# US 2014/0152842 A1 · Wavefront sensor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152842 A1 - Document ID: US20140152842A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/238,587 - Filed: 2012-08-13 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-16 - Assignees: BAE SYSTEMS plc - Inventors: Leslie Charles Laycock - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152842A1 ## CPC - A61B 3/1015: {for wavefront analysis} - G01J 9/00: Measuring optical phase difference (devices or arrangements for controlling the phase of light beams G02F1/01); Determining degree of coherence; Measuring optical wavelength (spectrometry G01J3/00) - H04N 23/20: for generating image signals from infrared radiation only - H04N 25/41: {Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors} - H10F 39/806: {Optical elements or arrangements associated with the image sensors} - H10F 39/184: {Infrared image sensors} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract This invention relates to an infra red wavefront sensor device (10) including: • a plurality of tapered coherent fibre optic image conduits (12a, 12b), wherein each image conduit has an input surface (14a, 14b) and a body portion (16a, 16b) that tapers to an output surface (18a, 18b) and is configured to transmit an infra-red image incident on the input surface (14a, 14b) to the output surface (18a, 18b), in which the input surfaces (14a, 14b) are substantially coplanar thereby defining an image plane; • a plurality of detector arrays (26), wherein each detector array has a plurality of detector cells which are responsive to infra-red radiation, and in which each detector array (26) is positioned so as to detect an infra-red image appearing at the output surface (18a, 18b) of the paired image conduit (12a, 12b) by producing an output signal; and • an image processor (28) responsive to the output signals of the detector arrays (26) and configured to combine said output signals to produce a composite image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An infra-red wavefront sensor device including: a plurality of tapered coherent fibre optic image conduits, wherein each image conduit has an input surface and a body portion that tapers to an output surface and is configured to transmit an infra-red image incident on the input surface to the output surface, in which the input surfaces are substantially co-planar thereby defining an image plane; a plurality of detector arrays, wherein each detector array has a plurality of detector cells which are responsive to infra-red radiation, and in which each detector array is positioned so as to detect an infra-red image appearing at the output surface of the paired image conduit by producing an output signal; and an image processor responsive to the output signals of the detector arrays and configured to combine said output signals to produce a composite image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the detector arrays are positioned so that a subset of the detector cells in each detector array are used to detect an infra-red image appearing at the output surface of the paired image conduit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the detector arrays are integrated circuits having semiconductor detector cells. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which at least one of the image conduits has a body portion which is bent so that the output surface defines a plane which is not parallel to a plane defined by the input surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the input surfaces are arranged in an array wherein each input surface is substantially contiguous with each adjacent input surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the input surfaces are square or rectangular. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the wavefront sensor is a Shack-Hartmann device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 further including a lenslet array positioned in front of the image plane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 in which the image conduits are arranged in an array of m rows and n columns, where m and n are both greater than or equal to 2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A device according to claim 9 in which m and n are both greater than or equal to 3. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 which is configured to operate at infra-red wavelengths in the range 0.75 to 3.0 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A device according to claim 1 which is configured to operate at infra-red wavelengths in the range 1.2 μm or greater. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A device according claim 1 in which the detector arrays include InGaAs or HgCdTe detector cells. ### Claim 14 A method of performing wavefront sensing including the step of detecting aberrations in a wavefront using an infra-red wavefront sensor device including: a plurality of tapered coherent fibre optic image conduits, wherein each image conduit has an input surface and a body portion that tapers to an output surface and is configured to transmit an infra-red image incident on the input surface to the output surface, in which the input surfaces are substantially co-planar thereby defining an image plane; a plurality of detector arrays, wherein each detector array has a plurality of detector cells which are responsive to infra-red radiation, and in which each detector array is positioned so as to detect an infra-red image appearing at the output surface of the paired image conduit by producing an output signal; and an image processor responsive to the output signals of the detector arrays and configured to combine said output signals to produce a composite image.