CONFOCAL IMAGING APPARATUS FOR IMAGING AN OBJECT SITUATED WITHIN A TURBID MEDIUM

摘要

An imaging apparatus is described which is suitable for imaging scenes contained within a turbid medium using a confocal effect. More particularly, a scanning means (3) is arranged to collect light form within the turbid medium and direct it to an imaging means (4, 5, and 6). The imaging means contains an aperture (5) which acts to reject all light from within the turbid medium except that from a specific focal plane. The imaging means then directs the light from the focal plane onto an optical receptor (72) for formation of an image of the scene contained at the focal plane. The apparatus may use any radiation, and in particular, visible light, IR and microwave wavebands are envisaged.