LOW-LIGHT, SMALL, FAST, HIGH-RES HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGER

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's abstract verbatim): Microcosm, Inc. has recently demonstrated a compact hyper spectral imaging method capable of rapidly analyzing every pixel in a CCD image with resolution in the nanometer range over a spectral width of several hundred nanometers. The instrument can be placed in-line to an imaging system with no distortion and very low light loss. It can be manufactured in a package less than 2" X 2" x 6." The optical throughput is around 70 percent for emission from immobilized fluorophores with high emission anisotropy and single photon excitation. With oriented samples and multi-photon applications, photon throughput approaches 96 percent. This imager is suitable for low light emitters and will be useful in basic research for detecting chromosome abnormalities in cancer cells; for chromosome mapping and gene localization; screening and biochip analysis; and will play an important future role in clinical applications. The proposed research will address: data acquisition and processing of low noise data into false colored images; characterizing the effect of beam divergence on spectral resolution; benchmarking the relationship of sample period, pixel count, digitization depth, spectral resolution, and processing time; and demonstrating images having spatially correct pseudocoloring. This is a low risk effort with high commercial potentials. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The market for this technology includes: biological and medical research, clinical applications, high throughput screening, biochip analysis, spacecraft or satellite borne instrumentation, remote sensing, astronomy, defense applications, forensic sciences, life sciences, agriculture, food safety, industrial process, quality control, security, and any application requiring rapid parallel acqiusition of highly resolved concurrent spatial and spectral information. Estimated market exceeds $100 million per year.