# US 7,411,177 B2 · Multi-spectrum image capturing device and multi-spectrum illuminating device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,411,177 B2 - Document ID: US7411177B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/669,779 - Filed: 2007-01-31 - Published: 2007-05-31 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2003-11-14 - Assignees: Olympus Corporation - Inventors: Hiroyoshi Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7411177B2 ## CPC - G01J 3/50: using electric radiation detectors - G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry - G01N 21/251: {Colorimeters; Construction thereof} - G01J 3/0205: {Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows} - G01J 3/0216: {using light concentrators or collectors or condensers} - G01J 3/501: {Colorimeters using spectrally-selective light sources, e.g. LEDs} - G01N 2021/4742: {comprising optical fibres} - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A multi-spectrum image capturing device includes a multi-spectrum illuminating device comprising LED's for emitting lights of different wavelengths from one another, a plurality of optical rods for relaying the lights emitted from the LED's, an optical diffusion element for diffusively reflecting the lights from the optical rods by a white diffusion surface and an aluminum-coated reflecting surface to be irradiated at an angle of about 60° with respect to an image-capturing optical axis, and an optical sheet for further diffusing the lights from the optical diffusion element, and also includes an image-capturing optical system and a CCD for forming an image based on lights reflected from an irradiated surface under illumination by the multi-spectrum illuminating device to capture the formed image. An image output captured by the CCD is analyzed to measure color components of the irradiated surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multi-spectrum image capturing device comprising: a multi-spectrum illuminating device for irradiating lights of different wavelengths to an irradiated surface; and an image-capturing optical system for forming an image based on lights reflected from the irradiated surface under illumination by the multi-spectrum illuminating device; wherein components of the reflected lights captured via the image-capturing optical system are analyzed to measure color components of the irradiated surface; and wherein the multi-spectrum illuminating device comprises: a plurality of light sources for emitting the lights of different wavelengths; and a pair of fiber units, each of which comprises a plurality of optical fibers which are divided at a light input side of the fiber unit into a plurality of input light bundles corresponding to a plurality of the light sources, and which are bundled at a light output side of the fiber unit into an output light bundle in which the optical fibers constituting the input light bundles are shuffled at random; wherein the pair of the fiber units are provided so as to be opposed to the image-capturing optical system and so as to be separated from each other; and wherein each of the pair of the fiber units comprises a first optical sheet, which is disposed on an exit-side surface of the output light bundle and through which the lights are transmitted, and which has a gradation characteristic which is reversed with respect to a luminance distribution of illumination unevenness on the irradiated surface, in order to reduce the illumination unevenness on the irradiated surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multi-spectrum image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber unit further comprises a second optical sheet, which is disposed in an optical path of the lights and through which the lights are transmitted, for diffusing the transmitted lights. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The multi-spectrum image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein numbers of the optical fibers assigned to the input light bundles are set depending on emission efficiencies of the corresponding light sources. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The multi-spectrum image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the fiber unit is formed such that a central axis of a luminous flux irradiated toward the irradiated surface is at an angle in a range of 45° to 75° with respect to an optical axis of the image-capturing optical system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The multi-spectrum image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein the fiber unit further comprises a second optical sheet, which is disposed in an optical path of the lights and through which the lights are transmitted, for diffusing the transmitted lights. ### Claim 6 A multi-spectrum illuminating device comprising: a plurality of light sources for emitting lights of different wavelengths; and a pair of fiber units, each of which comprises a plurality of optical fibers which are divided at a light input side of the fiber unit into a plurality of input light bundles corresponding to a plurality of the light sources, and which are bundled at a light output side of the fiber unit into an output light bundle in which the optical fibers constituting the input light bundles are shuffled at random; wherein the pair of the fiber units are provided so as to be separated from each other; and wherein each of the pair of the fiber units comprises a first optical sheet, which is disposed on an exit-side surface of the output light bundle and through which the lights are transmitted, and which has a gradation characteristic which is reversed with respect to a luminance distribution of illumination unevenness on the irradiated surface, in order to reduce the illumination unevenness on an irradiated surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The multi-spectrum illuminating device according to claim 6, wherein the fiber unit further comprises a second optical sheet, which is disposed in an optical path of the lights and through which the lights are transmitted, for diffusing the transmitted lights. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The multi-spectrum illuminating device according to claim 6, wherein numbers of the optical fibers assigned to the input light bundles are set depending on emission efficiencies of the corresponding light sources.