# US 12,213,644 B2 · Optical system and imaging method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,213,644 B2
- Document ID: US12213644B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/649,843
- Filed: 2022-02-03
- Published: 2022-08-11
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-03
- Assignees: Technische UniversitäT Dresden
- Applicants: Technische Universitat Dresden
- Inventors: Robert Kuschmierz; Jurgen Czarske; Elias Scharf
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12213644B2

## CPC

- A61B 1/00057: {provided with means for testing or calibration}
- G02B 6/06: the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images
- A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements}
- A61B 1/00167: {Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution}
- A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
- G01M 11/081: {by using a contact-less detection method, i.e. with a camera}
- G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating
- G02B 5/02: Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
- G02B 5/0205: {characterised by the diffusing properties}
- G02B 23/26: using light guides {(for illumination G02B23/2469)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

An optical system and an imaging method are disclosed, wherein the optical system comprises a multifilament conductor and an optical diffuser for imaging an intensity pattern onto the multifilament conductor, the intensity pattern representing phase information of light emitted from one or more three-dimensional objects; wherein the multifilament conductor is configured to transmit the intensity pattern in the form of a plurality of pixels to an evaluation system, and wherein the evaluation system is configured to generate an image based on the intensity pattern transmitted by the multifilament conductor, the image representing the one or more three-dimensional objects.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical system comprising:
a multifilament conductor,
an optical diffuser configured to project an intensity pattern onto the multifilament conductor,
the intensity pattern representing phase information of light emitted front one or more three-dimensional objects;
wherein the multifilament conductor is configured to transmit the intensity pattern in the form of a plurality of pixels to an evaluation system, and
wherein the evaluation system is configured to generate art image based on the intensity pattern transmitted by the multifilament conductor, the image representing the one or more three-dimensional objects.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the optical diffuser is configured to diffuse in transmission and/or in reflection.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1,
wherein the multifilament conductor has a first diameter or width at a first end facing the optical diffuser, and
wherein the optical diffuser has a second diameter or width substantially equal to the first diameter or width.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the multifilament conductor is configured to only partially illuminate the one or more three-dimensional objects using one or more optical fibers of the multifilament conductor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the multifilament conductor is configured to illuminate the one or more three-dimensional objects using light provided to the multifilament conductor by an illumination device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The optical system according to claim 5, wherein the light provided to the multifilament conductor via the illumination device comprises polychromatic light.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The optical system according to claim 5, wherein the illumination device is further configured to provide light to the multifilament conductor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The optical system according to claim 7, wherein the illumination device is configured to provide polychromatic light to the multifilament conductor; and
wherein the evaluation system is configured to detect a plurality of light colors of the intensity pattern transmitted by the multifilament conductor and to generate the image based on the detected plurality of light colors of the intensity pattern.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The optical system according to claim 7, wherein the illumination device is configured to provide temporally successive visible light of a plurality of mutually different light colors to the multifilament conductor;
wherein the multifilament conductor is configured to transmit, for each light color of the plurality of mutually different light colors, a respective intensity pattern representing phase information of light emitted from the one or more three-dimensional objects in the form of a plurality of pixels to the evaluation system; and
wherein the evaluation system is configured to generate the image based on the intensity patterns transmitted by the multifilament conductor for the plurality of mutually different colors of light.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The optical system according to claim 7, wherein the illumination device is configured to selectively provide light to one or more optical fibers of the multifilament conductor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the multifilament conductor is configured for insertion into an opening, wherein the portion of the multifilament conductor and the optical diffuser each have a diameter and/or a width of less than 1 mm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation system is configured to generate the image based on the intensity pattern transmitted via the multifilament conductor using a trained neural network.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the optical system is an endoscope or an endoscope system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The optical system of claim 1, wherein the optical diffusor projecting the intensity pattern onto the multifilament conductor comprises the optical diffusor projecting a two-dimensional intensity pattern onto the multifilament conductor;
wherein the phase information is three-dimensional, and wherein the optical diffusor is further configured to encode the three-dimensional phase information as the two-dimensional intensity pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The optical system of claim 14, wherein the image is a three-dimensional image, and wherein the evaluation system is further configured to generate the three-dimensional image based on the two-dimensional intensity pattern in which the phase information is encoded.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The optical system of claim 12, wherein the neural network is configured to output a plurality of images representing depth of objects in response to an input of an intensity pattern.

### Claim 17

A method comprising:
generating light emitted from one or more three-dimensional objects toward an optical diffuser;
generating an intensity pattern as a depiction of the light emitted toward the optical diffuser, the intensity pattern representing phase information of the light; and
generating an image of the one or more three-dimensional objects based on pixels of the generated intensity pattern, wherein the pixels of the generated intensity pattern are provided by a multifilament conductor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method according to claim 17, further comprising:
Illuminating the one or more three-dimensional objects using the multifilament conductor to generate the light emitted from the one or more three-dimensional objects toward the optical diffuser.