Method and apparatus for imaging an object by diffractive autofocus
AssigneeGalore Scantec Ltd.
InventorMoshe Schaham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for illuminating and imaging two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects located at various distances. The apparatus includes a non-monochromatic light source, a diffractive optical element having a strong chromatic aberration that focuses the light beam generated from the source at various focal distances at where the various objects are located. The light beams are then reflected by the various objects and are received through the diffractive optical element onto an imager.
Claims9
A method for obtaining a focused image of objects located at various distances from imaging optics, comprising:
- producing a slit-shaped illuminating beam of nonmonochromatic light;
- imaging said slit through a diffractive optical element onto one of said objects, wherein said slit is focused at varying distances for varying wavelengths;
- receiving light reflected from said object, through said diffractive optical element, onto an imager wherein a focused image of said object is obtained on said imager for a light wavelength, producing a focused slit image on said object, with unequivocal dependance between light wavelength, object distance and sharpness of focus.
An apparatus for focusing images of objects located at various distances, comprising:
- a non-monochromatic slit-shaped illuminating beam;
- a first diffractive lens for illuminating one of said object by imaging said slit onto said object located at varying distances from said first diffractive lens, wherein said slit image is focused onto said object at varying distances for varying wavelengths of said illuminating beam;
- and
- a second diffractive lens for imaging said object onto an imager wherein an image of said object is focused onto said imager for said illuminating beam wavelength creating a focused slit image on said object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.