Method and system of spectrally encoded imaging
First Claim
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1. A method of imaging a target object, comprising:
- maneuvering a light collection optical fiber to a target space;
propagating incident light towards said target object in said target space through a light transmission path;
propagating an optical stream of light received from within a region of said target which is illuminated by said incident light, through said light collection optical fiber to a detector, said light collection optical fiber being physically separated and optically isolated from said light transmission path;
spectrally diffracting using a diffraction element disposed in the region of said target space, at least one of said incident light and said received light, such that said optical stream of received light propagated through said light collection optical fiber is spectrally encoded; and
forming a representation of an image of said target object by impingement of said optical stream of received light on said detector.
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Abstract
A spectrally encoded imaging device having a light transmission path arrangement which propagates light to illuminate a target object, a light collection path arrangement having a light collection waveguide which propagates a spectrally encoded portion of the light from the target object to a detector which forms an image of the target object accordingly, and a diffractive element which spectrally disperses at least one of the light and the spectrally encoded portion. The light transmission path arrangement and the light collection path arrangement are optically isolated from one another.
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19 Claims
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1. A method of imaging a target object, comprising:
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maneuvering a light collection optical fiber to a target space; propagating incident light towards said target object in said target space through a light transmission path; propagating an optical stream of light received from within a region of said target which is illuminated by said incident light, through said light collection optical fiber to a detector, said light collection optical fiber being physically separated and optically isolated from said light transmission path; spectrally diffracting using a diffraction element disposed in the region of said target space, at least one of said incident light and said received light, such that said optical stream of received light propagated through said light collection optical fiber is spectrally encoded; and forming a representation of an image of said target object by impingement of said optical stream of received light on said detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A spectrally encoded imaging device, comprising:
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a light transmission path which propagates incident light to illuminate a target object; a light collection optical fiber, physically separated and optically isolated from said light transmission path, propagating to a detector, a spectrally encoded optical stream of light received from within a region of said target object which is illuminated by said incident light, said spectrally encoded optical stream of light impinging on said detector to generate a representation of said image of said target object at said detector; and a diffractive element which spectrally diffracts at least one of said incident light and said portion of received light from said region of said target object, wherein said diffractive element is disposed at a distal region of said spectrally encoded imaging device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification