A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit that outputs a pixel signal corresponding to an amount of incident light; an A/D converter that performs A/D conversion on the pixel signal; and a D/A conversion circuit that generates a reference signal to be used by the A/D converter. The D/A conversion circuit includes a first buffer circuit that outputs a base voltage VTOP for generating the reference signal, and the first buffer circuit includes a differential pair circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor, and a suppression circuit that suppresses a variation in the base voltage by canceling out a characteristic difference between the first transistor and the second transistor.

A CMOS optical sensor comprises spare readout channels to replace readout channels found defective at the end of the manufacturing process. These spare readout channels are dispatched over the width of the optical sensor (corresponding to the row direction) in the form of spare groups G.sub.m1, G.sub.m2, Gm.sub.3 of m spare readout channels each, m integer at least equal to 1. Each spare group is inserted between two successive default groups Gn.sub.1 and Gn.sub.2 of n default readout channels each and coupling means SW1 are configured to replace a defective default readout channel in a default group as well as any default readout channels of the group between the defective one and the spare group next to the default group of concern. Advantageously, for a row Row.sub.i being currently selected for CDS reading each pixel in the row, a row noise level V.sub.RN.sub.i is obtained from the A spare readout channels that are not used in the implemented repairing scheme, by sampling an analogic DC reference signal by each of the A spare readout channels and averaging the A values Sp.sub.k obtained. The row reference value V.sub.RN.sub.i is then subtracted from each of the pixel digital signal S.sub.i,j outputs for the current selected row, to finally obtain a signal value d.sub.i,j with row noise suppression.

One or more techniques and/or systems are described for addressing (e.g., during calibration) pixel-by-pixel variations in an image modality that utilizes photon counting techniques, such as by adjusting a number of photons detected by certain pixels (e.g., redistributing or reallocating detected photons among pixels). Such variations may cause an effective area of one or more pixels of a detector array to be larger than the effective area of other pixels, resulting in more photons being counted by some pixels than others, which can degrade resulting images. Accordingly, photons are redistributed as provided herein so that, when exposed to substantially uniform radiation, photon counts of neighboring pixels are substantially equal, statistical noise among neighboring pixels is substantially equal, and a signal-to-noise ratio among neighboring pixels is substantially equal. By redistributing photons as described herein, a spatial uniformity and/or a modulated transfer function (MTF) associated with a detector array may be improved.

The present invention relates to a method for correcting a packaged optical sensor array module, and the method for correcting a packaged optical sensor array module according to the present invention comprises the steps of: analyzing statistical characteristics of an optical sensor array with respect to light emitted from a standard light source having a predetermined characteristic value to extract a representative value, and calculating a first correction value for a measurement value according to the extracted representative value; and calculating a second correction value for a measured value of the optical sensor array that is corrected by the first correction value with respect to light emitted from an applied light source or light emitted by a fluorescence of the applied light source.

The present invention relates to a method for correcting a packaged optical sensor array module, and the method for correcting a packaged optical sensor array module according to the present invention comprises the steps of: analyzing statistical characteristics of an optical sensor array with respect to light emitted from a standard light source having a predetermined characteristic value to extract a representative value, and calculating a first correction value for a measurement value according to the extracted representative value; and calculating a second correction value for a measured value of the optical sensor array that is corrected by the first correction value with respect to light emitted from an applied light source or light emitted by a fluorescence of the applied light source.

An image sensor may include adaptive filtering circuitry that is used to correct for row noise. In one example, the image sensor may include a single reference pixel or a column of reference pixels that are shielded from incident light. The adaptive filtering circuitry may estimate row noise based on data from the reference pixel(s). Row noise correction circuitry may then subtract the estimated row noise from imaging pixel outputs to correct for row noise. If the row noise is dominated by supply noise, the reference pixels may be omitted entirely and the adaptive filtering circuitry may estimate row noise based only on the power supply voltage. The adaptive filtering circuitry may undergo a training phase to optimize coefficients for the adaptive filtering circuitry.

An image sensor may include adaptive filtering circuitry that is used to correct for row noise. In one example, the image sensor may include a single reference pixel or a column of reference pixels that are shielded from incident light. The adaptive filtering circuitry may estimate row noise based on data from the reference pixel(s). Row noise correction circuitry may then subtract the estimated row noise from imaging pixel outputs to correct for row noise. If the row noise is dominated by supply noise, the reference pixels may be omitted entirely and the adaptive filtering circuitry may estimate row noise based only on the power supply voltage. The adaptive filtering circuitry may undergo a training phase to optimize coefficients for the adaptive filtering circuitry.

In certain embodiments, an imaging system includes an enclosure with an objective aperture opening into an interior space of the enclosure, an optical assembly optically coupling the objective aperture to an imaging sensor within the enclosure, a spatial light modulator (SLM) mounted to the objective aperture for selectively blocking and admitting illumination through the objective aperture into the interior space, and an illuminator mounted to illuminate the interior space of the enclosure.

A third line that supplies a first potential to a first semiconductor region of a first detection pixel and a fourth line that supplies a second potential to the first semiconductor region of a second detection pixel are provided. An interval between a partial line of the third line and a partial line of the fourth line is longer than an interval between a partial line of a first line and a partial line of a second line which extend along the partial line of the third line and the partial line of the fourth line.

An image sensor includes: photoelectric conversion elements configured to receive light and accumulate a charge corresponding to an amount of received light; an imaging signal generating unit that converts the charge accumulated in each photoelectric conversion element into a voltage to generate an imaging signal; and a reference signal generating unit that generates a reference signal having a fluctuation component with a same phase as the imaging signal. The imaging signal generating unit includes: a conversion circuit that converts the charge accumulated in each photoelectric conversion element into the imaging signal; a noise eliminating circuit that eliminates a noise component included in the imaging signal; and an output circuit that outputs the imaging signal from the conversion circuit. The reference signal generating unit includes a circuit having a same structure as that of at least one of the conversion circuit, the noise eliminating circuit, and the output circuit.