Method and Device for Producing a Structure-Free Fiberscopic Image

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This invention describes a method and apparatus for producing images free from interference patterns (such as honeycomb structures) created when using fiberoptic bundles (fiberscopes) and sensors. By calibrating the geometric properties of each individual optical fiber’s light intensity profile on the sensor and using customized algorithms, the system reconstructs images where each fiber’s contribution is optimally determined, resulting in clearer, higher-resolution images without structural artifacts. The process can be applied in real-time and is adaptable to various fiberoptic imaging setups.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Medical endoscopy: Producing artifact-free, high-resolution images during minimally invasive diagnostics or surgery.
• Industrial inspection: High-quality visual inspection of hard-to-reach cavities, such as pipes, engines, or nuclear reactors, using flexible fiberscopes.
• Quality assurance: Improved imaging for quality checks in manufacturing requiring access to small or complex structures.
• Scientific research: Clearer microscopic imaging through fiber bundles in life sciences or materials science.
• Security and surveillance: Enhanced monitoring using flexible, small-diameter probes in restricted locations.
• Non-destructive testing (NDT): Improved visualization of structures inside materials or assemblies without the need for destructive analysis.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Removes or greatly reduces structural artifacts (e.g., honeycomb patterns) inherent to fiber bundle imaging.
• Enables higher effective image resolution, surpassing the physical pixel or fiber limitation through subpixel-accurate calibration and reconstruction.
• Provides more reliable and precise amplitude or brightness (intensity) information for each fiber location.
• Improves the utility of flexible and ultra-thin fiberscopic devices, allowing their use in situations previously restricted to rigid lens-based systems.
• Enables advanced image-processing tasks such as motion compensation and superresolution, further boosting image clarity.
• Can be implemented in real-time, making it suitable for live imaging applications.
• Compatible with various types of image sensors and can be realized in both hardware and software.

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Patent Abstract

The aim of the invention is to create an image that is devoid of interference structures, using a fibre bundle (102) consisting of several optical fibres (106) and a sensor (102). To achieve this, imaging parameters, which describe the geometric characteristics of the intensity profile produced by each individual optical fibre (106) on the sensor (104) are made available for the system consisting of the fibre bundle (102) and sensor (104). During the reconstruction of the image, an amplitude value and/or luminosity information is/are produced for each individual optical fibre (106) by adapting a function of the amplitude value and the imaging parameter of the relevant optical fibre (106) to an intensity recording (300) of the sensor (104), to produce an optimal amplitude or luminosity value, taking into consideration the geometric imaging characteristics for each optical fibre (106).