Method and Device for 3D Imaging and Imaging through Scattering Scenes

This invention describes a method to develop a computational camera that can image through dynamic scattering media with high resolution. The camera can create a synthetic hologram by combining light at two closely spaced optical frequencies to produce a low-frequency synthetic wave (beat wave), largely immune to the unknown scattering processes between the hidden scene and detector. This is primarily proposed for medical imaging applications through living tissue. This noninvasive technique only uses light in the optical wave band and works with standard off-the-shelf camera technology–potentially even with mobile phone camera sensors. The technique leverages the huge potential of carefully designed optical systems paired with sophisticated algorithms. 

Background: 
The plan to develop such a camera needs a “Synthetic Wavelength Holography” (SWH) to image through scattering media and around corners with a demonstrated resolution of up to 800μm. However, the current SWH approach relies on the acquisition of sequentially captured images (at different optical wavelengths) and is extremely susceptible to motion, making imaging through living tissue impossible with the current method. The current SWH technique also relies on expensive modulation/imaging hardware. The plan found its solution from the spatial heterodyning procedure which allows for single-shot SWH measurements with the same or similar quality. This means that all required information can be captured with one single camera image in a very short exposure time. Moreover, this approach only requires the standard off-the-shelf camera technology that can be found in every smartphone instead of expensive modulation/imaging hardware. If successful, the camera could become part of a new wave of computational imaging devices that will represent key technologies in the near future.

Applications: 

• Single-shot Synthetic Wavelength Holography

Advantages: 

• Precise, fast, and motion-robust 3D imaging of arbitrary scenes 
• Imaging through dynamic scattering media
• Noninvasive