# US 2021/0278645 A1 · Optical imaging systems and formation of co-oriented and co-directional images in different fields of view of the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0278645 A1 - Document ID: US20210278645A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/087,934 - Filed: 2020-11-03 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09 - Assignees: Omniscient Imaging, Inc. - Applicants: Omniscient Imaging Inc. - Inventors: Bhaskar Banerjee; Brian Scaramella; Richard Pfisterer; Scott Ellis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278645A1 ## CPC - G02B 17/0856: {comprising a refractive element with a reflective surface, the reflection taking place inside the element, e.g. Mangin mirrors} - A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements} - G02B 13/18: with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration {(G02B13/002 takes precedence)} - G02B 23/243: {Objectives for endoscopes} - H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils - H04N 23/55: Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof - A61B 1/00181: {for multiple fixed viewing angles (A61B1/00193 takes precedence)} - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Optical imaging systems configured to image object space in multiple fields-of-view (FOVs)—front and lateral FOVs—and form corresponding images that are co-oriented and co-directional regardless of mutual repositioning of the object and imaging systems. Images formed with such optical systems in which FFOV- and LFOV-image portions are co-directional. Co-directionality of formed images is achieved due to direct imaging with a system utilizing a specific involute reflective surface or as a result of radial spatial redistribution of irradiance of an initial image(s), formed with a system devoid of an involute reflective surface, while maintaining aspect ratios of dimensions of corresponding pixels of initial and transformed images. Methodology of transformation of images utilizing radial redistribution of image irradiance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical system having an optical axis, a front field of view (FFOV) and a lateral field of view (LFOV), and comprising: a front lens, a rear lens, wherein the front lens is dimensioned to collect only first light from a first portion of an object space that is covered by the FFOV and forward said first light through the rear lens towards an image plane of the optical system, wherein a rear lens is dimensioned to collect both the first light and second light from a second portion of said object space that is covered by the LFOV and image it onto the image plane; and at least one optical reflector separating the front lens from the rear lens and configured to reflect said second light towards the rear lens, wherein the optical system is configured to form an optical image of said object space, the optical image including a first portion of the image having a first perimeter that circumscribes an axial point of the first portion of the image a second portion of the image dimensioned as a stripe or band having a second perimeter and located outside of the first perimeter, wherein the first portion of the image represents said first portion of the object space, wherein the second portion of the image represents said second portion of the object space, and wherein a first directionality of the first portion of the image and a second directionality of the second portion of the image are the same. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one optical reflector comprises an odd number of optical reflectors, wherein a first reflector from said odd number of optical reflectors is not a ring reflector and has an involute reflective surface with an optical aperture centered at the optical axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical system according to claim 2, wherein one of the following conditions is satisfied: i) the optical system comprises a mangin mirror element one surface of which is configured as said involute reflective surface; and ii) said first reflector is a stand-alone optical reflector. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The optical system according to claim 3, wherein a spatial profile of said involute reflective surface in a plane containing the optical axis is represented by a non-analytic function of a viewing angle of the optical system ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The optical system according to claim 2, wherein a spatial profile of said involute reflective surface in a plane containing the optical axis is represented by a function of a viewing angle of the optical system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical system according to claim 5, wherein said function of the viewing angle is not an analytic function. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising an optical detector disposed at said image plane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An imaging probe containing the optical system of claim 1, further comprising electronic circuitry that is operably cooperated with the image plane to collect an electrical signal representing said optical image and that is configured to generate a visually-perceivable representation of said optical image, wherein said imaging probe is devoid of a light guide configured to supply electromagnetic radiation towards the FFOV. ### Claim 9 A method for forming an image of the object space with the use of an optical imaging system that has an optical axis, a front field of view (FFOV), a lateral FOV (LFOV), an optical detector, and programmable electronic circuitry operably cooperated with the optical detector, the image including: a first portion of the image having a first perimeter that circumscribes an axial point of the first image a second portion of the image dimensioned as a stripe or band having a second perimeter and located outside of the first perimeter, wherein the first portion of the image represents a first portion of the object space covered by the FFOV, wherein the second portion of the optical image represents a second portion of the object space covered by the LFOV, and wherein a first directionality of the first portion of the image and a second directionality of the second portion of the image are the same, the method comprising: forming the first portion of the image by collecting first light from the FFOV through both first and second optical elements of said optical system with the use of the optical detector, wherein the first optical element is an optical element directly exposed to the first portion of the object space, and wherein the second optical element is immediately adjoining the first optical element, forming, with the use of the optical detector, a third portion of the image by at least in part collecting second light from the LFOV of the optical system through an edge surface of the second element of the optical system while preventing said second light from traversing any surface of the first optical element, wherein the third portion of the image is dimensioned as said stripe or band having the second perimeter and located outside of the first perimeter, and wherein a third directionality of the third portion of the image is opposite to the second directionality; transforming irradiance of the third portion of the image to create the second portion of the image by radially redistributing said irradiance of the third portion of the image with respect to a circle of a chosen radius located between inner and outer perimeters of said second portion of the image; and with the use of said programmable electronic circuitry, generating a report containing a visually-perceivable representation of said image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said preventing includes reflecting the second light at a reflective surface that is congruent with a surface of the second optical element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein said surface of the second optical element is an aspheric optical surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said forming the third portion of the image includes causing said second light to interact with three different surfaces of the second optical element, wherein two of the three different surfaces cross the optical axis and a remaining of the three different surfaces is said edge surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein said transforming irradiance includes replacing a first irradiance at a first pixel located along a chosen radius of said third portion of the image with a second irradiance at a second pixel located along the chosen radius of said third portion while replacing the second irradiance at the second pixel with the first irradiance at the first pixel, and wherein locations of the first and second pixels are symmetric with respect to a circle of radius that is defined as a weighted combination of (i) a geometric mean of outer and inner radii of the third portion of the image and (ii) an arithmetic mean of said outer and inner radii. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein said preventing includes reflecting the second light at a reflective surface that is congruent with a surface of the second optical element. ### Claim 15 An image of an object space formed with the use of an optical system that has an optical axis, a front field of view (FFOV), and a lateral FOV (LFOV), the image comprising: a first portion of the image having a first perimeter that circumscribes an axial point of the first image a second portion of the image dimensioned as a stripe or band having a second perimeter and located outside of the first perimeter, wherein the first portion of the image represents a first portion of the object space covered by the FFOV, wherein the second portion of the image represents a second portion of the object the object space covered by the LFOV, and wherein a first directionality of the first portion of the image and a second directionality of the second portion of the image are the same. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the first perimeter is a circular perimeter and the second portion of the image is annular. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The image according to claim 15, wherein the first and second portions of the image are radially separated by a gap, wherein no point in said gap optically corresponds to any of the first portion of the object space and the second portion of the object space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The image according to claim 15, wherein the first and second portions of the image are not radially separated from one another. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The image according to claim 15, wherein a first image point, chosen in any of the first and second image portions and located at a first radial distance from the optical axis, and a second image point, chosen in any of the first and second image portions and located at a second radial distance from the optical axis, the second radial distance being larger than the first radial distance, represent, respectively, optical images of a first object point and a second object point in the object space, wherein a first viewing angle of the first object point is smaller than a second viewing angle of the second object point. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The image according to claim 18, wherein the first and second portions of the image are not radially separated from one another.