Fiber optic imaging device and methods

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG.
1 shows a fiber optic imaging device or viewer 10 which employs a conventional fiber optic bundle 12 and light pipe 14.
The fiber optic bundle 12 has an objective end 16 for receiving images to be viewed at the viewing end 18.
The light pipe 14 may include a fiber optic reducer or concentrating lens 20 for capturing and concentrating illuminating input light to be conducted down the light pipe 14 to its illuminating output end 22.
As is typical for fiber optic viewing devices, the light pipe 14 and the fiber optic bundle 12 are bound together proximate their viewing end in a common sheath, cable, or within the lumen(s) of a rigid tube, which for simplicity of illustration is not shown.
This binding permits the ready, simultaneous insertion of the bundle 12 and light pipe 14 and maintains the illuminating output end 22 of the light pipe 14 in position relative to the objective end 16 of the bundle 12 so that illuminating light emitted by the light pipe 14 is reflected off the object to be viewed and enters the fiber optic bundle objective end 16.
The objectives of the present invention may be achieved by either of two basic configurations, both of which include, in addition to the conventional elements described above, an illuminating light source 24 and an output image processor 26 which are depicted as dashed boxes in FIG.
1.
The internal components making up the light source 24 and the output image processor 26 may be selected in a variety of combinations as shall be described more fully below.
In a first basic configuration, the input light source 24 emits a constant set of wavelengths, e.
g.
, white light.
The illuminating light exits the light source 24, and enters the light pipe 14; it is then emitted from the output end 22, striking the object 28 to be viewed.
Some portion of the light striking the object 28 would normally be reflected back into the objective end 16 of the fiber optic bundle and would produce an image at the viewing end 18.
The image appearing at the viewing end 18 is received within the output image processor 26