Design of a uniform irradiance source based on light emitting diodes

Many applications in various fields require uniform illumination from light sources, for example, in medical imaging in the biophotonics area. In this work, the design and application of an annular light-emitting diode array capable of producing a homogeneous irradiance pattern is presented. As part of the design process, software that allows the simulation of the irradiance pattern as a function of the LED’s radiant intensity distribution, and the position and inclination angle of the LEDs, was developed and validated. Based on the simulation results, a source that produces homogeneous illumination over an area of 20 mm in diameter, where the lowest irradiance is more than 94% of the maximum irradiance, was constructed and tested in real conditions. The simulation method and theoretical calculations on which the array is based can be applied to the design of sources for other applications where a homogeneous irradiance is required.