Building a 3D IR scanner with USB power
You should place a small gobo between the LED and a projective optic (I'd recommend buying a small 1/3" or 1/4" lens to prototype with). The gobo can be purchased or custom-made with a pattern of holes that would either be laser-cut, chemically-etched, or mechanically drilled. The projective optic is the magic -- when focused properly to the face of the gobo plate, it will project the pattern crisply onto surfaces in the scene. Note that the gobo will reduce the light output significantly; you may struggle to get the scene lit brightly enough without a large, clumsy IR LED COB package, which would require a sizable heatsink.