be wasted in conventional illumination systems. The recycled light is converted it into useable output as a brighter beam. The technology has been shown to more than double light output for many applications with its compact, low-cost reflector by significantly increasing the brightness available to fiber optic bundles used frequently in surgical operating systems.


Impressive improvements in brightness have been achieved for both commonly used 5.0 mm and 3.5 mm fiber bundles using the RLT reflectors, with gains of 40% for the 5.0 mm and 60% for the 3.5mm fiber bundles. The RLT technology could provide even higher improvements for smaller fiber bundle system, such as arthroscopes with 1.0 mm fiber bundles. The RLT technology is very flexible and can be optimized for all types of devices and fiber bundle sizes, including existing and new illumination systems. The RLT technology platform is a development of Wavien (Valencia, CA, USA).

“The usable LED light output is significantly boosted by the RLT reflector with no additional LED input power required and no change in LED lifetime,” said Kenneth Li, PhD, President and CEO of Wavien, and inventor of the RLT technology. “With the ability to improve outputs using smaller fiber bundles, an entire new line of micro instruments is now made possible with RLT technology.”

Related Links:
Wavien