Multi-spectral camera
View Patent ↗This disclosure describes an apparatus and method of multi-spectral imaging to obtain and analyze information contained in the spectral distribution (reflection, absorption, or emission) of components within the image. The spectral information is captured in a series of images from differing spectral regions. This series of images are then combined into a composite image using re-colorization and image stabilization algorithms for display in real time. The process can be repeated continuously allowing spectral changes over time to be captured and analyzed. In the alternative one sequence of images can be captured for use as a still image.
1. A multi-spectral camera comprising;
a monochromatic 2D image sensor array;
a rotatable filter wheel;
one or more imaging lenses;
an image processor having a re-colorization algorithm and an image stabilization algorithm;
said rotatable filter wheel comprising two or more different spectral filter segments and a clear filter segment after every two spectral filter segments;
wherein said one or more imaging lenses captures incoming light and images the incoming light onto said monochromatic 2D image sensor array through said rotatable filter wheel such that the incoming light reaching said monochromatic 2D image sensor array passes through one of said two or more different spectral filter segments and said clear filter segment;
said rotatable filter wheel position information being known by said image processor and said filter wheel rotating such that each of said two or more different spectral filter segments and said clear filter segment pass through the incoming light before reaching said monochromatic 2D image sensor array; and,
wherein said filter wheel's position information is used to determine which of said two or more different spectral filter segments and said clear filter segment is within the incoming light path such that at a predetermined time an image is captured and data from said captured images of said two or more different spectral filter segments and said clear filter segment is then stored as an image stack such that when a current image stack and a image stack prior to said current image stack have been stored then in real time a composite image is generated by said image processor mathematically manipulating data from said current image stack and said prior image stack using said re-colorization and image stabilization algorithms and then displaying said generated composite image by a display device.
2. The multi-spectral camera of claim 1 wherein the data from the generated composite image and each captured image is stored for display on a display device.
3. The multi-spectral camera of claim 1 wherein the process of image capture and composite image generation is repeated continuously over a period of time allowing spectral changes to be captured and analyzed.