Fiber Optics. Part II. Image Transfer on Static and Dynamic Scanning with Fiber Bundles

The image transfer through a stationary bundle of fibers can be thought of as a static sampling of the illuminance of the image at the entrance end of the bundle by each fiber element. This discrete sampling limits the band width of signals which can be transmitted. Also, the ends of the component fibers form an obtrusive pattern in the received image. However, the resolving power of the system is improved materially by random dynamic scanning with the fiber bundle. Also, the individual fiber ends are thus blurred out and the obtrusive pattern formed by them is destroyed. Because each fiber integrates the flux falling upon and its entrance aperture, the entire picture format scanned dynamically is reproduced at the frequency response characteristic of a uniform disk whose diameter is equal to that of the component fibers. An experimental setup for the detailed investigations of the effect of dynamic scanning with a fiber bundle is described. A gain of 100% in resolution by this method is illustrated by photographs and densitometer traces of various test objects which have been scanned both statically and dynamically.