Diffractive Lensless Camera Phase Masks for PSF Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current lensless cameras lack precise control of point-spread-functions, resulting in low-resolution, inefficient light-throughput, and inflexible design, which hinders their miniaturization and performance in applications such as wearables, implantables, and IoT devices.

Innovation Solution

Design and optimize diffractive optical elements using phase masks to achieve high-resolution imaging, employing phase retrieval algorithms for precise mask location and calibration, enabling flexible design and efficient light utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional lenses are used in cameras, then imaging quality is improved, but device weight, volume, and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging qualityVSAvoiddevice weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the traditional lens component from the camera system entirely, extracting only the essential imaging function and implementing it through a lensless computational approach with a diffractive optical element and algorithmic reconstruction, thereby eliminating the weight and volume associated with conventional lenses

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical optical system (traditional lens) with a computational-optical hybrid system consisting of a diffractive optical element and computational algorithms, substituting physical light-focusing mechanisms with mathematical reconstruction methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If traditional lenses are used in cameras, then imaging quality is improved, but device volume and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging qualityVSAvoiddevice volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the lens component from the camera system, replacing it with a thin diffractive optical element and computational processing, thereby dramatically reducing the overall device volume while maintaining imaging capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from three-dimensional optical path manipulation (traditional lens) to two-dimensional diffractive pattern modulation combined with computational reconstruction, changing the dimensionality of the imaging approach to reduce physical volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If lensless cameras are used, then device miniaturization is achieved, but point-spread-function control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice volumeVSAvoidpoint-spread-function control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of the diffractive optical element (phase depth, pattern geometry, spatial frequency) to precisely control the point-spread-function characteristics, enabling accurate optical transfer functions despite the lensless configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates calibration procedures and computational algorithms that measure and compensate for variations in the point-spread-function, using feedback from known test patterns to refine the optical transfer function and improve control precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Volume of moving object

If lensless cameras are used, then device miniaturization is achieved, but light-throughput efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice volumeVSAvoidlight-throughput efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the parameters of the diffractive optical element including phase modulation depth, pattern density, and spatial distribution to maximize light throughput while maintaining the lensless compact form factor

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses computational algorithms to create multiple virtual copies of the optical path information through iterative reconstruction, effectively amplifying the limited light information captured by the sensor to compensate for reduced light throughput

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables high-resolution, light-efficient lensless imaging with flexible design, suitable for miniaturized devices and computer vision tasks, reducing power consumption and facilitating mass production.

Implementation Method 1

Design and optimize diffractive optical elements using phase masks to achieve high-resolution imaging

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffraction: Diffraction

Data Source

PatentUS20250377536A1Design and optimization of diffractive lensless cameras for imaging and computer vision applications

Publication Date: 2025.12.11 WILLIAM MARCH RICE UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A method for designing and optimizing a lensless imaging device includes: (a) a method for optimizing the point spread function for various imaging, computer vision and artificial intelligence tasks, (b) a method for computing the optimal phase mask that can realize the desired point spread function, (c) using the optimal phase mask in a lensless camera and (d) a method for calibrating the lensless imaging device using a single captured image.