Abstract

A method of restoring longitudinal details in ordinary images is presented. By using a transfer theory for longitudinal objects and inverse filtering, the longitudinal image may be restored. The usual Fourier theory and sampling theorems for transverse images cannot be used directly in the longitudinal case. A modification must be made because of the variation of magnification with longitudinal distance. We have numerically established the necessary relationships between just-resolved longitudinal separation after inverse filtering, noise level, and the taking conditions of the object distance and lens diameter. An empirical formula is also found to well-fit the computed results. This formula may be of use for designing optical systems which are to image longitudinal details at finite conjugates, as in robotics or microscopy. (12 min)

© 1987 Optical Society of America