Patent ID: 7002154
Filing Date: 2006-02-21
Classification: G01J,G02B

Abstract:
1. A wide-angle infrared radiation (IR) imaging system having an entrance aperture for admitting IR from a scene, comprising: a dewar containing a coldshield that encloses a cooled IR detector disposed at an image plane, said dewar comprising a dewar window, an optical axis of said IR imaging system passing through said dewar window and said image plane; a plurality of uncooled optical elements disposed along said optical axis between said entrance aperture and said dewar window; and a plurality of reflector segments disposed around said optical axis between said dewar window and said entrance aperture, each of said reflector segments having a reflective surface facing said dewar window, where an opening through an outermost reflector segment furthest from said dewar window defines an effective cooled aperture stop of said IR imaging system, and where at least one of said optical elements is disposed between said effective cooled aperture stop and another one of said reflector segments that is located nearer to said dewar window.