US 6,239,909 B1 · Image-forming method and image-forming apparatus

Abstract

A microscopy and apparatus capable of obtaining superresolution, and a fringe projection light-cut microscopy and apparatus capable of obtaining a natural light-cut image and enabling real-time observation. At the component separating step, a plurality of modulated images of an observation object (O) are formed by subjecting the observation object (O) to spatial modulation including a plurality of modulation components while varying the component ratios of the modulation components by moving a diffraction grating (21), which modulates the observation object (O), to a plurality of different positions. The modulated images are detected with an image pickup device (22). Modulated image components corresponding to the modulation components are separated from the number of modulated images that is not less than the number of the modulation components by using linear computation. At the component demodulating step, at least one of the separated modulated image components is demodulated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image-forming method comprising:

a component separating;
and
a component demodulating,
said component separating using a plurality of modulated images of an observation object that are formed by subjecting said observation object to spatial modulation;
wherein said spatial modulation includes a plurality of modulation components, said plurality of modulated images being formed by subjecting said observation object to spatial modulation processes using modulation components of different component ratios,
said component separating including a linear computation to separate modulated image components from said modulated images,
wherein said linear computation uses a number of said modulated images that is not less than a number of said modulation components,
said component demodulating demodulates each of said modulated image components to obtain a restored image.

5 more elements

An image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a modulated image forming mechanism;
an image storage unit constructed and arranged to store a plurality of modulated images;
and
an arithmetic unit constructed and arranged to execute a component separating and a component demodulating,
said modulated image forming mechanism including,
a modulating member constructed and arranged to subject an observation object to spatial modulation,
an image-forming optical system constructed and arranged to form a plurality of modulated images of said observation object subjected to the spatial modulation, and
an image-pickup device constructed and arranged to image said modulated images,
wherein said spatial modulation includes a plurality of modulation components, said plurality of modulated images being formed by subjecting said observation object to spatial modulation processes using modulation components of different component ratios,
said component separating including a linear computation of separating modulated image components from said modulated images,
wherein said linear computation uses a number of said modulated images that is not less than a number of said modulation components, and
said component demodulating demodulates each of said modulated image components to obtain a restored image.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image-forming method and image-forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image-forming method and image-forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20