Researchers at UCI have developed a novel method to combine common CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras with mid-infrared (MIR) technology in order to create an affordable and accessible spectroscopic camera for biochemical imaging.
·Affordable and efficient method for biomedical mapping of tissues, inspection of industrial ceramics, stand-off detection of materials, mineral sensing and environmental monitoring.
·Addition of near-infrared (NIR) beam (along with MIR) onto CCD chip, renders the CCD camera sensitive to MIR light
·Si-based CCD cameras are far more affordable, available and efficient for MIR imaging systems
Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic imaging is of particular interest for a number of fields including biomedical mapping of tissue, inspection of industrial ceramics, environmental monitoring, etc. However, since MIR cameras are based on low band-gap materials, they are prone to thermally induced electronic noise, which renders them less practical and affordable. For these concerns, development of more affordable cameras could lead to a breakthrough in the MIR imaging field.
The researchers at the University of California, Irvine, invented Si-based charge-coupled device (CCD) camera that utilizes mid-infrared (MIR) technology to permit 3D chemical imaging in biomedical, engineering and environmental settings. The CCD based MIR sensor takes advantage of the non-degenerate two-photon absorption (NTA) process that benefits from a mature Si-detector technology offers a better alternative to current commercial devices.
Country | Type | Number | Dated | Case |
Patent Cooperation Treaty | Published Application | 2021/195273 A1 | 09/30/2021 | 2020-638 |
Additional Patent Pending
The researchers at UCI have recorded real-time MIR videos of living organisms.