System and method for co-registered hyperspectral imaging

• US 20080144013A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Institute For Technology Development
• Original Assignee: Institute For Technology Development
• Inventors: Russell, Jeffrey A., O'Neal, Duane, Lanoue, Mark Allen, Ryan, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US11/987,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144013A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging

Abstract

Systems and methods for integration of fluorescence and reflective imaging are provided. The system and method can measure reflectance and fluorescence spectrally and spatially with co-registered hyperspectral signatures, and can output a co-registered image from first and second co-registered hyperspectral image data sets.

Claims

1. An imaging method comprising:

illuminating an object;

capturing radiation emanating from said object, said radiation comprising alternately reflectance radiation and fluorescent radiation;

inputting said reflectance radiation into a first hyperspectral imager, thereby generating a first hyperspectral image signature that characterizes said object, based on said reflectance radiation;

inputting said fluorescent radiation into a second hyperspectral imager, thereby generating a second hyperspectral image signature that characterizes said object, based on said fluorescent radiation; and

outputting a co-registered image of the first and second hyperspectral image signatures.

2. The imaging method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first and second hyperspectral imagers comprise the same instrument in the form of a hyperspectral scanner; and

said reflectance radiation and said fluorescent radiation are input alternately to said hyperspectral scanner.

3. The imaging method according to claim 2, wherein said illuminating step comprises alternately illuminating said object with white light and with radiation that stimulates fluorescence in said object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calibrating the first and second hyperspectral imagers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a characteristic of the object using the co-registered image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging the object in a measurement apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the measurement apparatus is an integrating sphere.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a plant.

9. An imaging method comprising:

illuminating an object;

capturing radiation emanating from said object;

based on said captured radiation, generating first and second co-registered hyperspectral image data sets that characterize said object, said first hyperspectral image data set being generated from reflectance radiation emanating from said object, and said second hyperspectral image data set being generated from fluorescent radiation emanating from said object; and

outputting the first and second co-registered hyperspectral image data sets.

10. The imaging method according to claim 9, wherein said illuminating step comprises alternately illuminating said object with white light and with radiation that stimulates fluorescence in said object.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calibrating a hyperspectral imager that captures the radiation.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a co-registered image from the first and second co-registered hyperspectral image data sets; and

determining a characteristic of the object using the co-registered image.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

arranging the object in a measurement apparatus.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the measurement apparatus is an integrating sphere.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the object is a plant.

16. An imaging method, comprising:

illuminating a object; and

scanning said object to detect both reflectance and fluorescent radiation emanating from the object, wherein said scanning step comprises inputting both said reflectance radiation and said fluorescent radiation alternately into a hyperspectral scanner, whereby co-registered hyperspectral signatures are generated respectively for said reflectance radiation and said fluorescence radiation; and

outputting the generated co-registered hyperspectral signatures for said reflectance and fluorescence radiation.

17. The imaging method according to claim 16, wherein said illuminating step comprises alternately illuminating said object with white light and with radiation that stimulates fluorescence in said object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

calibrating a hyperspectral imager that scans the object.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a co-registered image from the first and second co-registered hyperspectral image data sets; and

determining a characteristic of the object using the co-registered image.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

arranging the object in a measurement apparatus, wherein the measurement apparatus is an integrating sphere.