An insertion tool for inspection includes a tube with a flexible section having at least two joints for articulating the flexible section into different shapes, the flexible section selectively configurable between an unrigidized state and at least a first rigid state having a first non-linear shape. The tool includes an end effector coupled to the tube with a sensor head to direct a beam toward a target area to perform a profilometry operation. The tool includes a waveguide extending through the tube, to transmit the beam from an electromagnetic source to the end effector and transmit electromagnetic signals from the end effector to a profilometry detecting device, and an end effector actuator to move the beam at the target. The end effector is axially spaced from an insertion axis of the tool when the flexible section is in the first rigid state to obtain off-axis profilometry measurements at the target.

An insertion tool for inspection includes a tube with a flexible section having at least two joints for articulating the flexible section into different shapes, the flexible section selectively configurable between an unrigidized state and at least a first rigid state having a first non-linear shape. The tool includes an end effector coupled to the tube with a sensor head to direct a beam toward a target area to perform a profilometry operation. The tool includes a waveguide extending through the tube, to transmit the beam from an electromagnetic source to the end effector and transmit electromagnetic signals from the end effector to a profilometry detecting device, and an end effector actuator to move the beam at the target. The end effector is axially spaced from an insertion axis of the tool when the flexible section is in the first rigid state to obtain off-axis profilometry measurements at the target.

The invention provides a method to determine an absolute position of an object using an interferometer system, comprising the steps of: providing a light beam; splitting the light beam in a measurement beam and a reference beam; guiding the measurement beam along a measurement path towards a reflective measurement surface on the object; guiding the reference beam along a reference path towards a reflective reference surface on a reference object; receiving the measurement beam after reflection on the reflective measurement surface and the reference beam after reflection on the reflective reference surface at a detector; measuring a phase signal based on the measurement beam and the reference beam received by the detector, separating a cyclic error phase component from the phase signal, determining the absolute position of the object on the basis of the cyclic error phase component.

The invention provides a method to determine an absolute position of an object using an interferometer system, comprising the steps of: providing a light beam; splitting the light beam in a measurement beam and a reference beam; guiding the measurement beam along a measurement path towards a reflective measurement surface on the object; guiding the reference beam along a reference path towards a reflective reference surface on a reference object; receiving the measurement beam after reflection on the reflective measurement surface and the reference beam after reflection on the reflective reference surface at a detector; measuring a phase signal based on the measurement beam and the reference beam received by the detector, separating a cyclic error phase component from the phase signal, determining the absolute position of the object on the basis of the cyclic error phase component.

A low coherence interferometer imaging system includes an imaging engine generating a reference beam and an object beam, a first beam splitting element, reference ends, a sample end, and optical imaging modules arranged at the sample end. The first beam splitting element is disposed on an optical path of the reference beam and generates sub-reference beams after the reference beam passes through the first beam splitting element. The reflected sub-reference beams and the reflected object beam form interference signals through the imaging engine. The imaging engine generates images after analyzing the interference signals. One optical imaging module is first arranged at the sample end; the remaining optical imaging modules are sequentially arranged at the sample end in an optical-path series manner so that the images exhibit distinct imaging fields of view before and after the optical imaging module is arranged and when arrangement parameters of the imaging engine remain unchanged.

A reflective focused laser differential interferometry (R-FLDI) system includes: a light source for generating a beam of light; a beam expanding optic; a first linear polarizer; a quarter-wave plate; a first birefringent prism; a beam discriminating optic; a focusing lens; a reflector; a second birefringent prism; a second linear polarizer; and a detector. In a first pass, the beam of light passes through the plano-concave lens, the first linear polarizer, the quarter-wave plate, the first birefringent prism, the beam discriminating optic, and the focusing lens such that it propagates through a measurement location, after it passes through the measurement location, it is reflected by the reflector such that it passes through the focusing lens and is redirected by the beam discriminating optic through the second birefringent prism and a second linear polarizer and is detected by the detector.

A reflective focused laser differential interferometry (R-FLDI) system includes: a light source for generating a beam of light; a beam expanding optic; a first linear polarizer; a quarter-wave plate; a first birefringent prism; a beam discriminating optic; a focusing lens; a reflector; a second birefringent prism; a second linear polarizer; and a detector. In a first pass, the beam of light passes through the plano-concave lens, the first linear polarizer, the quarter-wave plate, the first birefringent prism, the beam discriminating optic, and the focusing lens such that it propagates through a measurement location, after it passes through the measurement location, it is reflected by the reflector such that it passes through the focusing lens and is redirected by the beam discriminating optic through the second birefringent prism and a second linear polarizer and is detected by the detector.

SNAPSHOT SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHER Provided is a snapshot spectral domain optical coherence tomographer comprising a light source providing a plurality of beamlets; a beam splitter, splitting the plurality of beamlets into a reference arm and a sample arm; a first optical system that projects the sample arm onto multiple locations of a sample; a second optical system for collection of a plurality of reflected sample beamlets; a third optical system projecting the reference arm to a reflecting surface and receiving a plurality of reflected reference beamlets; a parallel interferometer that provides a plurality of interferograms from each of the plurality of sample beamlets with each of the plurality of reference beamlets; an optical image mapper configured to spatially separate the plurality of interferograms; a spectrometer configured to disperse each of the interferograms into its respective spectral components and project each interferogram in parallel; and a photodetector providing photon quantification.

An optical path length sensor for sensing a physical quantity of an external source includes a plurality of lasers, each having an optical resonator and a gain medium to produce a laser beam in the optical resonator. At least one of the optical resonators is configured to modulate the optical frequency of the laser beam when exposed to the external source. The sensor further includes a common carrier, in which the optical resonators are arranged, and a device configured to receive light from the plurality of lasers and to determine a difference between the optical frequencies of the laser beams. In another aspect the optical path length sensor includes a plurality of interferometers, each being an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder or an asymmetric Michelson interferometer, at least two of the plurality of interferometers having a different optical path length imbalance.

The present invention is the optical fiber sensor, that laser pulses from a laser source are separated into a reference path and a measurement path by the second optical coupler via the first optical coupler, the first FRM is provided at an end of the reference path, the second FRM is provided at an end of the measurement path, and the reference reflected light of the first FRM and the measurement reflected light of the second FRM are interfered at the second optical coupler and are converted into three phases. The first phase pulses are transmitted to the optical synthesis section via the first optical coupler, second phase pulses are transmitted to the optical synthesis section via the first delay section, and third phase pulses are transmitted to the optical synthesis section via the second delay section. The time division pulse train is outputted from the optical synthesis section.