Patent · US Expired

Method and device for converting thermal images into secondary images, e. g. visible images

US4275302A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
2References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 24, 1979
Grant dateJun 23, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 24, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B27/50
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A converter and method of converting thermal images into secondary images, e.g. visible images. The infrared radiation emitted by an object is focused by an optical system to form a thermal image on the free surface of a thermal radiation absorbing layer to one side of a liquid-liquid interface which has low surface tension and is a mixture of two liquid partially miscible at operating temperature and pressure. To convert the thermal image to a visible a parallel beam of light or a beam of light from a point source in the visible range is directed to the other side of the interface and, depending on the selected indices of the interface liquids and whether a prism is used or not; is either transmitted or reflected. The emerging transmitted or reflected beam is then received on a screen or in a detection system where variations of the optical properties of the emerging beam are observed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.