Method and apparatus for extended hyperspectral imaging

• US 20060050278A1
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemimage Corporation
• Original Assignee: Charles W. Gardner Jr, Matthew P. Nelson, Patrick Treado
• Inventors: Nelson, Matthew P., Gardner, Charles W. Jr., Treado, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,420,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/417
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/255 Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems

Abstract

The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for obtaining a multimodal hyperspectral image of a sample for widefield spectral analysis. An apparatus according to one embodiment may include a plurality of optical lenses configured to interchangeably receive photons and focus the photons; a plurality of tunable filters positioned in a filter housing, each tunable filter selectively receiving the focused dispersed photons from one of the plurality of optical lenses, each tunable filter providing wavelength-selective filtered photons; a first optical camera and a second optical cameras for selectively receiving the wavelength-selective filtered photons from each of the plurality of tunable filters and combining said filtered photons to form a hyperspectral spatially accurate, wavelength-resolved image of the sample.

Claims

1. A multimodal hyperspectral imaging system for widefield spectral analysis of a sample comprising:

a first optical lens and a second optical lens configured to interchangeably receive photons from the sample and focus said photons;

a plurality of tunable filters positioned in a filter housing, each tunable filter selectively receiving the focused photons from one of the first or the second optical lenses, each tunable filter providing wavelength-selective filtered photons;

a first optical camera and a second optical camera for selectively receiving the wavelength-selective filtered photons from each of the plurality of tunable filters and combining said filtered photons to form a hyperspectral spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the photons further comprise photons reflected, refracted, luminescence, fluorescence, Raman scattered, transmitted, adsorbed, emitted by the sample.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, further comprising an optical mirror for selectively communicating photons from each of the first and the second optical lenses to one of said plurality of the optical filters.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the filter housing adapted to optically couple each of the first or second optical lenses with a selective one or combination of the plurality of optical filters.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, the first optical lens is a NIR zoom optics or a reflective optics.

6. The imaging system of claim 1, the second optical lens is UV-VIS zoom optics or a reflective optics.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, at least one of the first or the second optical lens defines an optical train.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, the first and the second optical lenses are configured to simultaneously receive photons from the sample.

9. The imaging system of claim 1, the first and the second optical lenses are configured to sequentially receive photons from the sample.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the tunable filters is an LCTF, an AOTF, a dielectric filter a rotary filter or a linear variable filter.

11. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the tunable filter further comprises, a VIS LCTF, a SW-NIR LCTF, a MW-NIR LCTF, a LW-NIR LCTF or a UV-LCTF.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, the first optical camera is a charged couple device or a focal array device.

13. The imaging system of claim 1, the second optical camera is selected from the group consisting of InGaAs, InSb and MCT cameras.

14. The imaging system of claim 1, the second optical cameral is InSb.

15. The imaging system of claim 1, the hyperspectral image is collected over a wavelength range of about 250-2500 nm.

16. The imaging system of claim 1, the hyperspectral imaging system is an integrated imaging device.

17. The imaging system of claim 1, the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-2500 nm.

18. The imaging system of claim 1, the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-1700 nm.

68. The system of claim 1, wherein the tunable filter is a rejection filter.

19. A method for obtaining a hyperspectral image of a sample using an integrated imaging device, the method comprising:

illuminating the sample with a plurality of photons to produce photons from the sample;

providing a first optical lens and a second optical lens for independently collecting the photons and forming focused photons, the first and the second optical lenses providing focused photons of a first and a second wavelength respectively;

selectively directing the focused photons to a plurality of optical filters, each of the plurality of optical filters providing filtered photons of the sample;

selectively directing each of the plurality of filtered photons to at least one of a first photon detector or a second photon detector, the first and the second photon detectors independently forming a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the photons further comprise photons reflected, refracted, luminescence, fluorescence, Raman scattered, transmitted, adsorbed, or emitted by the sample.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising combining the spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample from each of the first and the second optical detectors to form a hyperspectral image of the sample.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of obtaining a hyperspectral image of the sample further comprises combining the plurality of filtered photons received from each of the optical filters.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-2500 nm.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-1700 nm.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of selectively directing the focused photons to a plurality of optical filters further comprises optically connecting one of said optical lenses to one of said optical filters wherein the optical lens and the optical filter have an overlapping operating wavelength.

26. The method of claim 19, the step of selectively directing each of the plurality of filtered photons to at least one of a first photon detector or a second photon detector further comprises optically connecting one of said optical filters to one of said photon detectors having an overlapping operating wavelength.

27. The method of claim 19, the first optical lens is a NIR zoom optics.

28. The method of claim 19, the second optical lens is UV-VIS zoom optics.

29. The method of claim 19, at least one of the first or the second optical lens defines an optical train.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of filters defines a liquid crystal tunable filer.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein the first optical lens and the second optical lens are configured to independently receive photons from the sample.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the first optical lens and the second optical lens are configured to simultaneously receive photons from the sample.

34. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of illuminating the sample further comprises illuminating the sample with photons having wavelengths in the range of 250-2500 nm.

35. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of illuminating the sample further comprises illuminating the sample with photons having wavelengths in the range of 250-1700 nm.

36. The method of claim 19, wherein the first photon detector a silicon CCD.

37. The method of claim 19, wherein the second optical camera is InGaAs.

38. The method of claim 19, wherein the second optical camera is InSb.

39. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of selectively directing the focused photons to a plurality of optical filters further comprises using a mirror to selectively direct the focused photons from the first optical lens to at least one of the plurality of optical filters.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the step of selectively directing each of the plurality of filtered photons to a first photon detector further comprises using a mirror to selectively direct the filtered photons from the first optical filter to the first photon detector.

30. (canceled)

41. A system for collecting hyperspectral image of a sample comprising:

a plurality of optical lenses for receiving photons from the sample and forming focused photons;

a filter housing for accommodating a plurality of tunable filers, each tunable filter adapted to receive focused photons from at least one of the plurality of optical lenses to form a filtered spectrum of the sample;

a first and a second optical cameras for receiving the filtered photons from the plurality of tunable filters and forming therefrom a hyperspectral spectrum of the sample;

a controller optically connecting one of the plurality of optical lenses with at least one of the plurality of tunable filters.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the photons further comprise photons reflected, refracted, luminescence, fluorescence, Raman scattered, transmitted, adsorbed, or emitted by the sample.

43. The system of claim 41, the controller connects the lens with filter through a mirror.

44. The system of claim 41, the controller also connects the tunable filter with a particular CCD.

45. The system of claim 41, further comprising illumination sources with λ

=250-2500 nm.

46. The system of claim 41, the controller matches one of the plurality of optical lenses with one or more of the tunable filters.

47. The system of claim 41, the controller defines wavelength of the illumination source.

48. The system of claim 41, the plurality of optical lenses are selected from the group consisting of an NIR lens, a UV-Vis lens and zoom lens.

49. The system of claim 41, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical lenses defines an optical train.

50. The system of claim 41, the plurality of tunable filters include LCTF.

51. The system of claim 41, wherein the plurality of filters are selected from the group consisting of a VIS LCTF, a SW-NIR LCTF, a MW-NIR LCTF, a LW-NIR LCTF and a UV-LCTF.

52. The system of claim 41, wherein the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-2500 nm.

53. The system of claim 41, the system is an integrated device.

54. The system of claim 41, the controller optically connects one of the plurality of optical lenses with one of the plurality of optical tunable filter in order to match the operating wavelength of a selected optical lens with a selected tunable filter.

55. An automated system for collecting hyperspectral image of a sample, comprising a processor programmed to:

(a) illuminate the sample with an illumination source having a first selected wavelength;

(b) selectively direct one of a plurality of optical lenses to collect photons from the sample and focus said collected photons;

the optical lens adapted to conform to the selected wavelength;

(c) direct the focused photons from the optical lens to an optical filter selected from a plurality of optical filters, the selected optical filter conforming to the selected wavelength and receiving the focused collected photons and providing filtered photons;

(d) optically transmit the filtered photons from the optical filter to one of a plurality of optical cameras to form an image of the sample in the selected wavelength;

repeat steps (a)-(d) for a second selected wavelength to obtain a second image of the sample at the selected wavelength; and

combine the images of the sample at the first and the second wavelengths to form a hyperspectral image of the sample.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the photons from the sample further comprise photons reflected, refracted, luminescence, fluorescence, Raman scattered, transmitted, adsorbed, or emitted by the sample.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the hyperspectral image is a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of the sample in the wavelength range of about 250-2500 nm.

58. The system of claim 55, the first selected wavelength is in the range of about 250-700 nm.

59. The system of claim 55, the second selected wavelength is in the range of about 700-2100 nm.

60. The system of claim 55, the first selected optical lens is NIR lens.

61. The system of claim 55, the second selected optical lens is UV-Vis lens.

62. The system of claim 55, the optical filter is selected from the group consisting of a VIS LCTF, a SW-NIR LCTF, a MW-NIR LCTF, a LW-NIR LCTF and a UV-LCTF.

63. The system of claim 55, the optical camera is selected from the group consisting of a CCD and InGaAs.

64. The system of claim 55, the tunable filter is an LCTF filter.

65. The system of claim 55, the first and the second selected wavelengths overlap.

66. The system of claim 55, the first and the second selected wavelengths do not overlap.

67. The system of claim 55, further comprising electromagnetically recording the hyperspectral image of a sample.