Miniature infrared line-scanning imager

An infrared line-scanning imager includes a scanner having an optical system, infrared linear photoconductive detector providing an analog image signal, cooler, and conversion electronics for converting the image signal from the detector to digital electrical and digitally-encoded optical formats, all on a moving scanning platform of the scanner. The digitally-encoded optical format of the image signal takes the form of an encoded light beam which is beamed off of the moving scanning platform to a receiver on the stationary portion of the scanner. From the scanner, the image signal is transmitted in the optical format over a fiber optic cable to a reformatting, processing, analysis, and display portion of the imager. This latter portion of the imager allows the image signal to be converted once again to digital electronic format for processing, pattern recognition, image enhancement, storage, delayed display and comparison, and display in near-real time if desired.