IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD

• US 20180278857A1
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Published: 09/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Inventors: OHISHI, Kouji, TENGEIJI, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 10,659,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1013 for colour or multispectral image sensors, e.g. splitting an image into monochromatic image components on respective sensors spectral imaging systems G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/22 Absorbing filters G02B5/201 - G02B5/208 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction

Abstract

An illumination radiates a visible light or a near-infrared light. A lens images a light from a subject. A beam splitter disperses the visible light and the near-infrared light. A color imaging device images a reflecting light from the subject illuminated with the visible light and includes an imaging device having a red filter. A black-and-white imaging device images the near-infrared light dispersed by the beam splitter. A pixel pitch of the black-and-white imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed is larger than a pixel pitch of the color imaging device. A sampling position for the near-infrared light is displaced in a pixel arrangement horizontally or vertically with respect to a sampling position for red in a color image.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an optical system that images a light from a subject;

a beam splitter that disperses near-infrared light;

a color imaging device that has a red filter; and

an imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed, wherein

a pixel pitch of the imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed is larger than a pixel pitch of the color imaging device that has the red filter, and

a sampling position for the near-infrared light is displaced in a pixel arrangement horizontally or vertically with respect to a sampling position for red in a color image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the pixel pitch of the imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed is twice the pixel pitch of the color imaging device that has the red filter, and

the sampling position for the near-infrared light is displaced in the pixel arrangement horizontally or vertically with respect to the sampling position for red in the color image by a half pixel.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the beam splitter reflects the near-infrared light an even number of times.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a band-stop filter provided in front of the imaging device that has the red filter, wherein

the band-stop filter is a filter that cuts an excitation light illuminating the subject, and

the beam splitter disperses fluorescent light emitted from the subject in response to the excitation light.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein

a half wavelength dispersed by the beam splitter is a wavelength half a wavelength band of the fluorescent light dispersed or longer.

6. An imaging method for capturing a near-infrared light image by using an optical system that images a light from a subject in an imaging device, comprising:

imaging a light transmitted through a beam splitter in an imaging device having a red filter; and

imaging a near-infrared light dispersed by the beam splitter, wherein

a pixel pitch of the imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed is larger than a pixel pitch of the color imaging device that has the red filter,

the imaging method further comprising;

synthesizing an image captured by the imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed with an image captured by the imaging device having the red filter such that pixels of the image captured by the imaging device that images the near-infrared light dispersed are displaced with respect to the pixels of the image captured by the imaging device having the red filter.