Imaging of objects based upon the polarization or depolarization of light
US5847394A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 8, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/49
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for imaging objects based upon the polarization or depolarization of light. According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for imaging the surface of a turbid medium, the method comprising the steps of: (a) illuminating the surface of the turbid medium with light, whereby light is backscattered from the illuminated surface of the turbid medium; (b) detecting a pair of complementary polarization components of the backscattered light; and (c) forming an image of the illuminated surface using the pair of complementary polarization components. Preferably, the illuminating light is polarized (e.g., linearly polarized, circularly polarized, elliptically polarized). Where, for example, the illuminating light is linearly polarized, the pair of complementary polarization components are preferably the parallel and perpendicular components to the polarized illuminating light, and the image may be formed by subtracting the perpendicular component from the parallel component, by taking a ratio of the parallel and perpendicular components or by using some combination of a ratio and difference of the parallel and perpendicular components.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.