Abstract: The inventions disclosed herein are related to various designs of intra-abdominal three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems that are able to provide 3D visualization, measurement, registration and display capability for minimally invasive surgeries.

Abstract: A system and method for designing and using freeform reflectors to collect images of a wide angle field-of-view scene is provided. A freeform reflector may enable a wide angle field-of-view to be collected in an unwarped and unwrapped manner such that computer processing may be eliminated. Furthermore, the use of a freeform reflector allows for larger areas of an image sensor chip to be used, thereby providing higher resolution images. Because freeform reflectors may be configured to map a scene onto the image sensor chip in a scalar and mathematically correct manner, output images may be directly displayed from the image sensor chip. Wide angle field-of-view imaging systems, such as surveillance, alarm, and projector system, may utilize freeform reflectors as provided herein.

Abstract: A high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) optics are described. In one example, an HCPV device can include a frame and a solar sensor cell attached to the frame. The solar cell can be configured to receive an optical beam and can further be configured to convert solar energy in the incident optical beam into electrical energy or power. The HCPV device can further include a non-imaging freeform optical device. The optical device can have an asymmetric surface profile with a predefined surface normal arranged to direct incident optical beams toward an entire solar sensor cell surface area. The freeform optical device can have a larger diameter than the solar sensor cell. Also, the freeform optical device can have an asymmetric surface profile shaped to concentrate the incident optical beams onto the solar sensor cell.

Abstract: A freeform optical device is disclosed which has an at least partially curved surface with a surface geometry. Surface normals at multiple locations on the surface geometry can be computed to define the surface geometry with respect to multiple focal points corresponding to the surface normals at the locations in order to correct optical aberrations otherwise occurring at the focal points.

Abstract: A computer automated 3D sketch artist process for generating a computer 3D image of an individual includes the steps of generating a morphable head model as a starting point to develop a composite 3D like picture of the individual by analysis of a prerecorded data base of 3D face pictures, selecting a lighting model to best depict the individual, selecting a mouth model from a prerecorded data base of mouth shapes to best depict the individual's mouth and teeth, selecting an expression model for the individual's composite 3D sketch from a prerecorded data base of facial expressions, and manipulating the generated composite 3D sketch with various morphing tools to selectively modify the composite sketch to best conform to the individual's characteristics.

Abstract: A multiple panel system and method for displaying a virtual image viewable from multiple viewing angles is provided. Reflective viewing panels are arranged relative to one another in at least a partially closed enclosure arrangement. A display screen is oriented with respect to the viewing panels such that an image displayed on the display screen creates a virtual image viewable from multiple angles. An image formation mechanism is operable to display an image onto the display screen.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for generating a three dimensional (3D) model of an anatomical structure of a patient using a plurality of two dimensional (2D) images acquired using a camera. The method includes the operation of searching the plurality of 2D images to detect correspondence points of image features across at least two images. Camera motion parameters can be determined using the correspondence points for a sequence of at least two images taken at different locations by the camera moving within the internal anatomical structure. A further operation is computing dense stereo maps for 2D image pairs that are temporally adjacent. A consistent 3D model can be formed by fusing together multiple 2D images which are applied to a plurality of integrated 3D model segments. Then the 3D model of the patient's internal anatomical structure can be displayed to a user on a display device.

Abstract: An omnidirectional imaging system comprising a reflective mirror for viewing object within a hemispherical field of view form a single virtual view point at the local center of said reflective mirror, a projector for projecting a light beam toward said reflective mirror, and a variable wavelength filter optically positioned between said projector and said reflective mirror for generating a pattern having a spatially distributed wavelength spectrum of said reflective mirror, where a generator responsive to the hemispherical image data for generating three-dimensional image.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) surface profile measurement method and apparatus uses projected energy with a known spatially varying wavelength distribution over the surface of objects in a scene. The varying wavelength of the light corresponds to the angle at which the light is emitted from a light source. Given this correspondence, light reflected from the scene can be identified by wavelength as to angle at which it was emitted. Triangulation can then be used to determine the distance to the point in the scene from which the detected light is reflected. When performed over a number of points on the scene, a three-dimensional profile of the scene can be generated.

Abstract: A process and system for displaying large (more than 1 million voxels) volumetric 3D images gives substantially higher resolution than is achievable with prior art techniques. The process and system utilize a sequence of helical slices of a 3D data set to generate a series of 2D images on a reflective surface of a light modulator. The series of 2D images generated on the light modulator are projected into a volumetric 3D-space display using an illumination light source and projection optics. Voxels in 3D space are illuminated for each 2D projected image, each voxel being located at its corresponding spatial location such that the 3D image thus generated can be viewed from any angle in a walkaround fish-tank manner without utilizing any viewing aids.

Abstract: The target of the present invention is to provide a high speed, low-cost, multi-mode three-dimensional (3D) surface profile measurement method. The proposed Rainbow Stereo 3D Camera exploits the projected color light with a spatially distributed wavelength spectrum on the surface of objects in the scene. Multiple color imaging sensors separated by a baseline distance are used to capture stereo pair images of the scene at camera's frame rate. The 3D depth values are calculated using triangulation principle by finding pixels corresponding to a common color feature in both images. Unlike conventional stereo correspondence matching algorithms, which requires the feature extraction from a group of pixels, the proposed method utilizes a projected rainbow color pattern as unique landmarks of each pixel for correspondence registration. Essentially, the colors of pixels in a pair of stereo images are used as a "token" to perform the stereo match.

Abstract: The target of the present invention is to provide an automatic high speed, low-cost, multi-mode three-dimensional(3D) surface profile measurement method. This method exploits the projected energy with a known spatially distributed wavelength spectrum on the surface of objects in the scene. The unique wavelength is encoded with geometry information of a unique projection ray of the radiation energy in 3D space. This wavelength of the projected energy is detected by a 2D image sensor array that is able to uniquely distinguish the wavelength of the radiation energy at the points of interest on the scene. The projection geometry information is recovered by using a color match scheme and the range values associated with every pixel of the 2D image sensor will be calculated through a straightforward triangulation algorithm. Full frames of 3D range images can then be obtained directly at the frame acquisition rate of the 2D image sensor array.