Imaging system for three-dimensional imaging of the interior of an object

A method for three-dimensional imaging of the interior of an object by an imaging system, the method comprising:

• illuminating the interior of the object with light by an illumination system, wherein the illumination system comprises an illuminator, moveable, in the three-dimensional space of the object, relative to a detection system, generating different spatial light intensity distributions on the interior of the object by illuminating the interior of the object in different directions, wherein the imaging system comprises an optical fiber system, which comprises at least one of a bundle of optical fibers of the illumination system and of the detection system in i) a first condition in which the optical fibers are arranged such that at least two of the optical fibers diverge from each other at an end portion of the bundle, or ii) a second condition in which the optical fibers are arranged such that the optical fibers are parallel to each other at said end portion of the bundle, wherein the optical fiber system comprises a transfer mechanism which is adapted to transfer the optical fiber system from one of the first and the second condition to the other of the first and the second condition,
• detecting the different spatial light intensity distributions by the detection system,
• reconstructing a three-dimensional image from the detected different spatial light intensity distributions.

An imaging system for three-dimensional imaging of the interior of an object, comprising:

• an illuminator moveable, in the three-dimensional space of the object to illuminate the interior of the object with light, wherein the illuminator generates different spatial light intensity distributions on the interior of the object by illuminating the interior of the object in different directions;
• a detector to detect the different spatial light intensity distributions, wherein the illuminator is moveable in the three-dimensional space relative to the detector;
• and
• a processor to reconstruct a three-dimensional image from the detected different spatial light intensity distributions,
• wherein the imaging system comprises an optical fiber system, which comprises at least one of a bundle of optical fibers of the illumination system and of the detection system and i) a first condition in which the optical fibers are arranged such that at least two of the optical fibers diverge from each other at an end portion of the bundle, and ii) a second condition in which the optical fibers are arranged such that the optical fibers are parallel to each other at said end portion of the bundle, wherein the optical fiber system comprises a transfer mechanism which is adapted to transfer the optical fiber system from one of the first and the second condition to the other of the first and the second condition.