Extended depth of field imaging system using chromatic aberration

A system for imaging an object, comprising:

• an illumination system generating light of first and second different quasi-monochromatic wavelengths wherein at least one of the first and second quasi-monochromatic wavelengths is in the infrared range;
• a chromatically aberrant lens system constructed and arranged to accentuate chromatic aberration, the lens system having a first focal distance for the first wavelength light and a second focal distance for the second wavelength light, the second focal distance being different from the first focal distance;
• and
• an imaging sensor receiving, via the lens system, first and second wavelength light reflected from an object to be imaged, the imaging sensor generating an image of the object by assembling first wavelength light focused thereon when a distance of the object from the lens system is the first focal distance and second wavelength light focused thereon when the distance of the object from the lens system is the second focal distance, wherein the imaging sensor is a solid-state imaging array responsive to both the first and second wavelengths of light, wherein the solid-state imaging array comprises an array of pixel elements and is arranged to capture sequential frames of data, each frame comprising data responsive to light incident on substantially all of the array of pixel elements.

A system for imaging an object, comprising:

• an illumination system generating light of first and second different quasi-monochromatic wavelengths wherein at least one of the first and second quasi-monochromatic wavelengths is in the infrared range;
• a chromatically aberrant lens system having a first focal distance for the first wavelength light and a second focal distance for the second wavelength light, the second focal distance being different from the first focal distance, the lens system comprising a plano-convex lens element and a plano-concave lens element;
• a wavelength dependent aperture disposed between the plano-convex lens element and the plano-concave lens element;
• and
• an imaging sensor receiving, via the lens system, light reflected from an object to be imaged, the sensor generating an image of the object by assembling first wavelength light focused thereon when a distance of the object from the lens system is the first focal distance and second wavelength light focused thereon when the distance of the object from the lens system is the second focal distance.

A system for imaging an object, comprising:

• an illumination system generating light of first and second different quasi-monochromatic wavelengths wherein at least one of the first and second quasi-monochromatic wavelengths is about 850 nm;
• a chromatically aberrant lens system having a first focal distance for the first wavelength light and a second focal distance for the second wavelength light, the second focal distance being different from the first focal distance;
• and
• an imaging sensor receiving, via the lens system, light reflected from an object to be imaged, the sensor generating an image of the object by assembling first wavelength light focused thereon when a distance of the object from the lens system is the first focal distance and second wavelength light focused thereon when the distance of the object from the lens system is the second focal distance.