Three-dimensional particle imaging by wavefront sensing

We present two methods for three-dimensional particle metrology from a single two-dimensional view. The techniques are based on wavefront sensing where the three-dimensional location of a particle is encoded into a single image plane. The first technique is based on multiplanar imaging, and the second produces three-dimensional location information via anamorphic distortion of the recorded images. Preliminary results show that an uncertainty of 8 mu m in depth can be obtained for low-particle density over a thin plane, and an uncertainty of 30 mu m for higher particle density over a 10 mm deep volume. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.