# US 2016/0259176 A1 · System for uniformly illuminating target to reduce speckling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0259176 A1 - Document ID: US20160259176A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/029,298 - Filed: 2015-08-14 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-14 - Assignees: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Applicants: Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Inventors: Michael J. CHOINIERE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259176A1 ## CPC - G02B 27/48: Laser speckle optics - G02B 6/04: formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence) - G02B 6/06: the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images - G02B 21/0028: {specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for endoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, attachments to conventional microscopes} - G02B 26/08: for controlling the direction of light (in light guides G02B6/35) - G03B 15/06: Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) ## Abstract An illumination system for uniform illumination of a target to facilitate imaging of the target by an imaging system. The apparatus which comprises a laser source for generating a plurality of independent or quasi-independent point sources of light; a fiber optic bundle which comprises a plurality of individual optical fibers for each receiving at least one of the plurality of point sources of light, from the laser source, and directing the plurality of point sources of light toward the target for illumination thereof; and an oscillating diffuser for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and oscillating at a frequency so as to redirect each one of the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the target to be illuminated to facilitate uniform illumination and imaging thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An illumination system for uniform illumination of a target to facilitate imaging of the target by an imaging system, the apparatus comprising: a laser source for generating a plurality of independent or quasi-independent point sources of light; a fiber optic bundle comprising a plurality of individual optical fibers for each receiving at least one of the plurality of point sources of light, from the laser source, and directing the plurality of point sources of light toward the target for illumination thereof; and an oscillating diffuser for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and the oscillating diffuser oscillating at a frequency so as to redirect each one of the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the target to be illuminated to facilitate uniform illumination and imaging thereof by the imaging system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a first lens, located between the laser source and the fiber optic bundle, for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and focusing the plurality of point sources of light at inlet surfaces of the individual optical fibers forming the fiber optic bundle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus further includes a second lens, located between the fiber optic bundle and the target to be illuminated, for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and focusing and directing the plurality of point sources of light toward the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic bundle has at least one bend along a length thereof which assists with one of bouncing and reflecting the light off a side wall of the optical fibers to assist with homogenizing the point sources of light and thereby providing a uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating diffuser is located between the laser source and the fiber optic bundle, and the oscillating diffuser receives the plurality of point sources of light and focuses the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the inlet surfaces of the individual optical fibers forming the fiber optic bundle to facilitate uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating diffuser is located between the laser source and the fiber optic bundle, a first lens is located between the laser source and the oscillating diffuser, and the oscillating diffuser receives the plurality of point sources of light and focuses the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the inlet surfaces of the individual optical fibers forming the fiber optic bundle to facilitate uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 4, wherein the oscillating diffuser is located between the fiber optic bundle and the second lens, and the oscillating diffuser receives the plurality of point sources of light from the fiber optic bundle and focuses the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the second lens to facilitate uniform illumination and the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the laser source is a laser diode which generates between 1 and 15 individual sources of light for illuminating the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes the imaging device for imaging the target while the target is uniformly illuminated by the laser source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 2, wherein the first lens is spaced from the laser source by a distance of between 2 to about 30 mm and arranged so as to converge essentially all of the point sources of light, which passes through the first lens, at an inlet surfaces of at least one of the optical fibers forming the fiber optic bundle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 3, wherein outlet surfaces of the plurality of optical fibers, forming the fiber optic bundle, are spaced approximately 20 mm from the second lens. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating diffuser oscillates at a frequency of 300 Hz and has a stroke of 400 μm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic bundle has an axial length of between 1 inch and 40 inches and the fiber optic bundle includes between 50 to 250 separate optical fibers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the fiber optic bundle has an axial length of between 3 inches and 5 inches and the fiber optic bundle includes between 100 to 200 separate optical fibers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein a vibrator is coupled to the fiber optic bundle induce vibration into the fiber optic bundle while the fiber optic bundle is illuminating the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator vibrates at least a portion of the fiber optic bundle at a frequency of 15 Hz. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a first lens, located between the laser source and the fiber optic bundle, for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and focusing the plurality of point sources of light at inlet surfaces of the individual optical fibers, forming the fiber optic bundle; a second lens, located between the fiber optic bundle and the target to be illuminated, for receiving the plurality of point sources of light and focusing and directing the plurality of point sources of light toward the target to be illuminated; and the fiber optic bundle has at least one bend along a length thereof which assists with one of bouncing and reflecting the light off a side wall of the optical fibers to assist with homogenizing the point sources of light and thereby providing a uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 17, wherein the oscillating diffuser randomizes a launch angle of the point sources of light, as such point sources of light pass through the diffuser and are directed toward the optical fibers forming the fiber optic bundle, and such randomization of the launch angle of light sources, results in each light source being redirected, by the diffuser, to illuminate slightly different areas of the target to be illuminated and thereby assist with uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus further includes the imaging device for imaging the target while the target is uniformly illuminated by the laser source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The illumination system for uniform illumination of the target according to claim 19, wherein the imaging device has a shutter speed, a rate of varying the launch angle of the diffuser is faster than the shutter speed of the imaging device; due to a rapid response of the oscillating diffuser subsystem unit, relative to a shutter speed of the imaging system, the oscillating diffuser is able to spread the light passing therethrough over a wider area of the target to be illuminated while the imaging system is collecting an image of the target, so that a gathered image of the target, obtained by the imaging system, is an average illumination of the target which minimizes speckling in the image of the target. ### Claim 21 An illumination system for uniform illumination of a target using many independent or quasi-independent point sources of light, said apparatus comprising: a laser source; a multi-fiber bundle, and the fiber optic bundle having at least one bend along a length thereof which assists with one of bouncing and reflecting the light off a side wall of the optical fibers to assist with homogenizing the point sources of light and thereby provide uniform illumination of the target to be illuminated; a first lens located between the laser source and the fiber optic bundle; and a second lens located between the fiber optic bundle and the target to be illuminated. ### Claim 22 A method of uniform illumination of a target, by an illumination system, to facilitate imaging of the target by an imaging system, the apparatus comprising: generating a plurality of independent or quasi-independent point sources of light via a laser source; forming a fiber optic bundle comprising a plurality of individual optical fibers for each receiving at least one of the plurality of point sources of light, from the laser source, and directing the plurality of point sources of light toward the target for illumination thereof; and receiving the plurality of point sources of light, via an oscillating diffuser, and oscillating the oscillating diffuser at a frequency so as to redirect each one of the plurality of point sources of light over an area of the target to be illuminated to facilitate uniform illumination and imaging thereof.