Fiber Optic Raman Imager

OPTRA proposes the development of a short wave infrared (SWIR) fiber optic Raman imager based on a multiple slit dispersive spectrometer. The key components include imaging optics, a fiber optic bundle, a dispersive element, and a SWIR focal plane array (FPA). The integrated hyperspectral imager allows for the simultaneous acquisition of 64x64 spatial resolution elements and 32 spectral resolution elements within a single exposure of the FPA. The benefits of this approach include compactness, no moving parts, and particularly the computational simplicity with which the hyperspectral cubes are reconstructed relative to other “snapshot” hyperspectral imagers employing coded apertures or computed tomography. Our proposed effort includes the development of multicomponent algorithms specifically tailored to Raman imaging by Dr. Eric Miller of Tufts University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The overall effort is expected to produce a complete Raman imaging system prototype by the completion of Phase II.