Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems useful in imaging applications, especially biological imaging applications, and applications in the metrology, atmospheric, scientific and medical fields. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method of imaging an object, including illuminating the object with incident radiation through one or more adaptive optical elements; receiving transmitted radiation from the object at a photodetector to provide a base image; and performing the following steps one or more times: adjusting the one or more adaptive optical elements, the adjustment including modifying an optical transfer function of the one or more adaptive optical elements, and receiving transmitted radiation from the object at the photodetector to provide an adjusted image; wherein the adjustment and receiving steps are performed until the adjusted image has substantially reduced aberrations compared to the base image.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems useful in imaging applications, especially biological imaging applications, and applications in the metrology, atmospheric, scientific and medical fields. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method of imaging an object, including illuminating the object with incident radiation through one or more adaptive optical elements; receiving transmitted radiation from the object at a photodetector to provide a base image; and performing the following steps one or more times: adjusting the one or more adaptive optical elements, the adjustment including modifying an optical transfer function of the one or more adaptive optical elements, and receiving transmitted radiation from the object at the photodetector to provide an adjusted image; wherein the adjustment and receiving steps are performed until the adjusted image has substantially reduced aberrations compared to the base image.

Abstract: A tunable optical electrowetting element having a liquid-liquid interface shape controlled by an applied voltage. Circuitry for applying a voltage to the electrowetting element is configured to apply a shaped voltage signal comprising a first fast-rising signal combined with a second fast-rising signal. The second signal is selected to damp oscillations in the liquid-liquid interface caused by the first signal.

Abstract: Wide-angle beam steering using two or more variable lenses to form a small-angle beam steering element, along with a numerical aperture converter and a wide-angle lens. The small-angle beam steering element might comprise either one- or two-dimensional beam steering with tunable liquid lenses.

Abstract: Wide-angle beam steering using two or more variable lenses to form a small-angle beam steering element, along with a numerical aperture converter and a wide-angle lens. The small-angle beam steering element might comprise either one- or two-dimensional beam steering with tunable liquid lenses.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to methods and systems useful in imaging applications, especially biological imaging applications, and applications in the metrology, atmospheric, scientific and medical fields. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method of imaging an object, including illuminating the object with incident radiation through one or more adaptive optical elements; receiving transmitted radiation from the object at a photodetector to provide a base image; and performing the following steps one or more times: adjusting the one or more adaptive optical elements, the adjustment including modifying an optical transfer function of the one or more adaptive optical elements, and receiving transmitted radiation from the object at the photodetector to provide an adjusted image; wherein the adjustment and receiving steps are performed until the adjusted image has substantially reduced aberrations compared to the base image.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for super-resolution imaging of extended objects utilize a scanned illumination source with a small spot size. Sub-images composed of highly-overlapping point spread functions are captured and each sub-image is iteratively compared to a series of brightness combinations of template point spread functions in a dictionary. The dictionary is composed of highly-overlapping point spread functions. Each sub-image is associated with a best-match template combination solution, and the best-match reconstructions created by best-match solutions are combined into a super-resolution image of the object.

Abstract: Scanned illumination allows for capturing 3-dimensional information about an object. A conventional reflection (or transmission) bright field (or fluorescence, darkfield, polarizing, phase contrast or interference) microscope is configured to use laterally scanned illumination (for example by moving an array in front of the light source) to scan an extended object. A pixelated detector may capture a series of images at the exit pupil of a microscope objective, and this series of images may be processed to form a Light Field image of the object. Or, a microscope is configured to provide scanned illumination to an extended object, while applying extended depth of field and 3D depth localization encoding to the resulting set of images. Thus multiple encoded images are generated. These images are decoded and combined, with custom digital signal processing algorithms, to form a 3D volume rendering or animation.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for modulation and imaging of tissue.

Abstract: A tunable optical electrowetting element having a liquid-liquid interface shape controlled by an applied voltage. Circuitry for applying a voltage to the electrowetting element is configured to apply a shaped voltage signal comprising a first fast-rising signal combined with a second fast-rising signal. The second signal is selected to damp oscillations in the liquid-liquid interface caused by the first signal.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for super-resolution imaging of extended objects utilize a scanned illumination source with a small spot size. Sub-images composed of highly-overlapping point spread functions are captured and each sub-image is iteratively compared to a series of brightness combinations of template point spread functions in a dictionary. The dictionary is composed of highly-overlapping point spread functions. Each sub-image is associated with a best-match template combination solution, and the best-match reconstructions created by best-match solutions are combined into a super-resolution image of the object.

Abstract: Scanned illumination allows for capturing 3-dimensional information about an object. A conventional reflection (or transmission) bright field (or fluorescence, darkfield, polarizing, phase contrast or interference) microscope is configured to use laterally scanned illumination (for example by moving an array in front of the light source) to scan an extended object. A pixelated detector may capture a series of images at the exit pupil of a microscope objective, and this series of images may be processed to form a Light Field image of the object. Or, a microscope is configured to provide scanned illumination to an extended object, while applying extended depth of field and 3D depth localization encoding to the resulting set of images. Thus multiple encoded images are generated. These images are decoded and combined, with custom digital signal processing algorithms, to form a 3D volume rendering or animation.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to increase the depth of field in human vision in order to correct for loss in refocusing ability. Optics variations, such as changes in thickness, shape, or index of refraction of contact lenses, intraocular implants, or the shape of the cornea or eye lens, affect the phase, or wavefront, of the light perceived by the eye. The optics variations are chosen such that the resulting optical transfer function remains relatively constant over a desired range of object distances and pupil diameters.

Abstract: Optical systems utilize waveplates to simultaneously encode information for increasing image depth of field and for providing a depth map of the imaged object or sample. These waveplates are configured to result in a focus-invariant point spread function in one focal region, and to result in point spread functions that vary as a function of range within the imaged object in a different focal region. For example, a basic compound microscope might have a specially shaped waveplate inserted at the back aperture plane of the microscope objective to manipulate the phase of the wavefront. An image formed on one side of the plane of best focus is focus invariant, and is brought into focus by a restoring algorithm. An image formed on the other side of the plane of best focus captures point spread functions comprising rings that vary with depth within the imaged object.

Abstract: A task-based imaging system for obtaining data regarding a scene for use in a task includes an image data capturing arrangement for (a) imaging a wavefront of electromagnetic energy from the scene to an intermediate image over a range of spatial frequencies, (b) modifying phase of the wavefront, (c) detecting the intermediate image, and (d) generating image data over the range of spatial frequencies. The task-based imaging system also includes an image data processing arrangement for processing the image data and performing the task. The image data capturing and image data processing arrangements cooperate so that signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the task-based imaging system is greater than SNR of the task-based imaging system without phase modification of the wavefront over the range of spatial frequencies.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to increase the depth of field in human vision in order to correct for loss in refocusing ability. Optics variations, such as changes in thickness, shape, or index of refraction of contact lenses, intraocular implants, or the shape of the cornea or eye lens, affect the phase, or wavefront, of the light perceived by the eye. The optics variations are chosen such that the resulting optical transfer function remains relatively constant over a desired range of object distances and pupil diameters.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a low height imaging system has: one or more optical channels and a detector array, each of the optical channels (a) associated with at least one detector of the array, (b) having one or more optical components and a restrictive ray corrector, and (c) configured to direct steeper incident angle field rays onto the at least one detector.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method forms a lens with wavefront coding. The method includes positioning a lens in a mold; and curing material onto a surface of the lens to form an aspheric surface of the lens with wavefront coding. In another embodiment, a system for fabricating and evaluating a modified lens includes a collar for holding an initial lens, the initial lens having a front surface and a rear surface, a pin having a surface for molding a moldable material onto the front surface of the initial lens, to form the modified lens, an image forming arrangement; and a test object to be imaged by the modified lens and the image forming arrangement.

Abstract: A method for generating an output image of a scene is disclosed. A detector of a task-based imaging system includes a plurality of pixels, and the scene includes at least one object located at a given object distance within a range of object distances between the object and the imaging system. The method includes capturing a high resolution image of the scene, converting the high resolution image into an image spectrum of the scene, determining a defocused optical transfer function (OTF) of the imaging system over the range of object distances and determining a pixel modulation transfer function (MTF) over the plurality of pixels. The method also includes multiplying the image spectrum with the OTF and the MTF to generate a modified image spectrum of the scene, converting the modified image spectrum into a modified image of the scene, and generating the output image from the modified image.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method forms a lens with wavefront coding. The method includes positioning a lens in a mold; and curing material onto a surface of the lens to form an aspheric surface of the lens with wavefront coding. In another embodiment, a system for fabricating and evaluating a modified lens includes a collar for holding an initial lens, the initial lens having a front surface and a rear surface, a pin having a surface for molding a moldable material onto the front surface of the initial lens, to form the modified lens, an image forming arrangement; and a test object to be imaged by the modified lens and the image forming arrangement.