Imaging Systems

Imaging System Design

Powered optics (lenses, mirrors, diffractive elements) are used to create real or imaginary images. Imaging systems comprise most of the typical optical systems we think about, such as telescopes, cameras, night-vision, microscopes, viewfinders, wearable displays, contact lenses, and many more. The field of imaging system design is mainly concerned with aberration and wavefront control, color correction, light throughput, and minimizing distortion. Although there are thousands of lens systems currently available from many suppliers, custom lens design is very often necessary in order to meet critical (and often idiosyncratic) requirements. We have designed numerous imaging systems for a variety of different applications. Presented here is a very limited sampling of some of the Imaging System projects we have worked on. Call us to find out how we can design, build, and analyze the perfect imaging system for you.

Multi-Spectral Imagers

We designed and built the airborne multispectral imaging system used in the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance Analysis (COBRA) program. The objective of this program was to detect land mines in heavily cluttered environments. The COBRA imaging system used an intensified video camera incorporating a spinning filter wheel, which contained six relatively narrow band filters. read more...

Human Eye Modeling

Modeling of the human eye is often necessary for studying optometric systems, such as eyeglasses, contact lenses, and intraocular lenses. We have performed in-depth studies of contact lenses and corneal-reshaping using novel lens shapes. read more...

Wavefront Correction

Optical systems often have strict requirements on wavefront errors (WFE). Curved mirrors are used in a variety of different types of optical systems, from pupil relays in Adaptive Optical (AO) systems to complex telescopes to laser resonators. A very simple embodiment of a multiple-image pupil relay mirror system is shown in this example. read more...

Freeform Imaging

This lens is all-reflective, and uses just two curved mirror elements. These mirrors have a shape that is called "freeform", since they are non-rotationally symmetric. Advances in aspheric lens machining capabilities in the past few years have made freeform lens designs very achievable and reasonable in production quantities. read more...

Telescopes

Contrast has designed a wide variety of lens systems. Some interesting and unique design examples are presented below including a catadioptric MWIR Zoom Telescope, a variable focal length refractive lens, and a large-aperture segmented-primary telescope. read more...

Far-Field Diagnostic System

We designed a lens system to be used for diagnostics and testing. For this particular application, our client needed a lens system that would create an image that appeared to be at a far-field distance, but do so in a small, laboratory setting. This type of lens for far-field diagnostics is called a "target scene simulator". read more...

Medical Imaging

This is a catadioptric imaging system: it comprises both reflective mirrors and refractive lenses. The design is very simple and extremely compact. It allows imaging all the way out beyond the ‘horizon’ line of the lens (out beyond a typical lens’ 180-degree FOV). There is no image formed of anything straight out in front of the lens, so it is very well suited to imaging inside hollow tubes, such as the esophagus. read more...

Contrast Optical Design & Engineering, Inc., Cedar Crest, New Mexico 505.286.8338