A fast-Fourier-transform method of topography and interferometry is proposed. By computer processing of a noncontour type of fringe pattern, automatic discrimination is achieved between elevation and depression of the object or wave-front form, which has not been possible by the fringe-contour-generation techniques. The method has advantages over moire topography and conventional fringe-contour interferometry in both accuracy and sensitivity. Unlike fringe-scanning techniques, the method is easy to apply because it uses no moving components.

Fourier-transform method of fringe-pattern analysis for computer-based topography and interferometry

Current medical imaging technologies allow visualization of tissue anatomy in the human body at resolutions ranging from 100 micrometers to 1 millimeter. These technologies are generally not sensitive enough to detect early-stage tissue abnormalities associated with diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis, which require micrometer-scale resolution. Here, optical coherence tomography was adapted to allow high-speed visualization of tissue in a living animal with a catheter-endoscope 1 millimeter in diameter. This method, referred to as "optical biopsy," was used to obtain cross-sectional images of the rabbit gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts at 10-micrometer resolution.

In Vivo Endoscopic Optical Biopsy with Optical Coherence Tomography

Systems and methods for implementing array cameras configured to perform super- resolution processing to generate higher resolution super-resolved images using a plurality of captured images and lens stack arrays that can be utilized in array cameras are disclosed. Lens stack arrays in accordance with many embodiments of the invention include lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels, at least one aperture located within each optical channel, at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light, and light blocking materials located within the lens stack array to optically isolate the optical channels.

Capturing and processing of images using monolithic camera array with heterogeneous imagers

An image processing apparatus and image processing method capable of providing a high-resolution image for a desired position by use of light field data are provided. The image processing apparatus may determine a position of a portion of light field data among light field data corresponding to a scene, according to a desired focusing position, generate a refocusing first image by use of the position determined portion of light field data, generate a high-resolution image having a predetermined setting ratio relative to the refocusing first image, determine a ratio for local synthesis between the high-resolution image and an enlarged image of the refocusing first image by use of a similarity with respect to the position determined portion of light field data, and generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the high-resolution image and the enlarged image of the refocusing first image according to the local synthesis ratio.

Image processing apparatus and method

There are many, many inventions described herein. In one aspect, what is disclosed is a digital camera including a plurality of arrays of photo detectors, including a first array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a first wavelength and a second array of photo detectors to sample an intensity of light of a second wavelength. The digital camera further may also include a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photo detectors, wherein the first lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the first wavelength, and a second lens disposed in with an optical path of the second array of photo detectors wherein the second lens includes a predetermined optical response to the light of the second wavelength. In addition, the digital camera may include signal processing circuitry, coupled to the first and second arrays of photo detectors, to generate a composite image using (i) data which is representative of the intensity of light sampled by the first array of photo detectors, and (ii) data which is representative of the intensity of light sampled by the second array of photo detectors; wherein the first array of photo detectors, the second array of photo detectors, and the signal processing circuitry are integrated on or in the same semiconductor substrate.

Apparatus for multiple camera devices and method of operating same

An optical voice recorder capable of recording and reproducing propagating sound waves by using off-axis digital holography, as well as quantitative visualization, is presented. Propagating sound waves temporally modulate the phase distribution of an impinging light wave via refractive index changes. This temporally modulated phase distribution is recorded in the form of digital holograms by a high-speed image sensor. After inverse propagation using Fresnel diffraction of a series of the recorded holograms, the temporal phase profile of the reconstructed object wave at each three-dimensional position can be used to reproduce the original sound wave. Experimental results using a tuning fork vibrating at 440 Hz and a human voice are presented to show the feasibility of the proposed method.

Optical voice recorder by off-axis digital holography

We have proposed a new passive imaging optics which consists of a grid array of micro roof mirrors working as dihedral corner reflectors. Although this element forms mirror-like images at opposite side of objects, the images are real. Because the imaging principle of the proposed element is based on accumulation of rays, the design of each light path makes many kinds of devices possible. So, we propose two variations of such a device. One device consists of an array of micro retroreflectors and a half mirror, and it can also form real mirror-like images. The advantage of this device is wide range of view, because the displacement of each retororeflector is not limited on a plane unlike the roof mirror grid array. The other consists of an array of long dihedral corner reflectors. Although this structure has been already known as a roof mirror array, it can be used for imaging. This device forms two heterogeneous images. One is real at the same side of an object, and the other is virtual at the opposite side. This is a conjugate imaging optics of a slit mirror array whose mirror surface is perpendicular to the device surface. The advantage of a roor mirror array is that the real image has horizontal parallax and can be seen in air naturally.

Advances in passive imaging elements with micromirror array

A reflection-type holographic disk memory system with random phase shift multiplexing is proposed. The experimental results show that a binary data page of 18x17 bits is recorded successfully at intervals of 4 mum in a Fe:LiNbO3 crystal with a thickness of 0.5 mm when six data pages are superimposed. Numerical results show that random phase modulation can improve the shift selectivity in shift multiplexing recording as well as in data security. Experimental and numerical results show that reflection-type holographic disk memory has a high potential for terabyte storage capacity as in transmission-type memory.

Reflection-type holographic disk memory with random phase shift multiplexing

A three-dimensional (3D) digital holographic display system with image processing is presented. By use of phase-shifting digital holography, we obtain the complex amplitude of a 3D object at a recording plane. Image processing techniques are introduced to improve the quality of the reconstructed 3D object or manipulate 3D objects for elimination and addition of information by modifying the complex amplitude. The results show that the information processing is effective in such manipulations of 3D objects. We also show a fast recording system of 3D objects based on phase-shifting digital holography for display with image processing. The acquisition of 3D object information at 500 Hz is demonstrated experimentally.

Fast acquisition system for digital holograms and image processing for three-dimensional display with data manipulation

An optical system for authentication using a 3D (3D) random phase object with various wavelength readouts is proposed The 3D phase object without surface modulation is secure when the scattering is strong enough because it prevents from the interferometric measurement The identification is implemented by the correlation between a measured speckle pattern of the 3D phase object and stored speckle patterns For accurate identification, two speckle patterns of the 3D object obtained by illuminating two wavelengths are used Experimental demonstrations and numerical evaluations of wavelength selectivity are presented

Kouichi Nitta

Papers

Optical voice recorder by off-axis digital holography

Advances in passive imaging elements with micromirror array

Reflection-type holographic disk memory with random phase shift multiplexing

Fast acquisition system for digital holograms and image processing for three-dimensional display with data manipulation

Optical authentication method using a three-dimensional phase object with various wavelength readouts.