Hyperspectral imaging

Technology

Leveraging imec’s background in semiconductor fab, equipment and process technology, imec designs and manufactures interference based optical filters at wafer level, deposited and patterned directly on top of image sensor pixels. This unique CMOS based infrastructure provides very compact, clean and high yield optical filter integration with scalability to high-volume and low cost.

Sensors

Off-the-shelf hyperspectral image sensors, all based on CMOSIS CMV2000 image sensor, have been designed, manufactured and available from imec in quantities of 1 to 1,000+.

Reference	Type	# Bands	Spectral range	Spatial resolution (RAW, per band)	Speed (max)	More info
SNm2x2	Snapshot mosaic	4	RGB+NIR	1024 x 544 px	340 fps	product leaflet
SNm4x4	Snapshot mosaic	16	460-630 nm	512 x 272 px	340 fps	product leaflet
SNm5x5	Snapshot mosaic	25	600-1000 nm	409 x 218 px	340 fps	product leaflet
SNt32	Snapshot tiled	32	600-1000 nm	256 x 256 px	340 fps	product leaflet
LS100+	Linescan wedge	100+	600-1000 nm	2048 x length of scan	1360 lines / s	product leaflet
LS150+	Linescan wedge	150+	470-900 nm	2048 x length of scan	1360 lines / s	product leaflet
ARGUS multispectral	Linescan CCD TDI	7	RGB or custom	4096 x length of scan	42KHz	product leaflet

Custom hyperspectral imaging sensors (with different image sensor base, filter specification, pattern layout, etc...) can be designed and manufactured based on specific application requirements.

Cameras

Hyperspectral imaging camera demo-kits including imec HSI sensor(s), camera housing, lens, tripod mounts, reflectance calibration tile, lighting solution, storage box and imec HSImager™ hyperspectral imaging software license are available from imec directly to ease your application work:

Reference	Interface	Type	# Bands	Spatial resolution (RAW, per band)	Spectral range	Speed (max)	More info
XIMEA SNm2x2	USB3.0	Snapshot mosaic	4	1,024 x 544 px	RGB + NIR	120 fps	product leaflet
XIMEA SNm4x4	USB3.0	Snapshot mosaic	16	512 x 272 px	460 - 630 nm	120 fps	product leaflet
XIMEA SNm5x5	USB3.0	Snapshot mosaic	25	409 x 218 px	600 - 1000 nm	120 fps	product leaflet
XIMEA SNt32	USB3.0	Snapshot tiled	32	256 x 256 px	600 - 1000 nm	120 fps	product leaflet
PHOTONFOCUS SNm4x4	GigE	Snapshot mosaic	16	512 x 272 px	460 - 630 nm	40 fps	product leaflet
PHOTONFOCUS SNm5x5	GigE	Snapshot mosaic	25	409 x 218 px	600 - 1000 nm	40 fps	product leaflet
SNAPSCAN VNIR	USB3.0	Snapshot & Linescan	150+	3,650 x 2,048 px	470 - 900 nm	~ 200 ms	product leaflet
SNAPSCAN NIR	USB3.0	Snapshot & Linescan	100+	3,650 x 2,048 px	600 - 1000 nm	~ 200 ms	product leaflet
SNAPSCAN SWIR	USB3.0	Snapshot & Linescan	100+	1,200 x 640 px	1100 - 1700 nm	~ 100 ms	product leaflet
ADIMEC VNIR	Camera Link	Linescan	150+	2,048 x length of scan	470 - 900 nm	2KHz	product leaflet
ARGUS multispectral	CoaXPress	Linescan analog TDI	7	4,096 x length of scan	custom	42KHz	product leaflet

All camera demo-kits come with HSImager™, the most advanced hyperspectral imaging software developed by imec's integrated imaging & vision system team, to ensure the highest quality hyperspectral imaging datacubes reconstruction. Custom configurations of hardware and software packages are possible and can be discussed.

Applications

Remote sensing
Precision agriculture
Medical guided surgery
Microscopy
Skin-health
Waste recycling and management
Pharmaceutical defect inspections
Food sorting & quality grading
Industrial sorting
Security & counterfeit detection

Orthophoto hyperspectral aerial images of large test field of soybean cultures in Brazil: the color image is augmented with spectral features information recolored images to show where specific variations within crop cultures (e.g. disease pattern) are being observed to support precision agriculture decisions – Courtesy of GAMAYA

Snapshot hyperspectral image of skin: reconstructed color image (left), spectral plot of few spatial points within hand when one finger is deoxygenated with one tight rubber band (middle), overlay image of > 80% oxygenated skin (right).

Orthophoto hyperspectral aerial images of strawberry test field in Belgium: NDVI images (left) and chlorophyll index map (right) to support precision agriculture decisions – Courtesy of VITO and pcfruit

Snapshot hyperspectral imaging with SNm4x4 camera is able to estimate skin blood volume and oxygen saturation with high temporal and spatial resolution - courtesy of Linkoping university

Ripeness of avocados can be easily extracted thanks to their level of reflectance in the NIR wavelength bands. Spectral imaging of food is already being deployed for the food quality grading of fruits and vegetables like apples, kiwis, cherries, avocados, etc...

Blood smear slide image, obtained by the SNAPSCAN hyperspectral imaging camera mounted onto a LEICA pathology microscope: reconstructed color image (bottom) and classified image (top) showing red blood cells versus white blood cells versus background.

Single snapshot of imec SNAPSCAN hyperspectral imaging camera used to digitize artwork paint portrait of Jean Wouters (Oil on panel - Ghent, collection Jan Muller). Work realized in courtesy of Prof. dr. Maximiliaan Martens, Dept. Art History, Musicology and Theatre Studies, Ghent University

Snapshot hyperspectral imaging of retina: HSI camera is mounted onto a Topcon fundus camera to extract oxygenation of the different vessels of the retina. Oxygenation maps of the retina are key in supporting early diagnostic of several eye and brain diseases such as Age Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Alzheimer Disease (AD) – Courtesy of Northwestern university

Snapshot hyperspectral imaging of the human brain under guided surgery: the HSI camera is mounted onto a Carl ZEISS surgery microscope. Reconstructed color / Hb / HbO / HbT maps of the brain are key in supporting accurate detection of brain tumors as well as to study hemodynamics of severe epilepsy patients – Courtesy of Polytechnique Montreal

Fluorescence hyperspectral imaging of four AlexaFluor dyes in living small animals subjects. Using targeted molecular imaging, fluorescent contrast agents find application in endoscopic cancer diagnosis and intra-operative tumour resections – Courtesy of University of Cambridge

Partners

Opportunities to deploy commercial hyperspectral imaging are numerous, and cannot be addressed effectively by one single company. Imec's mission is to drive the effective development and commercialization of CMOS based hyperspectral imaging vision solutions, together with a broad ecosystem of partners at sensor, camera, software to application levels.

Get in touch with one of our camera integrator partner to explore potential collaboration for OEM business:

XIMEA for USB3.0 cameras
PhotonFocus for GigE cameras
VRMAGIC for GigE and 10 GigE cameras
SENTECH for USB3.0 and GigE cameras
ADIMEC for camera Link cameras
BAYSPEC for portable, handheld cameras
3D-ONE for GiGE and CameraLink mini with PoCL cameras
Tattile for smart cameras with integrated FPGA+CPU

Get in touch with one of our hyperspectral imaging software partners to explore potential collaboration of technology integration:

Perception Park for access to Perception Park acceleration system and Studio software
NICTA for access to Scyllarus hyperspectral imaging software and toolbox

News

Press

Imec demonstrates Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) range hyperspectral imaging camera

Press

Imec demonstrates world’s first multispectral time-delay-integration image sensor based on CCD-in-CMOS technology

Press

Imec’s high-speed ultrasonic SNAPSCAN camera enables hyperspectral imaging acquisition in less than one second

Publications

Support

For customers and partners of imec hyperspectral imaging activity, please visit our support portal (restricted access) to download the latest support documents and materials including:

Software
Manuals
Reports
Examples
Personal files

Contact

Jerome Baron

Business Development Manager

For more information regarding integrated imaging and vision systems, please contact Jerome Baron, Business Development Manager Integrated Imaging & Vision Systems.

You can also reach one imec local contact point in your country or geography here.

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