Wavefront coding optics
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An improved Wavefront Coding system for imaging an object comprising:
- Wavefront Coding Optics having an aperture and including a central region, wherein the central region applies an essentially constant phase profile to light from the object passing through the central region, and a peripheral region disposed about the central region, wherein the peripheral region applies a phase profile to light from the object that has alternating increasing and decreasing phase relative to the central region, and wherein the phase profile applied by the Wavefront Coding Optics alters the optical transfer function of the Wavefront Coding system in such a way that the altered optical transfer function is substantially less sensitive to focus related aberrations than was the unaltered optical transfer function;
a detector for capturing an image from the Wavefront Coding Optics; and
a post processing element for processing the image captured by the detector by reversing the alteration to the optical transfer function of the Wavefront Coding system accomplished by the Wavefront Coding Optics.
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Abstract
Improved Wavefront Coding Optics, which apply a phase profile to the wavefront of light from an object to be imaged, retain their insensitivity to focus related aberration, while increasing the heights of the resulting MTFs and reducing the noise in the final images. Such improved Wavefront Coding Optics have the characteristic that the central portion of the applied phase profile is essentially flat (or constant), while a peripheral region of the phase profile around the central region alternately has positive and negative phase regions relative to the central region.
298 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An improved Wavefront Coding system for imaging an object comprising:
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Wavefront Coding Optics having an aperture and including a central region, wherein the central region applies an essentially constant phase profile to light from the object passing through the central region, and a peripheral region disposed about the central region, wherein the peripheral region applies a phase profile to light from the object that has alternating increasing and decreasing phase relative to the central region, and wherein the phase profile applied by the Wavefront Coding Optics alters the optical transfer function of the Wavefront Coding system in such a way that the altered optical transfer function is substantially less sensitive to focus related aberrations than was the unaltered optical transfer function;
a detector for capturing an image from the Wavefront Coding Optics; and
a post processing element for processing the image captured by the detector by reversing the alteration to the optical transfer function of the Wavefront Coding system accomplished by the Wavefront Coding Optics. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of designing improved Wavefront Coding systems comprising the steps of:
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designing Wavefront Coding Optics by selecting a central region of the Wavefront Coding Optics such that the central region applies an essentially constant phase profile to light passing through it;
selecting a peripheral region of the Wavefront Coding Optics such that the peripheral region applies a phase profile to light passing through it that alternately increases in phase and decreases in phase relative to the central region;
wherein the phase profile applied by the Wavefront Coding Optics alters the optical transfer function of the Wavefront Coding system in such a way that the altered optical transfer function is substantially less sensitive to focus related aberrations than was the unaltered optical transfer function; and
selecting a post processing function for processing images from the Wavefront Coding Optics by reversing an alteration of the optical transfer function accomplished by the Wavefront Coding Optics. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for increasing depth of field and controlling focus related aberrations in an imaging system for imaging an object at a detector, the method comprising the steps of:
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between the object and the detector, modifying the wavefront of light from the object;
the wavefront modifying step including the steps of applying an essentially constant phase profile to light passing through a central region and applying a peripheral profile that alternately increases in phase and decreases in phase relative to the central region to light passing through a peripheral region disposed about the central region;
the applying steps operating to result in an overall applied phase profile that alters the optical transfer function of the imaging system in such a way that the altered optical transfer function is substantially less sensitive to misfocus related aberrations than was the unaltered optical transfer function; and
post processing the image captured by the detector by reversing the alteration of the optical transfer function accomplished by the wavefront modifying step. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification