Imaging of objects based upon the polarization or depolarization of light
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for imaging the surface of a turbid medium, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) illuminating the surface of the turbid medium with light, whereby light is backscattered from the illuminated surface of the turbid medium;
(b) detecting a pair of complementary polarization components of the backscattered light; and
(c) forming an image of the illuminated surface using the pair of complementary polarization components.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for imaging objects based upon the polarization or depolarization of light. According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for imaging the surface of a turbid medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) illuminating the surface of the turbid medium with light, whereby light is backscattered from the illuminated surface of the turbid medium; (b) detecting a pair of complementary polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the illuminated surface using the pair of complementary polarization components. Preferably, the illuminating light is polarized (e.g., linearly polarized, circularly polarized, elliptically polarized). Where, for example, the illuminating light is linearly polarized, the pair of complementary polarization components are preferably the parallel and perpendicular components to the polarized illuminating light, and the image may be formed by subtracting the perpendicular component from the parallel component, by taking a ratio of the parallel and perpendicular components or by using some combination of a ratio and difference of the parallel and perpendicular components.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for imaging the surface of a turbid medium, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating the surface of the turbid medium with light, whereby light is backscattered from the illuminated surface of the turbid medium; (b) detecting a pair of complementary polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the illuminated surface using the pair of complementary polarization components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for imaging an object located in or behind a turbid medium, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating an object in or behind a turbid medium with light, whereby light is backscattered from the object in or behind the turbid medium; (b) detecting a pair of complementary polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the object using the pair of complementary polarization components. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of forming an image of a turbid medium, said image being free of surface image information, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating said turbid medium with linearly polarized light, whereby light is backscattered from the turbid medium; (b) detecting the parallel and perpendicular polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the turbid medium using the perpendicular polarization component.
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30. A method of forming an image of a turbid medium, said image being free of specular reflection, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) illuminating said turbid medium with linearly polarized light, whereby light is backscattered from the turbid medium; (b) detecting the parallel and perpendicular polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the turbid medium using the perpendicular polarization component.
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Specification