Imaging using an electromagnetic wave

• US 8,233,049 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kasai, Shintaro, Ouchi, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US12/300,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 348/162, 348/164
• US Class Current: 348/162
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/29 using visual detection G01N21/31 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation

Abstract

An object of examination is irradiated with an electromagnetic wave including a frequency component from 30 GHz to 30 THz and a Fourier transform image of the transmitted or reflected electromagnetic wave from the object of examination is obtained. The obtained Fourier transform image is subjected to a spatial frequency filtering processing. This method can visualize only the part to be visualized in an imaging operation using a terahertz wave.

Claims

1. An imaging method using an electromagnetic wave, comprising:

a first generation step of generating a first electromagnetic wave comprising a terahertz wave;

a step of acquiring a first Fourier transform image of an object of examination, using the first electromagnetic wave generated in the generation step and transmitted through or reflected by the object of examination;

a step of acquiring a second Fourier transform image to be used as a spatial frequency filter for the first Fourier transform image; and

a step of executing an arithmetic operation processing on the first Fourier transform image and the second Fourier transform image,

wherein the second Fourier transform image is a Fourier transform image of the object of examination acquired by using a second electromagnetic wave which has a center frequency different from a center frequency of the first electromagnetic wave, and

wherein the step of executing an arithmetic operation processing includes calculating a difference between the second Fourier transform image and the first Fourier transform image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of collimating the generated first electromagnetic wave, and the first Fourier transform image is optically acquired.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring a first Fourier transform image includes:

a step of optically acquiring a real image of the object of examination, using the first electromagnetic wave generated in the generation step and transmitted through or reflected by the object of examination; and

a step of subjecting the real image to Fourier transform by way of an electric arithmetic operation processing.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring a second Fourier transform image includes:

a step of acquiring a real image of the object of examination by means of the second electromagnetic wave which comprises a visible light;

a step of acquiring a binarized image of the real image; and

a step of subjecting the binarized real image to Fourier transform by way of an electric arithmetic operation processing.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring a second Fourier transform image includes:

a second generation step of generating the second electromagnetic wave comprising a terahertz wave having a center frequency different from the terahertz wave generated in the first generation step; and

a step of optically acquiring a Fourier transform image of the second electromagnetic wave transmitted through or reflected by the object of examination.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring a second Fourier transform image includes:

a step of reading out a body profile corresponding to the object of examination from average body profiles of different sexes, different ages and different nationalities stored in advance; and

a step of executing Fourier transform on the body profile corresponding to the object of examination.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second Fourier transform image is optically removed or subtracted by way of an electric arithmetic operation processing from the first Fourier transform image in the step of executing an arithmetic operation processing on the first Fourier transform image and the second Fourier transform image.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of acquiring an inverse Fourier transform image of the image acquired in the step of executing an arithmetic operation processing on the first Fourier transform image and the second Fourier transform image.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic wave comprises visible light or a terahertz wave.

9. An imaging apparatus, comprising:

an irradiation unit for irradiating an object of examination with a collimated coherent electromagnetic wave;

an acquisition unit constructed to acquire a Fourier transform image of the object of examination, using the transmitted electromagnetic wave or the reflected electromagnetic wave from the object of examination by means of an optical unit; and

a spatial frequency filtering unit constructed to execute a spatial frequency filtering processing on the Fourier transform image,

wherein the acquisition unit is constructed to acquire a first Fourier transform image of the object of examination, using a first electromagnetic wave comprising a terahertz wave used for irradiating the object of examination and transmitted or reflected from the object of examination, and constructed to acquire a second Fourier transform image of the object of examination which is to be used as a spatial frequency filter for the first Fourier transform image, using a second electromagnetic wave used for irradiating the object of examination and transmitted or reflected from the object of examination,

wherein the first electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave have center frequencies different from each other, and

wherein the spatial frequency filtering unit is constructed to calculate a difference between the second Fourier transform image and the first Fourier transform image.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises an inverse unit constructed to execute inverse Fourier transform on the Fourier transform image subjected to the spatial frequency filtering processing.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an optical system formed by using a plurality of lenses or mirrors is employed for the acquisition unit, and

wherein the distance from an optical plane closest to the object of examination out of optical planes of the optical system to the object of examination is greater than the distance from an optical plane closest to a detector out of the optical planes of the optical system to the detector.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the acquisition unit has a lens or a mirror for forming a focused real image of the object of examination and a lens or a mirror for forming a Fourier transform image of the real image.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an optical system is employed for the acquisition unit, and the optical system has a variable focus unit and a unit constructed to change the relative distance between the object of examination and the acquisition unit or both of them.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the detector also operates for spatial frequency filtering on the Fourier transform image.

16. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second electromagnetic wave comprises visible light or a terahertz wave.