1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to scanning beam devices. In particular, embodiments of the invention relate to temperature adjustment in scanning beam devices.
2. Background Information
Scanning beam devices are well known in the arts. Various example scanning beam devices are disclosed in at least the following references:
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 20060138238 (Johnston et al.);
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 20060072843 (Johnston);
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 20060072874 (Johnston);
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 20020064341. (Fauver et al.);
U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,105 (Seibel et al.);
U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,898 (Siebel);
U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,775 (Seibel et al.); and
“A Full-Color Scanning Fiber Endoscope”, by Siebel et al., in Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Applications, Ed. I. Gannot, Proc., SPIE vol. 6083:9-16 (2006).
These are just a few examples. Other examples of scanning beam devices are described in the patent and general literature.
One type of scanning beam device is a scanning fiber device. The scanning fiber device may include a single, cantilevered optical fiber that may be vibrated and scanned in one or two dimensions in a scan pattern to construct an image.
Constructing an image may include acquiring an image of a target area and/or displaying an image on a target area. In acquiring an image-of the target area, the scanning fiber device may scan an illumination spot through an optional lens system and over the target area in the scan pattern. Backscattered light may be captured, for example by a photosensor, in time series. In displaying or forming an image on the target area, the light emitted from the end of the optical fiber may be modulated during the scan pattern depending on the pixel position in order to form a desired image on the target area.
In constructing the image, it is generally desirable to accurately know the position of the optical fiber for each and every point of the scan. Positional inaccuracy may tend to result in distortion of the image constructed. Knowing the drive signal that is used to scan the optical fiber may allow the position of the illumination spot to be estimated for each pixel point during the scan pattern.
In practice however, environmental variables, manufacturing variables, the sensitivity of the scanning fiber device around the resonance frequency, and/or other factors, may tend to limit the accuracy of such estimates. If desired, calibration and remapping as described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 20060138238 (Johnston et al.) may be performed to help reduce image distortion due to certain of such factors.
However, this calibration and remapping approach is not perfect for environmental variables that may change rapidly during use and/or assume many different values. Consequently, there may be advantages to methods, apparatus, systems, and kits, which may help to reduce image distortion due to environmental variables in an image created or acquired by a scanning beam device, such as, for example, a scanning fiber device.