Patent ID: 6101034
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: G01J,G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
A tunable multispectral optical apparatus for forming a spectrally processed image of a scene containing multispectral components, said tunable multispectral optical apparatus comprising:a hybrid fore-optic means, having a fore-optic optical axis and a fore-optic focal point associated therewith, for forming an intermediate image on an image side of said hybrid fore-optic means in response to light rays emanating from said scene and impinging upon an object side of said hybrid fore-optic means, opposite said image side, and wherein said hybrid fore-optic means includes at least one diffractive optical element positioned substantially at said fore-optic focal point;hybrid reimaging optic means, having a rear-optic optical axis and a rear-optic pupil associated therewith, for forming an output image derived from said intermediate image, and wherein said hybrid rear-optic means includes at least one diffractive optical element positioned substantially at said rear-optic pupil; andoptical spatial filter means for intercepting at least a portion of said intermediate image, said spatial filter means selectively configured and selectively positioned between said hybrid fore-optic means and said hybrid reimaging optic means such that said output image includes only selected ones of said multispectral components of said scene.