Spatial and spectral filtering apertures and optical imaging systems including the same
AssigneeNovadaq Technologies Inc.
InventorFrederick Allen MOORE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A filter includes a central filter region, the central filter region to transmit a first wavelength range, a peripheral filter region, the peripheral filter region to block a second wavelength range, and a transition filter region between the central and peripheral filter regions, the transition filter region to transmit or block the second wavelength range differently than the second wavelength range is to be transmitted or blocked in the central and peripheral filter regions. More generally, there may be “N” regions and up to N-1 transition regions.
Claims26
A filter, comprising:
- a central filter region, the central filter region to transmit a first wavelength range;
- a peripheral filter region, the peripheral filter region to block a second wavelength range;
- and
- a transition filter region between the central and peripheral filter regions, the transition filter region to transmit or block the second wavelength range differently than the second wavelength range is to be transmitted or blocked in the central and peripheral filter regions.
A system for use with more than one wavelength range, the system including:
- a first wavelength dependent filter adjacent a first conjugate of a system aperture;
- and
- a second wavelength dependent filter at a second conjugate of the system aperture, wherein the first and second wavelength dependent filters substantially equalize point spread functions of the more than one wavelength ranges.
A filter system for use in an imaging system, having a system aperture and an optical system to image an object onto an image plane, the filter system being between the system aperture and the image plane, the filter system comprising:
- a filter having
- a first filter region in a center of the filter, the first filter region to transmit first and second wavelength ranges;
- a second filter region to transmit the first wavelength range and block the second wavelength range;
- and
- an adjuster to alter an effective size of the first filter region in the filter system.
A method of filtering at least a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range, the method comprising:
- transmitting a central portion of the first wavelength range;
- blocking a peripheral portion of the second wavelength range;
- and
- transmitting or blocking a transition portion of the second wavelength range between a central portion and the peripheral portion differently than the second wavelength range is transmitted or blocked in the central portion and the peripheral portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.