Apparatus and method for infrared imaging

An infrared imaging apparatus for receiving infrared light emitted from a target and outputting the received infrared light as an image, the infrared imaging apparatus comprising:

• a reaction unit comprising a reactive layer with physical properties changing in a response to received infrared light;
• a light source disposed to irradiate the reaction unit with a measurement light;
• and
• an image sensor disposed to detect the measurement light having passed through the reaction unit,
• wherein the light source is disposed to emit the measurement light in a direction crossing an input direction of the received infrared light, and
• the reaction unit further comprises a dichroic mirror disposed at a position, where the dichroic mirror is configured to cross an irradiation direction of the measurement light with the input direction of the received infrared light to input the received infrared light and the measurement light to the reactive layer in a same direction.

An infrared imaging method comprising:

• inputting infrared light, emitted form a target, to a reaction unit;
• irradiating the reaction unit with a measurement light;
• detecting the measurement light with a light quantity thereof changing depending on a change in physical properties of at least a portion of the reaction unit due to the input infrared light;
• and
• outputting a distribution of the light quantity of the detected measurement light,
• wherein detecting the measurement light comprises:
• changing a transmittance of the detected measurement light depending on the change in the physical properties of the at least a portion of the reaction unit;
• and
• detecting the measurement light with the changed transmittance.