Imager and spot sampler with translatable stage
AssigneeWestboro Photonics
InventorsTimothy Moggridge, Chad Greene
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical devices that combine imaging with spectral detection usually require bulky or expensive optics or are limited in the spectral measurements that can be made. The disclosed device uses a lens and mirror to provide two image planes: one for a pixelated detector and the other for an optical fiber assembly. The optical fiber assembly may be scanned over most or all of the field of view, or this may be achieved with a fixed fiber assembly and translatable mirror. Multiple fibers may be included in the assembly and multiple measurement or other devices may be connected to the remote ends of the optical fibers.
Claims46
An optical device comprising:
- one or more lenses providing a first image focal plane;
- a mirror providing a second image focal plane of the one or more lenses;
- a pixelated detector at the first image focal plane, the pixelated detector being taller, wider or both taller and wider than the mirror;
- a translation stage upon which the mirror is mounted;
- and
- an optical fiber positioned so that an entrance face of the optical fiber is in the second image focal plane;
- wherein the translation stage translates the mirror between a position in which it provides the second image focal plane and a position in which it does not provide the second image focal plane.
An optical device comprising:
- one or more lenses providing a first image focal plane;
- a mirror providing a second image focal plane of the one or more lenses;
- a pixelated detector at the first image focal plane;
- a translation stage upon which the mirror is mounted;
- an optical fiber positioned so that an entrance face of the optical fiber is in the second image focal plane;
- and
- on the translation stage, one or any of:
- a prism, a beam splitter, clear glass, a thin film filter, an absorbing filter, a polarizing filter, a linear variable bandpass filter, an opaque panel;
- wherein the translation stage translates the mirror between a position in which it provides the second image focal plane and a position in which it does not provide the second image focal plane.
The optical device of claim 5 or 45, wherein said exactly one lens is a compound lens.
The optical device of claim 8 or 46, wherein all of the optical fibers are connected to a common optical measurement instrument or to different optical measurement instruments.
An optical device comprising:
- one or more lenses providing an image focal plane;
- a mirror providing another image focal plane of the one or more lenses;
- a pixelated detector at a first one of said image focal planes;
- a translation stage that translates parallel to a second one of said image focal planes;
- and
- an optical fiber mounted on the translation stage so that an entrance face of the optical fiber is translatable in the second one of said image focal planes.
A method for calibrating an optical device that comprises:
- one or more lenses providing an image focal plane;
- a mirror providing another image focal plane of the one or more lenses;
- a pixelated detector at a first one of said image focal planes;
- a translation stage that translates parallel to a second one of said image focal planes;
- and
- an optical fiber mounted on the translation stage so that an entrance face of the optical fiber is translatable in the second one of said image focal planes;
- the method comprising:
- focusing the pixelated detector onto a white screen;
- translating the entrance face of the optical fiber to a desired location;
- back-illuminating the optical fiber to illuminate a spot on the white screen;
- applying a mark to the white screen at the illuminated spot;
- translating the entrance face of the optical fiber outside of a field of view of the pixelated detector;
- acquiring an image of the white screen and the mark;
- defining pixels of the pixelated detector that correspond to the mark;
- and
- recording the defined pixels in association with the desired location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.