A Light Guide is in essence a transparent optical media that allows light from the light source to propagate and enter and direct the light to the designated locations. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a non-laser high-intensity light source that utilizes a high-output flash lamp to generate a broad wavelength output of incoherent light, often in the 400nm to 1200nm range. Light Guide or Filter is a critical optical component in handheld Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices or cosmetic lasers, functioning to reject the UV radiations while reserving the wanted spectral portion of 400-1200nm. Sapphire is a prevalent material for manufacturing light guides, featuring high opacities to the UV light, which is considered detrimental to human skin, and excellent transmission from the visible and short-wave Infrared spectrum. Sapphire light guides are often incorporated into IPL machines for skin rejuvenation and hair removal.

North Optics’s Sapphire IPL Light Guides are rectangular-shaped optical components. All the faces of each light guide are optical-grade polished, and one of the end faces is coated with long-pass filter films to shelter the UV lights with a high rejection rate greater than 99%, whilst transferring other light with wavelengths of interest with a decent transmission rate of above 95%. Furthermore, the coatings are also quite durable under the attacks of high-power radiations, this feature combined with the unrivaled mechanical strength and high thermal conductivities of our high-quality sapphire crystals, helps to enhance its damage threshold, allowing high power applications. The sides of the light guides are coated with reflection coatings, and the transmission of light inside the light guide relies on total internal reflection.

North Optics offers stocked and custom sapphire IPL light guides in various dimensions according to your requirements. We are capable of providing lights with high reliabilities, and varied cut-on wavelengths that suit your applications.