Interference image imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11774746-B2
Application number	US-202017604246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2020
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

This interference image imaging apparatus includes a first optical member (21) and a second optical member (22), and has a first portion (8) for transmitting a first bundle of rays (7) to change a direction of outgoing light with respect to incident light, and a second portion (10) for changing a phase of second bundle of rays (9) with respect to the first bundle of rays (7).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An interference image imaging apparatus comprising:
an irradiation unit configured to emit irradiation light from a laser light source to a measurement region of an object;
an optical member configured to transmit the irradiation light reflected from or transmitted through mutually different points or regions of the object in a state of being separated into a first bundle of rays and a second bundle of rays and interfere the transmitted first bundle of rays and the transmitted second bundle of rays with each other;
an imaging unit configured to image an intensity pattern of the first bundle of rays and the second bundle of rays, the first bundle of rays and the second bundle of rays being transmitted through the optical member and interfered with each other; and
a rotation mechanism configured to rotate at least a portion of the optical member,
wherein the optical member includes a first optical member, a second optical member arranged to face the first optical member, and a third optical member arranged to face the first optical member on a side opposite to a side where the second optical member is provided,
wherein the rotation mechanism is configured to change a relative angle between the first bundle of rays and the second bundle of rays by rotating at least one of the first optical member and the third optical member, and
wherein the first optical member and the second optical member are configured to transmit the second bundle of rays to change a phase of the second bundle of rays.

2. An interference image imaging apparatus comprising:
an irradiation unit configured to emit irradiation light from a laser light source to a measurement region of an object;
an optical member configured to transmit the irradiation light reflected from or transmitted through mutually different points or regions of the object in a state of being separated into a first bundle of rays and a second bundle of rays and interfere the transmitted first bundle of rays and the transmitted second bundle of rays with each other; and
an imaging unit configured to image an intensity pattern of the first bundle of rays and the second bundle of rays, the first bundle of rays and the second bundle of rays being transmitted through the optical member and interfered with each other;
wherein the optical member includes a first optical member and a second optical member, the first optical member and the second optical member being arranged to face each other, and
wherein the optical member includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being configured by at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member and configured to transmit the first bundle of rays to change a direction of outgoing light with respect to a direction of incident light, and the second portion being configured by the first optical member and the second optical member and configured to transmit the second bundle of rays to change a phase of the second bundle of rays with respect to the first bundle of rays.

3. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein at least one of the first optical member and the second optical member includes a compound lens pair in which the first portion and the second portion are integrated.

4. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the first optical member and the second optical member each are provided with the first portion on an outer side and the second portion on an inner side.

5. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the optical member is provided with a light shielding member at a boundary portion where the first portion and the second portion are adjacent to each other.

6. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the optical member is arranged close to a position of a limiting aperture of an optical system for causing the irradiation light reflected from the object to be incident on the imaging unit.

7. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the optical member is configured such that the first portion formed in an annular shape when viewed in an incident direction of the irradiation light is arranged adjacently so as to surround the second portion formed in a circular shape.

8. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein a surface of the first portion of the first optical member facing the second optical member and opposing surfaces of the second portion of the first optical member and the second portion of the second optical member are provided so as to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to an incident direction of the irradiation light, and
wherein the opposing surfaces of the second portion of the first optical member and the second portion of the second optical member are provided approximately in parallel to each other.

9. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the first optical member is configured such that the second portion is formed in a circular shape when viewed in an incident direction of the irradiation light and the first portion is formed in a cone shape from which a head portion is removed, and a tip end of the first portion being in contact with the the second portion.

10. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the first optical member is configured such that the first portion is formed in a polygonal pyramid from which a head portion is removed as viewed in an incident direction of the irradiation light.

11. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the optical member includes a third optical member arranged to face the first optical member,
wherein a surface of the second portion of the first optical member facing the second optical member and a surface of the second portion of the second optical member facing the first optical member are inclined in a first direction perpendicular to an incident direction of the irradiation light,
wherein a surface of the second portion of the first optical member facing the third optical member and a surface of the second portion of the third optical member facing the first optical member are inclined in a second direction perpendicular to the incident direction of the irradiation light and intersecting with the incident direction of the irradiation light, and
wherein the optical member further includes a rotation mechanism for changing a relative angle between the first direction and the second direction by rotating the third optical member.

12. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 11 ,
wherein the rotation mechanism includes a first rotation mechanism for integrally rotating the first optical member and the third optical member with respect to the second optical member.

13. The interference image imaging apparatus as as recited in claim 12 ,
wherein the rotation mechanism includes, in addition to the first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism for rotating the third optical member with respect to the first optical member.

14. The interference image imaging apparatus as recited in claim 11 ,
wherein the second optical member, the first optical member, and the third optical member are arranged in this order in the incident direction of the irradiation light.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Hatahori Takahide
• Takubo Kenji
• Yoshida Koki

Classifications

• G02B26/0875 Primary

  by means of one or more refracting elements · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• G02B21/082

  for incident illumination only · CPC title

• G02B21/361

  Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor (G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups) · CPC title