Ultrafast 3D imaging technique employing event-driven cameras

A method, comprising:

• emitting a pulse of emissions to an object to generate a particle;
• positioning an imaging detector to receive the particle, the imaging detector configured to produce a light flash as an event that is indicative of an X and Y hit position of the particle in the imaging detector, and to output a waveform arising from the particle;
• directing an event-driven camera toward the imaging detector and capable of providing an imaging detector signal that includes, when the event occurs:
• 1) Intensity and time-over-threshold (TOT) signals related to the light flash;
• 2) Time-of-arrival (TOA) information of the event;
• and
• 3) The X and Y hit position of the particle based on a location of the light flash;
• positioning a photodiode to detect unimpeded emission signals from unimpeded emissions from a source, wherein the unimpeded emission signals are indicative of a time origin of the pulse from the source, and wherein the pulse of emissions include the unimpeded emissions, and wherein the unimpeded emissions did not pass through materials;
• coupling a timing circuit to the imaging detector and to the photodiode, the timing circuit configured to determine a time-of-flight (TOF) of the particle based on the waveform from the imaging detector and the time origin of the pulse from the photodiode;
• and
• communicatively connecting a hardware processor and a memory having a program to the hardware processor, and communicatively connecting the hardware processor to the timing circuit and to the event-driven camera, and providing the hardware processor operations including:
• generating 3D coordinates of the particle;
• wherein the 3D coordinates include the X and Y hit position of the particle synchronized with the TOF of the particle.

A method, comprising:

• determining, via an event-driven camera, an X and Y hit position of a particle received on an imaging detector, the particle generated by emissions from a pulse;
• determining a time of flight (TOF) of the particle based on 1) a waveform from the imaging detector, and 2) based on a time origin of the particle, wherein the time origin of the particle is based on a photodiode signal from a photodiode that receives unimpeded emissions of the pulse that generated the particle, and wherein the unimpeded emission is a pulse do not pass through materials;
• and
• generating 3D coordinates for the particle based on the X and Y hit position of the particle synchronized with the TOF of the particle.