Feature-specific structured imaging

We present a feature-specific imaging system based on the use of structured light. Feature measurements are obtained by projecting spatially structured illumination onto an object and collecting all the reflected light onto a single photodetector. Principal component features are used to define the illumination patterns. The optimal linear minimum mean-square error (LMMSE) operator is used to generate object estimates from the measured features. We study the optimal allocation of illumination energy into each feature measurement in the presence of additive white Gaussian detector noise and optical blur. We demonstrate that this new imaging approach reduces imager complexity and provides improved image quality in high noise environments. Compared to the optimal LMMSE postprocessing of a conventional image, feature-specific structured imaging provides a 38% rms error reduction and requires 400 times fewer measurements for a noise standard deviation of sigma = 2 x 10(-3). Experimental results validate these theoretical predictions.     

Design and imaging properties of a laser scanning microscope with a position-sensitive detector

An economical method of microscopic image formation that employs a raster-scanning laser beam focused on a sample, while a non-imaging detector receives the scattered light, is presented. The images produced by this method are analogous to the scanning electron microscopy with visible effects of shadowing and reflection. Compared to a conventional wide-field imaging system, the system allows for a greater flexibility, as the variety of optical detectors, such as PMT and position-sensitive quadrant photodiode can be used to acquire images. The system demonstrates a simple, low-cost method of achieving the resolution on the order of a micron. A further gain in terms of resolution and the depth of focus by using Bessel rather than Gaussian beams is discussed.     

Off-axis systems for 4-m class telescopes

We describe here an off-axis design for a 4.0-m astronomical telescope. We show that the geometric optical performance of this configuration can equal that of an on-axis conventional configuration while the diffractive performance fundamentally surpasses conventional telescopes because of the absence of pupil obstruction. The specific optical design described here uses a single off-axis primary mirror to obtain three distinct final focus ports: an f/10 port (with corrector) for wide-field imaging and spectroscopy with a field of view (FOV) of 15 arc min; a small-field, 2-reflection f/10 port suitable for polarimetry and coronagraphy; and a slower, f/16(3-reflection) port with a 7 arc min FOV. For general astronomical observations requiring high optical throughput and low scattered light, this design is superior to conventional Ritchey-Chretien optical configurations.     

Effect of illumination in an integral imaging system with large depth of focus

We present the characteristics of integral imaging systems with large depth of focus (DOF) by use of two kinds of illumination: plane illumination and diffusing illumination. For each system, we perform ray analysis based on ray optics. To check the visual quality through optical experiments, we use an average image of observed images picked up at various positions within a large DOF. The synthesized elemental images for a three-dimensional (3-D) object with two character patterns were displayed in an optical system and its reconstruction experiments are performed. Experimental results show that use of diffusing illumination can improve visual quality of reconstruction 3-D images in depth-priority integral imaging.     

Improving visibility depth in passive underwater imaging by use of polarization

Results are presented that demonstrate the effectiveness of using polarization discrimination to improve visibility when imaging in a scattering medium. The study is motivated by the desire to improve visibility depth in turbid environments, such as the sea. Most previous research in this area has concentrated on the active illumination of objects with polarized light. We consider passive or ambient illumination, such as that deriving from sunlight or a cloudy sky. The basis for the improvements in visibility observed is that single scattering by small particles introduces a significant amount of polarization into light at scattering angles near 90 degrees: This light can then be distinguished from light scattered by an object that remains almost completely unpolarized. Results were obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation and from a small-scale experiment in which an object was immersed in a cell filled with polystyrene latex spheres suspended in water. In both cases, the results showed an improvement in contrast and visibility depth for obscuration that was due to Rayleigh particles, but less improvement was obtained for larger scatterers.     

Necessary conditions for spatially incoherent illumination of a three-dimensional object

Spatially incoherent imaging systems are characterized by a linear-in-intensity relationship between the object and the image distributions. While strict spatial incoherence is theoretically not achievable, a particular imaging system may be made effectively linear in intensity by a choice of the appropriate illumination source location and size. The requirement for source size for effectively incoherent illumination of a two-dimensional object is well known. I extend the arguments for choosing the source size in a two-dimensional imaging system to develop necessary conditions for the source size for effectively spatially incoherent illumination of a three-dimensional object. While the conditions are necessary, they are not sufficient, since coherence in the direction of the optical axis is not addressed.     

Chemical imaging with a confocal scanning Fourier-transform-Raman microscope

Traditional approaches in confocal microscopy have focused on techniques to generate volumetric intensity or phase images of an object. In these different imaging modes the scattered optical-field properties depend on local refractive index and absorption, properties not unique to a given material. We report here on a confocal microscope that uses Raman scattered light to generate volumetric chemical images of a material. We designed and built a prototype instrument, called a confocal scanning laser Raman microscope, that combines a confocal scanning laser microscope with a Fourier-transform-Raman spectrometer. The high depth and lateral spatial resolution of the confocal optics design define a volume element from which the Raman scattered light is collected, and the spectrometer analyzes its spectral content. The sample is scanned through the microscope probe volume, and a chemical image isgenerated based on the content of the Raman spectrum extracted from each scan position in the sample. The results inclu e instrument characterization measurements and examples of confocal chemical imaging.     

Wide-field depth-sectioning fluorescence microscopy using projector-generated patterned illumination

We present a simple and cost-effective wide-field, depth-sectioning, fluorescence microscope utilizing a commercial multimedia projector to generate excitation patterns on the sample. Highly resolved optical sections of fluorescent pollen grains at 1.9 microm axial resolution are constructed using the structured illumination technique. This requires grid excitation patterns to be scanned across the sample, which is straightforwardly implemented by creating slideshows of gratings at different phases, projecting them onto the sample, and synchronizing camera acquisition with slide transition. In addition to rapid dynamic pattern generation, the projector provides high illumination power and spectral excitation selectivity. We exploit these properties by imaging mouse neural cells in cultures multistained with Alexa 488 and Cy3. The spectral and structural neural information is effectively resolved in three dimensions. The flexibility and commercial availability of this light source is envisioned to open multidimensional imaging to a broader user base.     

Reduced depth of field in incoherent hybrid imaging systems

A hybrid imaging system combines a modified optical imaging module and a digital postprocessing step. We define what to our knowledge is a new metric to quantify the blurring of a defocused image that is more suitable than the defocus parameter for describing defocused hybrid imaging systems. We use this metric to design a pupil phase grating to reduce the depth of field, thereby increasing the axial resolution, of an incoherent hybrid imaging system using quasi-monochromatic illumination. By introducing this grating at the exit pupil and digitally processing the output of the detector, we reduce the depth of field by more than a factor of 2. Finally, we examine the effect of using a CCD optical detector, instead of an ideal optical detector, on the reduction of the depth of field.     

Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope with integrated wide-field retinal imaging and tracking

We have developed a new, unified implementation of the adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) incorporating a wide-field line-scanning ophthalmoscope (LSO) and a closed-loop optical retinal tracker. AOSLO raster scans are deflected by the integrated tracking mirrors so that direct AOSLO stabilization is automatic during tracking. The wide-field imager and large-spherical-mirror optical interface design, as well as a large-stroke deformable mirror (DM), enable the AOSLO image field to be corrected at any retinal coordinates of interest in a field of >25 deg. AO performance was assessed by imaging individuals with a range of refractive errors. In most subjects, image contrast was measurable at spatial frequencies close to the diffraction limit. Closed-loop optical (hardware) tracking performance was assessed by comparing sequential image series with and without stabilization. Though usually better than 10 μm rms, or 0.03 deg, tracking does not yet stabilize to single cone precision but significantly improves average image quality and increases the number of frames that can be successfully aligned by software-based post-processing methods. The new optical interface allows the high-resolution imaging field to be placed anywhere within the wide field without requiring the subject to re-fixate, enabling easier retinal navigation and faster, more efficient AOSLO montage capture and stitching.     

基于Bezier曲面的快速插值算法改善全景图像的分辨率

全景环形透镜(PAL)是基于平面圆柱投影法将围绕光轴360°的视场投影到环形平面上,具有景深无限远,图像映射关系为线性特点,在机器人视觉、监控和虚拟现实领域有着重要的应用.实际应用中需要将环形像无失真的展开为常规平面像,此过程需要进行插值处理,三次样条插值精度较高,但是速度很慢.文章采用Bezier曲面的插值算法,并针对全景图像的特点,提出了Bezier曲面的全景图像快速插值算法,使得图像分辨率比样条插值和双线性插值得到改善的同时,插值处理时间比三次样条插值缩短了80%左右.     

运动背景中结合特征位移矢量场模糊分割与 OTSU法的运动检测

运动背景中的运动检测难度较大,背景运动补偿后差分以及分割光流场可实现动目标和背景的分离,差分前需进行鲁棒的背景估计,且差分后易出现空洞,而光流估计在噪声以及目标运动速度较大时并不准确,尤其在光照变化时,两种方法均易失效。本文提出一种特征点位移矢量场模糊分割与图像自适应阈值化相结合的运动检测方法,实现在无任何关于运动目标或者运动背景先验信息条件下的动目标检测。通过改进的 SIFT匹配方法生成鲁棒的特征位移矢量场,采用模糊 C均值聚类算法对 SIFT位移矢量场进行无监督分类,实现动目标与背景特征的自适应分离。 OTSU法和形态学操作实现图像的自适应分割,用以修正特征点凸包,最终分割出动目标区域。与鲁棒的背景运动补偿后差分以及光流估计的对比实验表明,在目标运动速度较大、光照变化以及噪声情况下,本文方法均能够检测出运动目标,且在光照变化下的优势明显。     

Optimization of a three-dimensional digital image correlation system for deformation measurements in extreme environments

An optimized 3D digital image correlation (3D-DIC) system using active optical imaging is developed for accurate shape and 3D deformation measurements in nonlaboratory conditions or extreme high-temperature environments. In contrast to a conventional 3D-DIC system using white or natural light illumination, the proposed active imaging 3D-DIC system is based on a combination of monochromatic lighting and bandpass filter imaging. Because the bandpass filter attached before the imaging lenses allows only the actively illuminated monochromatic light to pass through and blocks all light outside of its bandpass range, the active imaging 3D-DIC system is therefore insensitive to serious variations in ambient light in nonlaboratory environments and to the thermal radiation of hot objects in extreme high-temperature environments. Two challenging experiments that cannot be performed by a conventional 3D-DIC system were carried out to verify the robustness and accuracy of the developed active imaging 3D-DIC system. Because a much wider application range can be achieved with relatively simple and easy-to-implement improvements, the proposed active imaging 3D-DIC system is highly recommended for practical use instead of the conventional 3D-DIC system.     

太赫兹光场数据采集与数字重聚焦实验研究

本文对太赫兹光场数据采集与数字重聚焦成像进行实验研究。太赫兹成像因其穿透性、无损性等优点,近年来备受国内外研究者关注。太赫兹波段的光场成像技术有望增强图像质量、改善应用效果。本文在分析光场成像基本原理、系统结构、重建方法的基础上,应用太赫兹焦平面阵列相机进行太赫兹光场数据采集和数字重聚焦实验。首先采集太赫兹光场原始数据,然后通过数字重聚焦进行计算成像,最后对重构图像做增强处理,得到了深度、角度及目标物轮廓分辨力强的太赫兹图像。实验证明了太赫兹光场成像技术的可行性及其改善图像质量、丰富复现效果的能力。     

Spatial coherence of forward-scattered light in a turbid medium

We study spatially coherent forward-scattered light propagating in a turbid medium of moderate optical depth (0-9 mean free paths). Coherent detection was achieved by using a tilted heterodyne geometry, which desensitizes coherent detection of the attenuated incident light. We show that the degree of spatial coherence is significantly higher for light scattered only once in comparison with that for multiply scattered light and that it approaches a small constant value for large numbers of scattering events.     

Optical performance of the 6.5-m off-axis new planetary telescope

We describe an off-axis design for a 6.5-m astronomical telescope optimized for low scattered light and low emissivity. This is part of a new concept for an instrument that we call the New Planetary Telescope. We show how the geometric optical performance can equal that of an on-axis conventional telescope while the diffractive performance fundamentally surpasses conventional telescopes because of the absence of pupil obstruction. The decentered concept also allows wide-field and versatile instrumentation configurations that are not possible with more-conventional designs.     

Demonstration of a Fresnel axicon

We design and manufacture a Fresnel axicon (fraxicon) that generates a quasi-diffraction-free/Bessel beam with a large depth of field. The novel optical element is characterized with both coherent and incoherent light, and its behavior is compared with that of a classical axicon. While the fraxicon exhibits a strong interference pattern in the on-axis intensity distribution, it can be smoothed out when using broadband light, partial spatial coherence light, or by period randomization. As inexpensive, compact/lightweight, and low-absorption elements, fraxicons may find applications in imaging, illumination, and situations where low absorption and dispersion are important.     

Multiple scattering in optical coherence tomography. II. Experimental and theoretical investigation of cross talk in wide-field optical coherence tomography

We present a comprehensive study of multiple-scattering effects in wide-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) realized with spatially coherent illumination. Imaging a sample made of a cleaved mirror embedded in an aqueous suspension of microspheres revealed that, despite temporal coherence gating, multiple scattering can induce significant coherent optical cross talk. The latter is a serious limitation to the method, since it prevents shot-noise-limited detection and diffraction-limited imaging in scattering samples. We investigate the dependence of cross talk on important system design parameters, as well as on some relevant sample properties. The agreement between theoretical and experimental results for the wide range of parameters investigated was very good, in both the lateral and the axial dimensions. This further confirms the validity of the model developed in our companion paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 22, 1369-1379 (2005)].     

Imaging objects hidden in scattering media with fluorescence polarization preservation of contrast agents

A method for fluorescence polarization difference imaging is demonstrated for enhancing the image quality of a luminous object embedded in a random medium. The polarization preservation of light propagating in the scattering medium leads to partially polarized light emission by a contrast-agent dye located inside the object. Subtraction of the images of the luminous object detected at two orthogonal polarization directions improves the image resolution compared with a conventional optical imaging approach.     

Optical design of interferometric telescopes with wide fields of view

The performance of wide-field multiple-aperture imaging systems is dominated by easily understood, low-order errors. Each aperture produces an individual image, each pair of apertures produces a set of fringes under a diffraction envelope, and the system bandwidth produces a coherence envelope. For wide-field imaging, each of these elements must be coincident in the image plane as the field angle changes. We explore the causes of image degradation, derive first-order rules for preserving image quality across field, and give an example design that enforces some of the rules to achieve a relatively wide-field interferometric imaging telescope.