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Miniature image acquistion system using a scanning resonant waveguide

  • US 6,294,775 B1
  • Filed: 10/22/1999
  • Issued: 09/25/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for acquiring an image of a target surface, comprising the steps of:

  • outputting a beam of light from a resonant fiber waveguide, the waveguide scanning the output beam along a scan path;

    focusing the beam with a scan lens onto a target surface being scanned, wherein at a given time the beam is focused to impinge on a spot of the target, the spot being an illuminated spot, the illuminated spot varying with time as the beam is scanned onto the target surface;

    detecting light reflected from an area of the target surface which is greater than an area defined the illuminated spot;

    correlating the given time at which the beam focuses onto the illuminated spot with the detected reflected light to acquire a pixel of the image, wherein resolution of the pixel corresponds to the area defined by the illuminated spot, wherein over time a plurality of pixels are acquired.

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