NEUTRON RADIATION DAMAGE IN CCD CAMERAS AT JOINT EUROPEAN TORUS (JET).

PubMed

Milocco, Alberto; Conroy, Sean; Popovichev, Sergey; Sergienko, Gennady; Huber, Alexander

2017-10-26

The neutron and gamma radiations in large fusion reactors are responsible for damage to charged couple device (CCD) cameras deployed for applied diagnostics. Based on the ASTM guide E722-09, the 'equivalent 1 MeV neutron fluence in silicon' was calculated for a set of CCD cameras at the Joint European Torus. Such evaluations would be useful to good practice in the operation of the video systems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: IC 361 Vilnius photometry (Zdanavicius+, 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zdanavicius, J.; Bartasiute, S.; Boyle, R. P.; Vrba, F. J.; Zdanavicius, K.

2015-03-01

CCD observations in seven filters U,P,X,Y,Z,V,S of the Vilnius system plus the filter I of the Cousins system were carried out in December of 1999 with a 2K CCD camera on the 1m telescope of the USNO Flagstaff Station (Arizona), which gives a field of the diameter of 20'. Repeated observations in the Vilnius filters were done with the same telescope and a new 2Kx2K CCD camera in March of 2009. During the latter run we have obtained well-calibrated CCD data only for filters Y, Z, V, S, since observations through the remaining three filters on the succeeding night were curtailed by cirrus clouds. Additional frames in the Vilnius filters U,Y,V were taken for the central part of the field (12'x12') in December of 2008 with a 4K CCD camera on the 1.8m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) on Mt. Graham (Arizona). (1 data file).

Low-cost digital dynamic visualization system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asundi, Anand K.; Sajan, M. R.

1995-05-01

High speed photographic systems like the image rotation camera, the Cranz Schardin camera and the drum camera are typically used for recording and visualization of dynamic events in stress analysis, fluid mechanics, etc. All these systems are fairly expensive and generally not simple to use. Furthermore they are all based on photographic film recording systems requiring time consuming and tedious wet processing of the films. Currently digital cameras are replacing to certain extent the conventional cameras for static experiments. Recently, there is lot of interest in developing and modifying CCD architectures and recording arrangements for dynamic scene analysis. Herein we report the use of a CCD camera operating in the Time Delay and Integration (TDI) mode for digitally recording dynamic scenes. Applications in solid as well as fluid impact problems are presented.

Clinical applications of commercially available video recording and monitoring systems: inexpensive, high-quality video recording and monitoring systems for endoscopy and microsurgery.

PubMed

Tsunoda, Koichi; Tsunoda, Atsunobu; Ishimoto, ShinnIchi; Kimura, Satoko

2006-01-01

The exclusive charge-coupled device (CCD) camera system for the endoscope and electronic fiberscopes are in widespread use. However, both are usually stationary in an office or examination room, and a wheeled cart is needed for mobility. The total costs of the CCD camera system and electronic fiberscopy system are at least US Dollars 10,000 and US Dollars 30,000, respectively. Recently, the performance of audio and visual instruments has improved dramatically, with a concomitant reduction in their cost. Commercially available CCD video cameras with small monitors have become common. They provide excellent image quality and are much smaller and less expensive than previous models. The authors have developed adaptors for the popular mini-digital video (mini-DV) camera. The camera also provides video and acoustic output signals; therefore, the endoscopic images can be viewed on a large monitor simultaneously. The new system (a mini-DV video camera and an adaptor) costs only US Dollars 1,000. Therefore, the system is both cost-effective and useful for the outpatient clinic or casualty setting, or on house calls for the purpose of patient education. In the future, the authors plan to introduce the clinical application of a high-vision camera and an infrared camera as medical instruments for clinical and research situations.

Taking the Observatory to the Astronomer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisque, T. M.

1997-05-01

Since 1992, Software Bisque's Remote Astronomy Software has been used by the Mt. Wilson Institute to allow interactive control of a 24" telescope and digital camera via modem. Software Bisque now introduces a comparable, relatively low-cost observatory system that allows powerful, yet "user-friendly" telescope and CCD camera control via the Internet. Utilizing software developed for the Windows 95/NT operating systems, the system offers point-and-click access to comprehensive celestial databases, extremely accurate telescope pointing, rapid download of digital CCD images by one or many users and flexible image processing software for data reduction and analysis. Our presentation will describe how the power of the personal computer has been leveraged to provide professional-level tools to the amateur astronomer, and include a description of this system's software and hardware components. The system software includes TheSky Astronomy Software?, CCDSoft CCD Astronomy Software?, TPoint Telescope Pointing Analysis System? software, Orchestrate? and, optionally, the RealSky CDs. The system hardware includes the Paramount GT-1100? Robotic Telescope Mount, as well as third party CCD cameras, focusers and optical tube assemblies.

High-performance dual-speed CCD camera system for scientific imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, Raymond W.

1996-03-01

Traditionally, scientific camera systems were partitioned with a `camera head' containing the CCD and its support circuitry and a camera controller, which provided analog to digital conversion, timing, control, computer interfacing, and power. A new, unitized high performance scientific CCD camera with dual speed readout at 1 X 106 or 5 X 106 pixels per second, 12 bit digital gray scale, high performance thermoelectric cooling, and built in composite video output is described. This camera provides all digital, analog, and cooling functions in a single compact unit. The new system incorporates the A/C converter, timing, control and computer interfacing in the camera, with the power supply remaining a separate remote unit. A 100 Mbyte/second serial link transfers data over copper or fiber media to a variety of host computers, including Sun, SGI, SCSI, PCI, EISA, and Apple Macintosh. Having all the digital and analog functions in the camera made it possible to modify this system for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for use on a remote controlled submersible vehicle. The oceanographic version achieves 16 bit dynamic range at 1.5 X 105 pixels/second, can be operated at depths of 3 kilometers, and transfers data to the surface via a real time fiber optic link.

Design and realization of an AEC&AGC system for the CCD aerial camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hai ying; Feng, Bing; Wang, Peng; Li, Yan; Wei, Hao yun

2015-08-01

An AEC and AGC(Automatic Exposure Control and Automatic Gain Control) system was designed for a CCD aerial camera with fixed aperture and electronic shutter. The normal AEC and AGE algorithm is not suitable to the aerial camera since the camera always takes high-resolution photographs in high-speed moving. The AEC and AGE system adjusts electronic shutter and camera gain automatically according to the target brightness and the moving speed of the aircraft. An automatic Gamma correction is used before the image is output so that the image is better for watching and analyzing by human eyes. The AEC and AGC system could avoid underexposure, overexposure, or image blurring caused by fast moving or environment vibration. A series of tests proved that the system meet the requirements of the camera system with its fast adjusting speed, high adaptability, high reliability in severe complex environment.

Night Vision Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

PixelVision, Inc. developed the Night Video NV652 Back-illuminated CCD Camera, based on the expertise of a former Jet Propulsion Laboratory employee and a former employee of Scientific Imaging Technologies, Inc. The camera operates without an image intensifier, using back-illuminated and thinned CCD technology to achieve extremely low light level imaging performance. The advantages of PixelVision's system over conventional cameras include greater resolution and better target identification under low light conditions, lower cost and a longer lifetime. It is used commercially for research and aviation.

Dynamic photoelasticity by TDI imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asundi, Anand K.; Sajan, M. R.

2001-06-01

High speed photographic system like the image rotation camera, the Cranz Schardin camera and the drum camera are typically used for the recording and visualization of dynamic events in stress analysis, fluid mechanics, etc. All these systems are fairly expensive and generally not simple to use. Furthermore they are all based on photographic film recording system requiring time consuming and tedious wet processing of the films. Digital cameras are replacing the conventional cameras, to certain extent in static experiments. Recently, there is lots of interest in development and modifying CCD architectures and recording arrangements for dynamic scenes analysis. Herein we report the use of a CCD camera operating in the Time Delay and Integration mode for digitally recording dynamic photoelastic stress patterns. Applications in strobe and streak photoelastic pattern recording and system limitations will be explained in the paper.

The development of a multifunction lens test instrument by using computer aided variable test patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chun-Jen; Wu, Wen-Hong; Huang, Kuo-Cheng

2009-08-01

A multi-function lens test instrument is report in this paper. This system can evaluate the image resolution, image quality, depth of field, image distortion and light intensity distribution of the tested lens by changing the tested patterns. This system consists of a tested lens, a CCD camera, a linear motorized stage, a system fixture, an observer LCD monitor, and a notebook for pattern providing. The LCD monitor displays a serious of specified tested patterns sent by the notebook. Then each displayed pattern goes through the tested lens and images in the CCD camera sensor. Consequently, the system can evaluate the performance of the tested lens by analyzing the image of CCD camera with special designed software. The major advantage of this system is that it can complete whole test quickly without interruption due to part replacement, because the tested patterns are statically displayed on monitor and controlled by the notebook.

Double and Multiple Star Measurements at the Southern Sky with a 50cm-Cassegrain and a Fast CCD Camera in 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2011-04-01

Using a 50cm Cassegrain in Namibia, recordings of double and multiple stars were made with a fast CCD camera and a notebook computer. From superpositions of "lucky images", measurements of 149 systems were obtained and compared with literature data. B/W and color images of some remarkable systems are also presented.

Double and Multiple Star Measurements in the Northern Sky with a 10" Newtonian and a Fast CCD Camera in 2006 through 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2010-07-01

Using a 10" Newtonian and a fast CCD camera, recordings of double and multiple stars were made at high frame rates with a notebook computer. From superpositions of "lucky images", measurements of 139 systems were obtained and compared with literature data. B/w and color images of some noteworthy systems are also presented.

Adjustment of multi-CCD-chip-color-camera heads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guyenot, Volker; Tittelbach, Guenther; Palme, Martin

1999-09-01

The principle of beam-splitter-multi-chip cameras consists in splitting an image into differential multiple images of different spectral ranges and in distributing these onto separate black and white CCD-sensors. The resulting electrical signals from the chips are recombined to produce a high quality color picture on the monitor. Because this principle guarantees higher resolution and sensitivity in comparison to conventional single-chip camera heads, the greater effort is acceptable. Furthermore, multi-chip cameras obtain the compete spectral information for each individual object point while single-chip system must rely on interpolation. In a joint project, Fraunhofer IOF and STRACON GmbH and in future COBRA electronic GmbH develop methods for designing the optics and dichroitic mirror system of such prism color beam splitter devices. Additionally, techniques and equipment for the alignment and assembly of color beam splitter-multi-CCD-devices on the basis of gluing with UV-curable adhesives have been developed, too.

Earth elevation map production and high resolution sensing camera imaging analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiubin; Jin, Guang; Jiang, Li; Dai, Lu; Xu, Kai

2010-11-01

The Earth's digital elevation which impacts space camera imaging has prepared and imaging has analysed. Based on matching error that TDI CCD integral series request of the speed of image motion, statistical experimental methods-Monte Carlo method is used to calculate the distribution histogram of Earth's elevation in image motion compensated model which includes satellite attitude changes, orbital angular rate changes, latitude, longitude and the orbital inclination changes. And then, elevation information of the earth's surface from SRTM is read. Earth elevation map which produced for aerospace electronic cameras is compressed and spliced. It can get elevation data from flash according to the shooting point of latitude and longitude. If elevation data between two data, the ways of searching data uses linear interpolation. Linear interpolation can better meet the rugged mountains and hills changing requests. At last, the deviant framework and camera controller are used to test the character of deviant angle errors, TDI CCD camera simulation system with the material point corresponding to imaging point model is used to analyze the imaging's MTF and mutual correlation similarity measure, simulation system use adding cumulation which TDI CCD imaging exceeded the corresponding pixel horizontal and vertical offset to simulate camera imaging when stability of satellite attitude changes. This process is practicality. It can effectively control the camera memory space, and meet a very good precision TDI CCD camera in the request matches the speed of image motion and imaging.

Measuring high-resolution sky luminance distributions with a CCD camera.

PubMed

Tohsing, Korntip; Schrempf, Michael; Riechelmann, Stefan; Schilke, Holger; Seckmeyer, Gunther

2013-03-10

We describe how sky luminance can be derived from a newly developed hemispherical sky imager (HSI) system. The system contains a commercial compact charge coupled device (CCD) camera equipped with a fish-eye lens. The projection of the camera system has been found to be nearly equidistant. The luminance from the high dynamic range images has been calculated and then validated with luminance data measured by a CCD array spectroradiometer. The deviation between both datasets is less than 10% for cloudless and completely overcast skies, and differs by no more than 20% for all sky conditions. The global illuminance derived from the HSI pictures deviates by less than 5% and 20% under cloudless and cloudy skies for solar zenith angles less than 80°, respectively. This system is therefore capable of measuring sky luminance with the high spatial and temporal resolution of more than a million pixels and every 20 s respectively.

Deflection Measurements of a Thermally Simulated Nuclear Core Using a High-Resolution CCD-Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanojev, B. J.; Houts, M.

2004-01-01

Space fission systems under consideration for near-term missions all use compact. fast-spectrum reactor cores. Reactor dimensional change with increasing temperature, which affects neutron leakage. is the dominant source of reactivity feedback in these systems. Accurately measuring core dimensional changes during realistic non-nuclear testing is therefore necessary in predicting the system nuclear equivalent behavior. This paper discusses one key technique being evaluated for measuring such changes. The proposed technique is to use a Charged Couple Device (CCD) sensor to obtain deformation readings of electrically heated prototypic reactor core geometry. This paper introduces a technique by which a single high spatial resolution CCD camera is used to measure core deformation in Real-Time (RT). Initial system checkout results are presented along with a discussion on how additional cameras could be used to achieve a three- dimensional deformation profile of the core during test.

An Overview of the CBERS-2 Satellite and Comparison of the CBERS-2 CCD Data with the L5 TM Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandler, Gyanesh

2007-01-01

CBERS satellite carries on-board a multi sensor payload with different spatial resolutions and collection frequencies. HRCCD (High Resolution CCD Camera), IRMSS (Infrared Multispectral Scanner), and WFI (Wide-Field Imager). The CCD and the WFI camera operate in the VNIR regions, while the IRMSS operates in SWIR and thermal region. In addition to the imaging payload, the satellite carries a Data Collection System (DCS) and Space Environment Monitor (SEM).

Double Star Measurements at the Southern Sky with 50 cm Reflectors and Fast CCD Cameras in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2014-07-01

A Cassegrain and a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector, both with 50 cm aperture, were used in Namibia for recordings of double stars with fast CCD cameras and a notebook computer. From superposition of "lucky images", measurements of 39 double and multiple systems were obtained and compared with literature data. Occasional deviations are discussed. Images of some remarkable systems are also presented.

A goggle navigation system for cancer resection surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Junbin; Shao, Pengfei; Yue, Ting; Zhang, Shiwu; Ding, Houzhu; Wang, Jinkun; Xu, Ronald

2014-02-01

We describe a portable fluorescence goggle navigation system for cancer margin assessment during oncologic surgeries. The system consists of a computer, a head mount display (HMD) device, a near infrared (NIR) CCD camera, a miniature CMOS camera, and a 780 nm laser diode excitation light source. The fluorescence and the background images of the surgical scene are acquired by the CCD camera and the CMOS camera respectively, co-registered, and displayed on the HMD device in real-time. The spatial resolution and the co-registration deviation of the goggle navigation system are evaluated quantitatively. The technical feasibility of the proposed goggle system is tested in an ex vivo tumor model. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of using a goggle navigation system for intraoperative margin detection and surgical guidance.

Linear CCD attitude measurement system based on the identification of the auxiliary array CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yinghui; Yuan, Feng; Li, Kai; Wang, Yan

2015-10-01

Object to the high precision flying target attitude measurement issues of a large space and large field of view, comparing existing measurement methods, the idea is proposed of using two array CCD to assist in identifying the three linear CCD with multi-cooperative target attitude measurement system, and to address the existing nonlinear system errors and calibration parameters and more problems with nine linear CCD spectroscopic test system of too complicated constraints among camera position caused by excessive. The mathematical model of binocular vision and three linear CCD test system are established, co-spot composition triangle utilize three red LED position light, three points' coordinates are given in advance by Cooperate Measuring Machine, the red LED in the composition of the three sides of a triangle adds three blue LED light points as an auxiliary, so that array CCD is easier to identify three red LED light points, and linear CCD camera is installed of a red filter to filter out the blue LED light points while reducing stray light. Using array CCD to measure the spot, identifying and calculating the spatial coordinates solutions of red LED light points, while utilizing linear CCD to measure three red LED spot for solving linear CCD test system, which can be drawn from 27 solution. Measured with array CCD coordinates auxiliary linear CCD has achieved spot identification, and has solved the difficult problems of multi-objective linear CCD identification. Unique combination of linear CCD imaging features, linear CCD special cylindrical lens system is developed using telecentric optical design, the energy center of the spot position in the depth range of convergence in the direction is perpendicular to the optical axis of the small changes ensuring highprecision image quality, and the entire test system improves spatial object attitude measurement speed and precision.

Realization of Vilnius UPXYZVS photometric system for AltaU42 CCD camera at the MAO NAS of Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vid'Machenko, A. P.; Andruk, V. M.; Samoylov, V. S.; Delets, O. S.; Nevodovsky, P. V.; Ivashchenko, Yu. M.; Kovalchuk, G. U.

2005-06-01

The description of two-inch glass filters of the Vilnius UPXYZVS photometric system, which are made at the Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine for AltaU42 CCD camera with format of 2048×2048 pixels, is presented in the paper. Reaction curves of instrumental system are shown. Estimations of minimal star's magnitudes for each filter's band in comparison with the visual V one are obtained. New software for automation of CCD frames processing is developed in program shell of LINUX/MIDAS/ROMAFOT. It is planned to carry out observations with the purpose to create the catalogue of primary UPXYZVS CCD standards in selected field of the sky for some radio-sources, globular and open clusters, etc. Numerical estimations of astrometric and photometric accuracy are obtained.

Double Star Measurements at the Southern Sky with a 50 cm Reflector and a Fast CCD Camera in 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2015-04-01

A Ritchey-Chrétien reflector with 50 cm aperture was used in Namibia for recordings of double stars with a fast CCD camera and a notebook computer. From superposition of "lucky images", measurements of 91 pairings in 79 double and multiple systems were obtained and compared with literature data. Occasional deviations are discussed. Some images of noteworthy systems are also presented.

Fast noninvasive eye-tracking and eye-gaze determination for biomedical and remote monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talukder, Ashit; Morookian, John M.; Monacos, Steve P.; Lam, Raymond K.; Lebaw, C.; Bond, A.

2004-04-01

Eyetracking is one of the latest technologies that has shown potential in several areas including human-computer interaction for people with and without disabilities, and for noninvasive monitoring, detection, and even diagnosis of physiological and neurological problems in individuals. Current non-invasive eyetracking methods achieve a 30 Hz rate with possibly low accuracy in gaze estimation, that is insufficient for many applications. We propose a new non-invasive visual eyetracking system that is capable of operating at speeds as high as 6-12 KHz. A new CCD video camera and hardware architecture is used, and a novel fast image processing algorithm leverages specific features of the input CCD camera to yield a real-time eyetracking system. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is used to control the CCD camera and execute the image processing operations. Initial results show the excellent performance of our system under severe head motion and low contrast conditions.

VUV testing of science cameras at MSFC: QE measurement of the CLASP flight cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champey, P.; Kobayashi, K.; Winebarger, A.; Cirtain, J.; Hyde, D.; Robertson, B.; Beabout, B.; Beabout, D.; Stewart, M.

2015-08-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras were built and tested for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint MSFC, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and Institut D'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS) sounding rocket mission. The CLASP camera design includes a frame-transfer e2v CCD57-10 512 × 512 detector, dual channel analog readout and an internally mounted cold block. At the flight CCD temperature of -20C, the CLASP cameras exceeded the low-noise performance requirements (<= 25 e- read noise and <= 10 e- /sec/pixel dark current), in addition to maintaining a stable gain of ≍ 2.0 e-/DN. The e2v CCD57-10 detectors were coated with Lumogen-E to improve quantum efficiency (QE) at the Lyman- wavelength. A vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) monochromator and a NIST calibrated photodiode were employed to measure the QE of each camera. Three flight cameras and one engineering camera were tested in a high-vacuum chamber, which was configured to operate several tests intended to verify the QE, gain, read noise and dark current of the CCD. We present and discuss the QE measurements performed on the CLASP cameras. We also discuss the high-vacuum system outfitted for testing of UV, EUV and X-ray science cameras at MSFC.

Transmission electron microscope CCD camera

DOEpatents

Downing, Kenneth H.

1999-01-01

In order to improve the performance of a CCD camera on a high voltage electron microscope, an electron decelerator is inserted between the microscope column and the CCD. This arrangement optimizes the interaction of the electron beam with the scintillator of the CCD camera while retaining optimization of the microscope optics and of the interaction of the beam with the specimen. Changing the electron beam energy between the specimen and camera allows both to be optimized.

Curved CCD detector devices and arrays for multispectral astrophysical applications and terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swain, Pradyumna; Mark, David

2004-09-01

The emergence of curved CCD detectors as individual devices or as contoured mosaics assembled to match the curved focal planes of astronomical telescopes and terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras represents a major optical design advancement that greatly enhances the scientific potential of such instruments. In altering the primary detection surface within the telescope"s optical instrumentation system from flat to curved, and conforming the applied CCD"s shape precisely to the contour of the telescope"s curved focal plane, a major increase in the amount of transmittable light at various wavelengths through the system is achieved. This in turn enables multi-spectral ultra-sensitive imaging with much greater spatial resolution necessary for large and very large telescope applications, including those involving infrared image acquisition and spectroscopy, conducted over very wide fields of view. For earth-based and space-borne optical telescopes, the advent of curved CCD"s as the principle detectors provides a simplification of the telescope"s adjoining optics, reducing the number of optical elements and the occurrence of optical aberrations associated with large corrective optics used to conform to flat detectors. New astronomical experiments may be devised in the presence of curved CCD applications, in conjunction with large format cameras and curved mosaics, including three dimensional imaging spectroscopy conducted over multiple wavelengths simultaneously, wide field real-time stereoscopic tracking of remote objects within the solar system at high resolution, and deep field survey mapping of distant objects such as galaxies with much greater multi-band spatial precision over larger sky regions. Terrestrial stereo panoramic cameras equipped with arrays of curved CCD"s joined with associative wide field optics will require less optical glass and no mechanically moving parts to maintain continuous proper stereo convergence over wider perspective viewing fields than their flat CCD counterparts, lightening the cameras and enabling faster scanning and 3D integration of objects moving within a planetary terrain environment. Preliminary experiments conducted at the Sarnoff Corporation indicate the feasibility of curved CCD imagers with acceptable electro-optic integrity. Currently, we are in the process of evaluating the electro-optic performance of a curved wafer scale CCD imager. Detailed ray trace modeling and experimental electro-optical data performance obtained from the curved imager will be presented at the conference.

HERCULES/MSI: a multispectral imager with geolocation for STS-70

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simi, Christopher G.; Kindsfather, Randy; Pickard, Henry; Howard, William, III; Norton, Mark C.; Dixon, Roberta

1995-11-01

A multispectral intensified CCD imager combined with a ring laser gyroscope based inertial measurement unit was flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery from July 13-22, 1995 (Space Transport System Flight No. 70, STS-70). The camera includes a six position filter wheel, a third generation image intensifier, and a CCD camera. The camera is integrated with a laser gyroscope system that determines the ground position of the imagery to an accuracy of better than three nautical miles. The camera has two modes of operation; a panchromatic mode for high-magnification imaging [ground sample distance (GSD) of 4 m], or a multispectral mode consisting of six different user-selectable spectral ranges at reduced magnification (12 m GSD). This paper discusses the system hardware and technical trade-offs involved with camera optimization, and presents imagery observed during the shuttle mission.

CCD Photometer Installed on the Telescope - 600 OF the Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory II. The Technique of Observation and Data Processing of CCD Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullayev, B. I.; Gulmaliyev, N. I.; Majidova, S. O.; Mikayilov, Kh. M.; Rustamov, B. N.

2009-12-01

Basic technical characteristics of CCD matrix U-47 made by the Apogee Alta Instruments Inc. are provided. Short description and features of various noises introduced by optical system and CCD camera are presented. The technique of getting calibration frames: bias, dark, flat field and main stages of processing of results CCD photometry are described.

LAMOST CCD camera-control system based on RTS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Yuan; Wang, Zheng; Li, Jian; Cao, Zi-Huang; Dai, Wei; Wei, Shou-Lin; Zhao, Yong-Heng

2018-05-01

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) is the largest existing spectroscopic survey telescope, having 32 scientific charge-coupled-device (CCD) cameras for acquiring spectra. Stability and automation of the camera-control software are essential, but cannot be provided by the existing system. The Remote Telescope System 2nd Version (RTS2) is an open-source and automatic observatory-control system. However, all previous RTS2 applications were developed for small telescopes. This paper focuses on implementation of an RTS2-based camera-control system for the 32 CCDs of LAMOST. A virtual camera module inherited from the RTS2 camera module is built as a device component working on the RTS2 framework. To improve the controllability and robustness, a virtualized layer is designed using the master-slave software paradigm, and the virtual camera module is mapped to the 32 real cameras of LAMOST. The new system is deployed in the actual environment and experimentally tested. Finally, multiple observations are conducted using this new RTS2-framework-based control system. The new camera-control system is found to satisfy the requirements for automatic camera control in LAMOST. This is the first time that RTS2 has been applied to a large telescope, and provides a referential solution for full RTS2 introduction to the LAMOST observatory control system.

Remote media vision-based computer input device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arabnia, Hamid R.; Chen, Ching-Yi

1991-11-01

In this paper, we introduce a vision-based computer input device which has been built at the University of Georgia. The user of this system gives commands to the computer without touching any physical device. The system receives input through a CCD camera; it is PC- based and is built on top of the DOS operating system. The major components of the input device are: a monitor, an image capturing board, a CCD camera, and some software (developed by use). These are interfaced with a standard PC running under the DOS operating system.

High-resolution CCD imaging alternatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. L.; Acker, D. E.

1992-08-01

High resolution CCD color cameras have recently stimulated the interest of a large number of potential end-users for a wide range of practical applications. Real-time High Definition Television (HDTV) systems are now being used or considered for use in applications ranging from entertainment program origination through digital image storage to medical and scientific research. HDTV generation of electronic images offers significant cost and time-saving advantages over the use of film in such applications. Further in still image systems electronic image capture is faster and more efficient than conventional image scanners. The CCD still camera can capture 3-dimensional objects into the computing environment directly without having to shoot a picture on film develop it and then scan the image into a computer. 2. EXTENDING CCD TECHNOLOGY BEYOND BROADCAST Most standard production CCD sensor chips are made for broadcast-compatible systems. One popular CCD and the basis for this discussion offers arrays of roughly 750 x 580 picture elements (pixels) or a total array of approximately 435 pixels (see Fig. 1). FOR. A has developed a technique to increase the number of available pixels for a given image compared to that produced by the standard CCD itself. Using an inter-lined CCD with an overall spatial structure several times larger than the photo-sensitive sensor areas each of the CCD sensors is shifted in two dimensions in order to fill in spatial gaps between adjacent sensors.

Flame Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, Heidi L. (Inventor); Smith, Harvey S. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A system for imaging a flame and the background scene is discussed. The flame imaging system consists of two charge-coupled-device (CCD) cameras. One camera uses a 800 nm long pass filter which during overcast conditions blocks sufficient background light so the hydrogen flame is brighter than the background light, and the second CCD camera uses a 1100 nm long pass filter, which blocks the solar background in full sunshine conditions such that the hydrogen flame is brighter than the solar background. Two electronic viewfinders convert the signal from the cameras into a visible image. The operator can select the appropriate filtered camera to use depending on the current light conditions. In addition, a narrow band pass filtered InGaAs sensor at 1360 nm triggers an audible alarm and a flashing LED if the sensor detects a flame, providing additional flame detection so the operator does not overlook a small flame.

Optical registration of spaceborne low light remote sensing camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chong-yang; Hao, Yan-hui; Xu, Peng-mei; Wang, Dong-jie; Ma, Li-na; Zhao, Ying-long

2018-02-01

For the high precision requirement of spaceborne low light remote sensing camera optical registration, optical registration of dual channel for CCD and EMCCD is achieved by the high magnification optical registration system. System integration optical registration and accuracy of optical registration scheme for spaceborne low light remote sensing camera with short focal depth and wide field of view is proposed in this paper. It also includes analysis of parallel misalignment of CCD and accuracy of optical registration. Actual registration results show that imaging clearly, MTF and accuracy of optical registration meet requirements, it provide important guarantee to get high quality image data in orbit.

New method for obtaining position and time structure of source in HDR remote afterloading brachytherapy unit utilizing light emission from scintillator

PubMed Central

Hanada, Takashi; Katsuta, Shoichi; Yorozu, Atsunori; Maruyama, Koichi

2009-01-01

When using a HDR remote afterloading brachytherapy unit, results of treatment can be greatly influenced by both source position and treatment time. The purpose of this study is to obtain information on the source of the HDR remote afterloading unit, such as its position and time structure, with the use of a simple system consisting of a plastic scintillator block and a charge‐coupled device (CCD) camera. The CCD camera was used for recording images of scintillation luminescence at a fixed rate of 30 frames per second in real time. The source position and time structure were obtained by analyzing the recorded images. For a preset source‐step‐interval of 5 mm, the measured value of the source position was 5.0±1.0mm, with a pixel resolution of 0.07 mm in the recorded images. For a preset transit time of 30 s, the measured value was 30.0±0.6 s, when the time resolution of the CCD camera was 1/30 s. This system enabled us to obtain the source dwell time and movement time. Therefore, parameters such as I192r source position, transit time, dwell time, and movement time at each dwell position can be determined quantitatively using this plastic scintillator‐CCD camera system. PACS number: 87.53.Jw

Electronic cameras for low-light microscopy.

PubMed

Rasnik, Ivan; French, Todd; Jacobson, Ken; Berland, Keith

2013-01-01

This chapter introduces to electronic cameras, discusses the various parameters considered for evaluating their performance, and describes some of the key features of different camera formats. The chapter also presents the basic understanding of functioning of the electronic cameras and how these properties can be exploited to optimize image quality under low-light conditions. Although there are many types of cameras available for microscopy, the most reliable type is the charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, which remains preferred for high-performance systems. If time resolution and frame rate are of no concern, slow-scan CCDs certainly offer the best available performance, both in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio and their spatial resolution. Slow-scan cameras are thus the first choice for experiments using fixed specimens such as measurements using immune fluorescence and fluorescence in situ hybridization. However, if video rate imaging is required, one need not evaluate slow-scan CCD cameras. A very basic video CCD may suffice if samples are heavily labeled or are not perturbed by high intensity illumination. When video rate imaging is required for very dim specimens, the electron multiplying CCD camera is probably the most appropriate at this technological stage. Intensified CCDs provide a unique tool for applications in which high-speed gating is required. The variable integration time video cameras are very attractive options if one needs to acquire images at video rate acquisition, as well as with longer integration times for less bright samples. This flexibility can facilitate many diverse applications with highly varied light levels. Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific and technical collaboration between Russian and Ukranian researchers and manufacturers on the development of astronomical instruments equipped with advanced detection services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vishnevsky, G. I.; Galyatkin, I. A.; Zhuk, A. A.; Iblyaminova, A. F.; Kossov, V. G.; Levko, G. V.; Nesterov, V. K.; Rivkind, V. L.; Rogalev, Yu. N.; Smirnov, A. V.; Gumerov, R. I.; Bikmaev, I. F.; Pinigin, G. I.; Shulga, A. V.; Kovalchyk, A. V.; Protsyuk, Yu. I.; Malevinsky, S. V.; Abrosimov, V. M.; Mironenko, V. N.; Savchenko, V. V.; Ivaschenko, Yu. N.; Andruk, V. M.; Dalinenko, I. N.; Vydrevich, M. G.

2003-01-01

The paper presents the possibilities and a list of tasks that are solved by collaboration between research and production companies, and astronomical observatories of Russia and Ukraine in the field of development, modernization and equipping of various telescopes (the AMC, RTT-150, Zeiss-600 and quantum-optical system Sazhen-S types) with advanced charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras. CCD imagers and ditital CCD cameras designed and manufactured by the "Electron-Optronic" Research & Production Company, St Petersburg, to equip astronomical telescopes and scientific instruments are described.

High-frame rate multiport CCD imager and camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levine, Peter A.; Patterson, David R.; Esposito, Benjamin J.; Tower, John R.; Lawler, William B.

1993-01-01

A high frame rate visible CCD camera capable of operation up to 200 frames per second is described. The camera produces a 256 X 256 pixel image by using one quadrant of a 512 X 512 16-port, back illuminated CCD imager. Four contiguous outputs are digitally reformatted into a correct, 256 X 256 image. This paper details the architecture and timing used for the CCD drive circuits, analog processing, and the digital reformatter.

MMW/THz imaging using upconversion to visible, based on glow discharge detector array and CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aharon, Avihai; Rozban, Daniel; Abramovich, Amir; Yitzhaky, Yitzhak; Kopeika, Natan S.

2017-10-01

An inexpensive upconverting MMW/THz imaging method is suggested here. The method is based on glow discharge detector (GDD) and silicon photodiode or simple CCD/CMOS camera. The GDD was previously found to be an excellent room-temperature MMW radiation detector by measuring its electrical current. The GDD is very inexpensive and it is advantageous due to its wide dynamic range, broad spectral range, room temperature operation, immunity to high power radiation, and more. An upconversion method is demonstrated here, which is based on measuring the visual light emitting from the GDD rather than its electrical current. The experimental setup simulates a setup that composed of a GDD array, MMW source, and a basic CCD/CMOS camera. The visual light emitting from the GDD array is directed to the CCD/CMOS camera and the change in the GDD light is measured using image processing algorithms. The combination of CMOS camera and GDD focal plane arrays can yield a faster, more sensitive, and very inexpensive MMW/THz camera, eliminating the complexity of the electronic circuits and the internal electronic noise of the GDD. Furthermore, three dimensional imaging systems based on scanning prohibited real time operation of such imaging systems. This is easily solved and is economically feasible using a GDD array. This array will enable us to acquire information on distance and magnitude from all the GDD pixels in the array simultaneously. The 3D image can be obtained using methods like frequency modulation continuous wave (FMCW) direct chirp modulation, and measuring the time of flight (TOF).

Vacuum compatible miniature CCD camera head

DOEpatents

Conder, Alan D.

2000-01-01

A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera head which can replace film for digital imaging of visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and soft to penetrating x-rays, such as within a target chamber where laser produced plasmas are studied. The camera head is small, capable of operating both in and out of a vacuum environment, and is versatile. The CCD camera head uses PC boards with an internal heat sink connected to the chassis for heat dissipation, which allows for close(0.04" for example) stacking of the PC boards. Integration of this CCD camera head into existing instrumentation provides a substantial enhancement of diagnostic capabilities for studying high energy density plasmas, for a variety of military industrial, and medical imaging applications.

CMOS Imaging Sensor Technology for Aerial Mapping Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Klaus; Welzenbach, Martin; Timm, Martin

2016-06-01

In June 2015 Leica Geosystems launched the first large format aerial mapping camera using CMOS sensor technology, the Leica DMC III. This paper describes the motivation to change from CCD sensor technology to CMOS for the development of this new aerial mapping camera. In 2002 the DMC first generation was developed by Z/I Imaging. It was the first large format digital frame sensor designed for mapping applications. In 2009 Z/I Imaging designed the DMC II which was the first digital aerial mapping camera using a single ultra large CCD sensor to avoid stitching of smaller CCDs. The DMC III is now the third generation of large format frame sensor developed by Z/I Imaging and Leica Geosystems for the DMC camera family. It is an evolution of the DMC II using the same system design with one large monolithic PAN sensor and four multi spectral camera heads for R,G, B and NIR. For the first time a 391 Megapixel large CMOS sensor had been used as PAN chromatic sensor, which is an industry record. Along with CMOS technology goes a range of technical benefits. The dynamic range of the CMOS sensor is approx. twice the range of a comparable CCD sensor and the signal to noise ratio is significantly better than with CCDs. Finally results from the first DMC III customer installations and test flights will be presented and compared with other CCD based aerial sensors.

Sensory Interactive Teleoperator Robotic Grasping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alark, Keli; Lumia, Ron

1997-01-01

As the technological world strives for efficiency, the need for economical equipment that increases operator proficiency in minimal time is fundamental. This system links a CCD camera, a controller and a robotic arm to a computer vision system to provide an alternative method of image analysis. The machine vision system which was employed possesses software tools for acquiring and analyzing images which are received through a CCD camera. After feature extraction on the object in the image was performed, information about the object's location, orientation and distance from the robotic gripper is sent to the robot controller so that the robot can manipulate the object.

CCD Astrometry with Robotic Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AlZaben, Faisal; Li, Dewei; Li, Yongyao; Dennis, Aren Fene, Michael; Boyce, Grady; Boyce, Pat

2016-01-01

CCD images were acquired of three binary star systems: WDS06145+1148, WDS06206+1803, and WDS06224+2640. The astrometric solution, position angle, and separation of each system were calculated with MaximDL v6 and Mira Pro x64 software suites. The results were consistent with historical measurements in the Washington Double Star Catalog. Our analysis found some differences in measurements between single-shot color CCD cameras and traditional monochrome CCDs using a filter wheel.

Printed circuit board for a CCD camera head

DOEpatents

Conder, Alan D.

2002-01-01

A charge-coupled device (CCD) camera head which can replace film for digital imaging of visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and soft to penetrating x-rays, such as within a target chamber where laser produced plasmas are studied. The camera head is small, capable of operating both in and out of a vacuum environment, and is versatile. The CCD camera head uses PC boards with an internal heat sink connected to the chassis for heat dissipation, which allows for close (0.04" for example) stacking of the PC boards. Integration of this CCD camera head into existing instrumentation provides a substantial enhancement of diagnostic capabilities for studying high energy density plasmas, for a variety of military industrial, and medical imaging applications.

Camera for Quasars in the Early Universe (CQUEAN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Eunbin; Park, W.; Lim, J.; Jeong, H.; Kim, J.; Oh, H.; Pak, S.; Im, M.; Kuehne, J.

2010-05-01

The early universe of z ɳ is where the first stars, galaxies, and quasars formed, starting the re-ionization of the universe. The discovery and the study of quasars in the early universe allow us to witness the beginning of history of astronomical objects. In order to perform a medium-deep, medium-wide, imaging survey of quasars, we are developing an optical CCD camera, CQUEAN (Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse) which uses a 1024*1024 pixel deep-depletion CCD. It has an enhanced QE than conventional CCD at wavelength band around 1μm, thus it will be an efficient tool for observation of quasars at z > 7. It will be attached to the 2.1m telescope at McDonald Observatory, USA. A focal reducer is designed to secure a larger field of view at the cassegrain focus of 2.1m telescope. For long stable exposures, auto-guiding system will be implemented by using another CCD camera viewing an off-axis field. All these instruments will be controlled by the software written in python on linux platform. CQUEAN is expected to see the first light during summer in 2010.

CCD Camera Lens Interface for Real-Time Theodolite Alignment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wake, Shane; Scott, V. Stanley, III

2012-01-01

Theodolites are a common instrument in the testing, alignment, and building of various systems ranging from a single optical component to an entire instrument. They provide a precise way to measure horizontal and vertical angles. They can be used to align multiple objects in a desired way at specific angles. They can also be used to reference a specific location or orientation of an object that has moved. Some systems may require a small margin of error in position of components. A theodolite can assist with accurately measuring and/or minimizing that error. The technology is an adapter for a CCD camera with lens to attach to a Leica Wild T3000 Theodolite eyepiece that enables viewing on a connected monitor, and thus can be utilized with multiple theodolites simultaneously. This technology removes a substantial part of human error by relying on the CCD camera and monitors. It also allows image recording of the alignment, and therefore provides a quantitative means to measure such error.

Aluminum/ammonia heat pipe gas generation and long term system impact for the Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, J. A.

1983-01-01

In the Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC) project, eight heat pipes (HPs) are used to remove heat from the camera's inner electronic sensors to the spacecraft's outer, cold radiator surface. For proper device functioning and maximization of the signal-to-noise ratios, the Charge Coupled Devices (CCD's) must be maintained at -95 C or lower. Thermoelectric coolers (TEC's) cool the CCD's, and heat pipes deliver each TEC's nominal six to eight watts of heat to the space radiator, which reaches an equilibrium temperature between -15 C to -70 C. An initial problem was related to the difficulty to produce gas-free aluminum/ammonia heat pipes. An investigation was, therefore, conducted to determine the cause of the gas generation and the impact of this gas on CCD cooling. In order to study the effect of gas slugs in the WFPC system, a separate HP was made. Attention is given to fabrication, testing, and heat pipe gas generation chemistry studies.

Wide field NEO survey 1.0-m telescope with 10 2k×4k mosaic CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isobe, Syuzo; Asami, Atsuo; Asher, David J.; Hashimoto, Toshiyasu; Nakano, Shi-ichi; Nishiyama, Kota; Ohshima, Yoshiaki; Terazono, Junya; Umehara, Hiroaki; Yoshikawa, Makoto

2002-12-01

We developed a new 1.0 m telescope with a 3 degree flat focal plane to which a mosaic CCD camera with 10 2k×4k chips is fixed. The system was set up in February 2002, and is now undergoing the final fine adjustments. Since the telescope has a focal length of 3 m, a field of 7.5 square degrees is covered in one image. In good seeing conditions, 1.5 arc seconds, at the site located in Bisei town, Okayama prefecture in Japan, we can expect to detect down to 20th magnitude stars with an exposure time of 60 seconds. Considering a read-out time, 46 seconds, of the CCD camera, one image is taken in every two minutes, and about 2,100 square degrees of field is expected to be covered in one clear night. This system is very effective for survey work, especially for Near-Earth-Asteroid detection.

Plane development of lateral surfaces for inspection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francini, F.; Fontani, D.; Jafrancesco, D.; Mercatelli, L.; Sansoni, P.

2006-08-01

The problem of developing the lateral surfaces of a 3D object can arise in item inspection using automated imaging systems. In an industrial environment, these control systems typically work at high rate and they have to assure a reliable inspection of the single item. For compactness requirements it is not convenient to utilise three or four CCD cameras to control all the lateral surfaces of an object. Moreover it is impossible to mount optical components near the object if it is placed on a conveyor belt. The paper presents a system that integrates on a single CCD picture the images of both the frontal surface and the lateral surface of an object. It consists of a freeform lens mounted in front of a CCD camera with a commercial lens. The aim is to have a good magnification of the lateral surface, maintaining a low aberration level for exploiting the pictures in an image processing software. The freeform lens, made in plastics, redirects the light coming from the object to the camera lens. The final result is to obtain on the CCD: - the frontal and lateral surface images, with a selected magnification (even with two different values for the two images); - a gap between these two images, so an automatic method to analyse the images can be easily applied. A simple method to design the freeform lens is illustrated. The procedure also allows to obtain the imaging system modifying a current inspection system reducing the cost.

Explosive Transient Camera (ETC) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-10-01

VOLTAGES 4.- VIDEO OUT CCD CLOCKING UNIT UUPSTAIRS" ELECTRONICS AND ANALOG TO DIGITAL IPR OCECSSER I COMMANDS TO DATA AND STATUS INSTRUMENT INFORMATION I...and transmits digital video and status information to the "downstairs" system. The clocking unit and regulator/driver board are the only CCD dependent...A. 1001, " Video Cam-era’CC’" tandari Piells" (1(P’ll m-norartlum, unpublished). Condon,, J.J., Puckpan, M.A., and Vachalski, J. 1970, A. J., 9U, 1149

VizieR Online Data Catalog: GSC04778-00152 photometry and spectroscopy (Tuvikene+, 2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuvikene, T.; Sterken, C.; Eenmae, T.; Hinojosa-Goni, R.; Brogt, E.; Longa Pena, P.; Liimets, T.; Ahumada, M.; Troncoso, P.; Vogt, N.

2012-04-01

CCD photometry of GSC04778-00152 was carried out on 54 nights during 9 observing runs. In January 2006 the observations were made with the 41-cm Meade telescope at Observatorio Cerro Armazones (OCA), Chile, using an SBIG STL-6303E CCD camera (3072x2048 pixels, FOV 23.0'x15.4') and Johnson V filter. On 3 nights in December 2006 and on 2 nights in October 2007 we used the 2.4-m Hiltner telescope at the MDM Observatory, Arizona, USA, equipped with the 8kx8k Mosaic imager (FOV 23.6'x23.6'). In December 2006 and January 2007, we also used the 41-cm Meade telescope at OCA, using an SBIG ST-7XME CCD camera (FOV 5.9'x3.9') with no filter. Figure 3 shows all OCA light curves obtained with this configuration. At Tartu Observatory the observations were carried out in December 2006 and January 2007, using the 60-cm telescope with a SpectraSource Instruments HPC-1 camera (1024x1024 pixels, FOV 11.2'x11.2') and V filter. >From January to March 2007 the system was observed using the 1.0-m telescope at SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa with an STE4 CCD camera (1024x1024 pixels, FOV 5.3'x5.3') and UBVRI filters. Spectroscopic observations were carried out at the Tartu Observatory, Estonia, using the 1.5-m telescope with the Cassegrain spectrograph ASP-32 and an Andor Newton CCD camera. (3 data files).

PN-CCD camera for XMM: performance of high time resolution/bright source operating modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendziorra, Eckhard; Bihler, Edgar; Grubmiller, Willy; Kretschmar, Baerbel; Kuster, Markus; Pflueger, Bernhard; Staubert, Ruediger; Braeuninger, Heinrich W.; Briel, Ulrich G.; Meidinger, Norbert; Pfeffermann, Elmar; Reppin, Claus; Stoetter, Diana; Strueder, Lothar; Holl, Peter; Kemmer, Josef; Soltau, Heike; von Zanthier, Christoph

1997-10-01

The pn-CCD camera is developed as one of the focal plane instruments for the European photon imaging camera (EPIC) on board the x-ray multi mirror (XMM) mission to be launched in 1999. The detector consists of four quadrants of three pn-CCDs each, which are integrated on one silicon wafer. Each CCD has 200 by 64 pixels (150 micrometer by 150 micrometers) with 280 micrometers depletion depth. One CCD of a quadrant is read out at a time, while the four quadrants can be processed independently of each other. In standard imaging mode the CCDs are read out sequentially every 70 ms. Observations of point sources brighter than 1 mCrab will be effected by photon pile- up. However, special operating modes can be used to observe bright sources up to 150 mCrab in timing mode with 30 microseconds time resolution and very bright sources up to several crab in burst mode with 7 microseconds time resolution. We have tested one quadrant of the EPIC pn-CCD camera at line energies from 0.52 keV to 17.4 keV at the long beam test facility Panter in the focus of the qualification mirror module for XMM. In order to test the time resolution of the system, a mechanical chopper was used to periodically modulate the beam intensity. Pulse periods down to 0.7 ms were generated. This paper describes the performance of the pn-CCD detector in timing and burst readout modes with special emphasis on energy and time resolution.

Optics design of laser spotter camera for ex-CCD sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nautiyal, R. P.; Mishra, V. K.; Sharma, P. K.

2015-06-01

Development of Laser based instruments like laser range finder and laser ranger designator has received prominence in modern day military application. Aiming the laser on the target is done with the help of a bore sighted graticule as human eye cannot see the laser beam directly. To view Laser spot there are two types of detectors available, InGaAs detector and Ex-CCD detector, the latter being a cost effective solution. In this paper optics design for Ex-CCD based camera is discussed. The designed system is light weight and compact and has the ability to see the 1064nm pulsed laser spot upto a range of 5 km.

Using multi-disciplinary optimization and numerical simulation on the transiting exoplanet survey satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoeckel, Gerhard P.; Doyle, Keith B.

2017-08-01

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is an instrument consisting of four, wide fieldof- view CCD cameras dedicated to the discovery of exoplanets around the brightest stars, and understanding the diversity of planets and planetary systems in our galaxy. Each camera utilizes a seven-element lens assembly with low-power and low-noise CCD electronics. Advanced multivariable optimization and numerical simulation capabilities accommodating arbitrarily complex objective functions have been added to the internally developed Lincoln Laboratory Integrated Modeling and Analysis Software (LLIMAS) and used to assess system performance. Various optical phenomena are accounted for in these analyses including full dn/dT spatial distributions in lenses and charge diffusion in the CCD electronics. These capabilities are utilized to design CCD shims for thermal vacuum chamber testing and flight, and verify comparable performance in both environments across a range of wavelengths, field points and temperature distributions. Additionally, optimizations and simulations are used for model correlation and robustness optimizations.

Imagers for digital still photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosiers, Jan; Dillen, Bart; Draijer, Cees; Manoury, Erik-Jan; Meessen, Louis; Peters, Inge

2006-04-01

This paper gives an overview of the requirements for, and current state-of-the-art of, CCD and CMOS imagers for use in digital still photography. Four market segments will be reviewed: mobile imaging, consumer "point-and-shoot cameras", consumer digital SLR cameras and high-end professional camera systems. The paper will also present some challenges and innovations with respect to packaging, testing, and system integration.

Multiple-target tracking implementation in the ebCMOS camera system: the LUSIPHER prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doan, Quang Tuyen; Barbier, Remi; Dominjon, Agnes; Cajgfinger, Thomas; Guerin, Cyrille

2012-06-01

The domain of the low light imaging systems progresses very fast, thanks to detection and electronic multiplication technology evolution, such as the emCCD (electron multiplying CCD) or the ebCMOS (electron bombarded CMOS). We present an ebCMOS camera system that is able to track every 2 ms more than 2000 targets with a mean number of photons per target lower than two. The point light sources (targets) are spots generated by a microlens array (Shack-Hartmann) used in adaptive optics. The Multiple-Target-Tracking designed and implemented on a rugged workstation is described. The results and the performances of the system on the identification and tracking are presented and discussed.

Nonlinear feedback model attitude control using CCD in magnetic suspension system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, CHIN-E.; Hou, Ann-San

1994-01-01

A model attitude control system for a CCD camera magnetic suspension system is studied in this paper. In a recent work, a position and attitude sensing method was proposed. From this result, model position and attitude of a magnetic suspension system can be detected by generating digital outputs. Based on this achievement, a control system design using nonlinear feedback techniques for magnetic suspended model attitude control is proposed.

Design of a Day/Night Star Camera System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Cheryl; Swift, Wesley; Ghosh, Kajal; Ramsey, Brian

1999-01-01

This paper describes the design of a camera system capable of acquiring stars during both the day and night cycles of a high altitude balloon flight (35-42 km). The camera system will be filtered to operate in the R band (590-810 nm). Simulations have been run using MODTRAN atmospheric code to determine the worse case sky brightness at 35 km. With a daytime sky brightness of 2(exp -05) W/sq cm/str/um in the R band, the sensitivity of the camera system will allow acquisition of at least 1-2 stars/sq degree at star magnitude limits of 8.25-9.00. The system will have an F2.8, 64.3 mm diameter lens and a 1340X1037 CCD array digitized to 12 bits. The CCD array is comprised of 6.8 X 6.8 micron pixels with a well depth of 45,000 electrons and a quantum efficiency of 0.525 at 700 nm. The camera's field of view will be 6.33 sq degree and provide attitude knowledge to 8 arcsec or better. A test flight of the system is scheduled for fall 1999.

CCDs in the Mechanics Lab--A Competitive Alternative? (Part I).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinto, Fabrizio

1995-01-01

Reports on the implementation of a relatively low-cost, versatile, and intuitive system to teach basic mechanics based on the use of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera and inexpensive image-processing and analysis software. Discusses strengths and limitations of CCD imaging technologies. (JRH)

VUV Testing of Science Cameras at MSFC: QE Measurement of the CLASP Flight Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Champey, Patrick; Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy; Cirtain, Jonathan; Hyde, David; Robertson, Bryan; Beabout, Brent; Beabout, Dyana; Stewart, Mike

2015-01-01

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed a science camera suitable for sub-orbital missions for observations in the UV, EUV and soft X-ray. Six cameras were built and tested for the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP), a joint National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and MSFC sounding rocket mission. The CLASP camera design includes a frame-transfer e2v CCD57-10 512x512 detector, dual channel analog readout electronics and an internally mounted cold block. At the flight operating temperature of -20 C, the CLASP cameras achieved the low-noise performance requirements (less than or equal to 25 e- read noise and greater than or equal to 10 e-/sec/pix dark current), in addition to maintaining a stable gain of approximately equal to 2.0 e-/DN. The e2v CCD57-10 detectors were coated with Lumogen-E to improve quantum efficiency (QE) at the Lyman- wavelength. A vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) monochromator and a NIST calibrated photodiode were employed to measure the QE of each camera. Four flight-like cameras were tested in a high-vacuum chamber, which was configured to operate several tests intended to verify the QE, gain, read noise, dark current and residual non-linearity of the CCD. We present and discuss the QE measurements performed on the CLASP cameras. We also discuss the high-vacuum system outfitted for testing of UV and EUV science cameras at MSFC.

A TV Camera System Which Extracts Feature Points For Non-Contact Eye Movement Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomono, Akira; Iida, Muneo; Kobayashi, Yukio

1990-04-01

This paper proposes a highly efficient camera system which extracts, irrespective of background, feature points such as the pupil, corneal reflection image and dot-marks pasted on a human face in order to detect human eye movement by image processing. Two eye movement detection methods are sugested: One utilizing face orientation as well as pupil position, The other utilizing pupil and corneal reflection images. A method of extracting these feature points using LEDs as illumination devices and a new TV camera system designed to record eye movement are proposed. Two kinds of infra-red LEDs are used. These LEDs are set up a short distance apart and emit polarized light of different wavelengths. One light source beams from near the optical axis of the lens and the other is some distance from the optical axis. The LEDs are operated in synchronization with the camera. The camera includes 3 CCD image pick-up sensors and a prism system with 2 boundary layers. Incident rays are separated into 2 wavelengths by the first boundary layer of the prism. One set of rays forms an image on CCD-3. The other set is split by the half-mirror layer of the prism and forms an image including the regularly reflected component by placing a polarizing filter in front of CCD-1 or another image not including the component by not placing a polarizing filter in front of CCD-2. Thus, three images with different reflection characteristics are obtained by three CCDs. Through the experiment, it is shown that two kinds of subtraction operations between the three images output from CCDs accentuate three kinds of feature points: the pupil and corneal reflection images and the dot-marks. Since the S/N ratio of the subtracted image is extremely high, the thresholding process is simple and allows reducting the intensity of the infra-red illumination. A high speed image processing apparatus using this camera system is decribed. Realtime processing of the subtraction, thresholding and gravity position calculation of the feature points is possible.

The Development of the Spanish Fireball Network Using a New All-Sky CCD System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Llorca, J.; Fabregat, J.; Martínez, V. J.; Reglero, V.; Jelínek, M.; Kubánek, P.; Mateo, T.; Postigo, A. De Ugarte

2004-12-01

We have developed an all-sky charge coupled devices (CCD) automatic system for detecting meteors and fireballs that will be operative in four stations in Spain during 2005. The cameras were developed following the BOOTES-1 prototype installed at the El Arenosillo Observatory in 2002, which is based on a CCD detector of 4096 × 4096 pixels with a fish-eye lens that provides an all-sky image with enough resolution to make accurate astrometric measurements. Since late 2004, a couple of cameras at two of the four stations operate for 30 s in alternate exposures, allowing 100% time coverage. The stellar limiting magnitude of the images is +10 in the zenith, and +8 below ~ 65° of zenithal angle. As a result, the images provide enough comparison stars to make astrometric measurements of faint meteors and fireballs with an accuracy of ~ 2°arcminutes. Using this prototype, four automatic all-sky CCD stations have been developed, two in Andalusia and two in the Valencian Community, to start full operation of the Spanish Fireball Network. In addition to all-sky coverage, we are developing a fireball spectroscopy program using medium field lenses with additional CCD cameras. Here we present the first images obtained from the El Arenosillo and La Mayora stations in Andalusia during their first months of activity. The detection of the Jan 27, 2003 superbolide of ± 17 ± 1 absolute magnitude that overflew Algeria and Morocco is an example of the detection capability of our prototype.

Instrumentation development for space debris optical observation system in Indonesia: Preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dani, Tiar; Rachman, Abdul; Priyatikanto, Rhorom; Religia, Bahar

2015-09-01

An increasing number of space junk in orbit has raised their chances to fall in Indonesian region. So far, three debris of rocket bodies have been found in Bengkulu, Gorontalo and Lampung. LAPAN has successfully developed software for monitoring space debris that passes over Indonesia with an altitude below 200 km. To support the software-based system, the hardware-based system has been developed based on optical instruments. The system has been under development in early 2014 which consist of two systems: the telescopic system and wide field system. The telescopic system uses CCD cameras and a reflecting telescope with relatively high sensitivity. Wide field system uses DSLR cameras, binoculars and a combination of CCD with DSLR Lens. Methods and preliminary results of the systems will be presented.

Use and validation of mirrorless digital single light reflex camera for recording of vitreoretinal surgeries in high definition

PubMed Central

Khanduja, Sumeet; Sampangi, Raju; Hemlatha, B C; Singh, Satvir; Lall, Ashish

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the use of commercial digital single light reflex (DSLR) for vitreoretinal surgery recording and compare it to standard 3-chip charged coupling device (CCD) camera. Methods: Simultaneous recording was done using Sony A7s2 camera and Sony high-definition 3-chip camera attached to each side of the microscope. The videos recorded from both the camera systems were edited and sequences of similar time frames were selected. Three sequences that selected for evaluation were (a) anterior segment surgery, (b) surgery under direct viewing system, and (c) surgery under indirect wide-angle viewing system. The videos of each sequence were evaluated and rated on a scale of 0-10 for color, contrast, and overall quality Results: Most results were rated either 8/10 or 9/10 for both the cameras. A noninferiority analysis by comparing mean scores of DSLR camera versus CCD camera was performed and P values were obtained. The mean scores of the two cameras were comparable for each other on all parameters assessed in the different videos except of color and contrast in posterior pole view and color on wide-angle view, which were rated significantly higher (better) in DSLR camera. Conclusion: Commercial DSLRs are an affordable low-cost alternative for vitreoretinal surgery recording and may be used for documentation and teaching. PMID:29283133

Use and validation of mirrorless digital single light reflex camera for recording of vitreoretinal surgeries in high definition.

PubMed

Khanduja, Sumeet; Sampangi, Raju; Hemlatha, B C; Singh, Satvir; Lall, Ashish

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the use of commercial digital single light reflex (DSLR) for vitreoretinal surgery recording and compare it to standard 3-chip charged coupling device (CCD) camera. Simultaneous recording was done using Sony A7s2 camera and Sony high-definition 3-chip camera attached to each side of the microscope. The videos recorded from both the camera systems were edited and sequences of similar time frames were selected. Three sequences that selected for evaluation were (a) anterior segment surgery, (b) surgery under direct viewing system, and (c) surgery under indirect wide-angle viewing system. The videos of each sequence were evaluated and rated on a scale of 0-10 for color, contrast, and overall quality Results: Most results were rated either 8/10 or 9/10 for both the cameras. A noninferiority analysis by comparing mean scores of DSLR camera versus CCD camera was performed and P values were obtained. The mean scores of the two cameras were comparable for each other on all parameters assessed in the different videos except of color and contrast in posterior pole view and color on wide-angle view, which were rated significantly higher (better) in DSLR camera. Commercial DSLRs are an affordable low-cost alternative for vitreoretinal surgery recording and may be used for documentation and teaching.

The design and development of low- and high-voltage ASICs for space-borne CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waltham, N.; Morrissey, Q.; Clapp, M.; Bell, S.; Jones, L.; Torbet, M.

2017-12-01

The CCD remains the pre-eminent visible and UV wavelength image sensor in space science, Earth and planetary remote sensing. However, the design of space-qualified CCD readout electronics is a significant challenge with requirements for low-volume, low-mass, low-power, high-reliability and tolerance to space radiation. Space-qualified components are frequently unavailable and up-screened commercial components seldom meet project or international space agency requirements. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach of designing and space-qualifying a series of low- and high-voltage mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the ongoing development of two low-voltage ASICs with successful flight heritage, and two new high-voltage designs. A challenging sub-system of any CCD camera is the video processing and digitisation electronics. We describe recent developments to improve performance and tolerance to radiation-induced single event latchup of a CCD video processing ASIC originally developed for NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and Solar Dynamics Observatory. We also describe a programme to develop two high-voltage ASICs to address the challenges presented with generating a CCD's bias voltages and drive clocks. A 0.35 μm, 50 V tolerant, CMOS process has been used to combine standard low-voltage 3.3 V transistors with high-voltage 50 V diffused MOSFET transistors that enable output buffers to drive CCD bias drains, gates and clock electrodes directly. We describe a CCD bias voltage generator ASIC that provides 24 independent and programmable 0-32 V outputs. Each channel incorporates a 10-bit digital-to-analogue converter, provides current drive of up to 20 mA into loads of 10 μF, and includes current-limiting and short-circuit protection. An on-chip telemetry system with a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter enables the outputs and multiple off-chip camera voltages to be monitored. The ASIC can drive one or more CCDs and replaces the many discrete components required in current cameras. We also describe a CCD clock driver ASIC that provides six independent and programmable drivers with high-current capacity. The device enables various CCD clock parameters to be programmed independently, for example the clock-low and clock-high voltage levels, and the clock-rise and clock-fall times, allowing configuration for serial clock frequencies in the range 0.1-2 MHz and image clock frequencies in the range 10-100 kHz. Finally, we demonstrate the impact and importance of this technology for the development of compact, high-performance and low-power integrated focal plane electronics.

A USB 2.0 computer interface for the UCO/Lick CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Mingzhi; Stover, Richard J.

2004-09-01

The new UCO/Lick Observatory CCD camera uses a 200 MHz fiber optic cable to transmit image data and an RS232 serial line for low speed bidirectional command and control. Increasingly RS232 is a legacy interface supported on fewer computers. The fiber optic cable requires either a custom interface board that is plugged into the mainboard of the image acquisition computer to accept the fiber directly or an interface converter that translates the fiber data onto a widely used standard interface. We present here a simple USB 2.0 interface for the UCO/Lick camera. A single USB cable connects to the image acquisition computer and the camera's RS232 serial and fiber optic cables plug into the USB interface. Since most computers now support USB 2.0 the Lick interface makes it possible to use the camera on essentially any modern computer that has the supporting software. No hardware modifications or additions to the computer are needed. The necessary device driver software has been written for the Linux operating system which is now widely used at Lick Observatory. The complete data acquisition software for the Lick CCD camera is running on a variety of PC style computers as well as an HP laptop.

High-speed line-scan camera with digital time delay integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodenstorfer, Ernst; Fürtler, Johannes; Brodersen, Jörg; Mayer, Konrad J.; Eckel, Christian; Gravogl, Klaus; Nachtnebel, Herbert

2007-02-01

Dealing with high-speed image acquisition and processing systems, the speed of operation is often limited by the amount of available light, due to short exposure times. Therefore, high-speed applications often use line-scan cameras, based on charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors with time delayed integration (TDI). Synchronous shift and accumulation of photoelectric charges on the CCD chip - according to the objects' movement - result in a longer effective exposure time without introducing additional motion blur. This paper presents a high-speed color line-scan camera based on a commercial complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) area image sensor with a Bayer filter matrix and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The camera implements a digital equivalent to the TDI effect exploited with CCD cameras. The proposed design benefits from the high frame rates of CMOS sensors and from the possibility of arbitrarily addressing the rows of the sensor's pixel array. For the digital TDI just a small number of rows are read out from the area sensor which are then shifted and accumulated according to the movement of the inspected objects. This paper gives a detailed description of the digital TDI algorithm implemented on the FPGA. Relevant aspects for the practical application are discussed and key features of the camera are listed.

Advanced imaging system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This document describes the Advanced Imaging System CCD based camera. The AIS1 camera system was developed at Photometric Ltd. in Tucson, Arizona as part of a Phase 2 SBIR contract No. NAS5-30171 from the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The camera project was undertaken as a part of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) project. This document is intended to serve as a complete manual for the use and maintenance of the camera system. All the different parts of the camera hardware and software are discussed and complete schematics and source code listings are provided.

Design principles and applications of a cooled CCD camera for electron microscopy.

PubMed

Faruqi, A R

1998-01-01

Cooled CCD cameras offer a number of advantages in recording electron microscope images with CCDs rather than film which include: immediate availability of the image in a digital format suitable for further computer processing, high dynamic range, excellent linearity and a high detective quantum efficiency for recording electrons. In one important respect however, film has superior properties: the spatial resolution of CCD detectors tested so far (in terms of point spread function or modulation transfer function) are inferior to film and a great deal of our effort has been spent in designing detectors with improved spatial resolution. Various instrumental contributions to spatial resolution have been analysed and in this paper we discuss the contribution of the phosphor-fibre optics system in this measurement. We have evaluated the performance of a number of detector components and parameters, e.g. different phosphors (and a scintillator), optical coupling with lens or fibre optics with various demagnification factors, to improve the detector performance. The camera described in this paper, which is based on this analysis, uses a tapered fibre optics coupling between the phosphor and the CCD and is installed on a Philips CM12 electron microscope equipped to perform cryo-microscopy. The main use of the camera so far has been in recording electron diffraction patterns from two dimensional crystals of bacteriorhodopsin--from wild type and from different trapped states during the photocycle. As one example of the type of data obtained with the CCD camera a two dimensional Fourier projection map from the trapped O-state is also included. With faster computers, it will soon be possible to undertake this type of work on an on-line basis. Also, with improvements in detector size and resolution, CCD detectors, already ideal for diffraction, will be able to compete with film in the recording of high resolution images.

Circuit design of an EMCCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Binhua; Song, Qian; Jin, Jianhui; He, Chun

2012-07-01

EMCCDs have been used in the astronomical observations in many ways. Recently we develop a camera using an EMCCD TX285. The CCD chip is cooled to -100°C in an LN2 dewar. The camera controller consists of a driving board, a control board and a temperature control board. Power supplies and driving clocks of the CCD are provided by the driving board, the timing generator is located in the control board. The timing generator and an embedded Nios II CPU are implemented in an FPGA. Moreover the ADC and the data transfer circuit are also in the control board, and controlled by the FPGA. The data transfer between the image workstation and the camera is done through a Camera Link frame grabber. The software of image acquisition is built using VC++ and Sapera LT. This paper describes the camera structure, the main components and circuit design for video signal processing channel, clock driver, FPGA and Camera Link interfaces, temperature metering and control system. Some testing results are presented.

Upwelling Radiance at 976 nm Measured from Space Using a CCD Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, Abhijit; Kovalik, Joseph M.; Oaida, Bogdan V.; Abrahamson, Matthew J.; Wright, Malcolm W.

2015-01-01

The Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) Flight System on-board the International Space Station uses a charge coupled device (CCD) camera for receiving a beacon laser from Earth. Relative measurements of the background contributed by upwelling radiance under diverse illumination conditions and varying terrain is presented. In some cases clouds in the field-of-view allowed a comparison of terrestrial and cloud-top upwelling radiance. In this paper we will report these measurements and examine the extent of agreement with atmospheric model predictions.

Driving techniques for high frame rate CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Weiqiang; Jin, Longxu; Xiong, Jingwu

2008-03-01

This paper describes a high-frame rate CCD camera capable of operating at 100 frames/s. This camera utilizes Kodak KAI-0340, an interline transfer CCD with 640(vertical)×480(horizontal) pixels. Two output ports are used to read out CCD data and pixel rates approaching 30 MHz. Because of its reduced effective opacity of vertical charge transfer registers, interline transfer CCD can cause undesired image artifacts, such as random white spots and smear generated in the registers. To increase frame rate, a kind of speed-up structure has been incorporated inside KAI-0340, then it is vulnerable to a vertical stripe effect. The phenomena which mentioned above may severely impair the image quality. To solve these problems, some electronic methods of eliminating these artifacts are adopted. Special clocking mode can dump the unwanted charge quickly, then the fast readout of the images, cleared of smear, follows immediately. Amplifier is used to sense and correct delay mismatch between the dual phase vertical clock pulses, the transition edges become close to coincident, so vertical stripes disappear. Results obtained with the CCD camera are shown.

Solid state television camera (CCD-buried channel)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The development of an all solid state television camera, which uses a buried channel charge coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor, was undertaken. A 380 x 488 element CCD array is utilized to ensure compatibility with 525 line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (a) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (b) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (c) automatic light control and video gain control (i.e., ALC and AGC) techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a deliverable solid state TV camera which addressed the program requirements for a prototype qualifiable to space environment conditions.

Solid state television camera (CCD-buried channel), revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

An all solid state television camera was designed which uses a buried channel charge coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor. A 380 x 488 element CCD array is utilized to ensure compatibility with 525-line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (1) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (2) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (3) automatic light control and video gain control techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a deliverable solid state TV camera which addressed the program requirements for a prototype qualifiable to space environment conditions.

Solid state, CCD-buried channel, television camera study and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoagland, K. A.; Balopole, H.

1976-01-01

An investigation of an all solid state television camera design, which uses a buried channel charge-coupled device (CCD) as the image sensor, was undertaken. A 380 x 488 element CCD array was utilized to ensure compatibility with 525 line transmission and display monitor equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included (a) optional clocking modes for either fast (1/60 second) or normal (1/30 second) frame readout, (b) techniques for the elimination or suppression of CCD blemish effects, and (c) automatic light control and video gain control techniques to eliminate or minimize sensor overload due to bright objects in the scene. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into a design which addresses the program requirements for a deliverable solid state TV camera.

Multi-scale auroral observations in Apatity: winter 2010-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozelov, B. V.; Pilgaev, S. V.; Borovkov, L. P.; Yurov, V. E.

2012-03-01

Routine observations of the aurora are conducted in Apatity by a set of five cameras: (i) all-sky TV camera Watec WAT-902K (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon lens YV2.2 × 1.4A-SA2; (ii) two monochromatic cameras Guppy F-044B NIR (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon HF25HA-1B (1:1.4/25 mm) lens for 18° field of view and glass filter 558 nm; (iii) two color cameras Guppy F-044C NIR (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon DF6HA-1B (1:1.2/6 mm) lens for 67° field of view. The observational complex is aimed at investigating spatial structure of the aurora, its scaling properties, and vertical distribution in the rayed forms. The cameras were installed on the main building of the Apatity division of the Polar Geophysical Institute and at the Apatity stratospheric range. The distance between these sites is nearly 4 km, so the identical monochromatic cameras can be used as a stereoscopic system. All cameras are accessible and operated remotely via Internet. For 2010-2011 winter season the equipment was upgraded by special blocks of GPS-time triggering, temperature control and motorized pan-tilt rotation mounts. This paper presents the equipment, samples of observed events and the web-site with access to available data previews.

Multi-scale auroral observations in Apatity: winter 2010-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozelov, B. V.; Pilgaev, S. V.; Borovkov, L. P.; Yurov, V. E.

2011-12-01

Routine observations of the aurora are conducted in Apatity by a set of five cameras: (i) all-sky TV camera Watec WAT-902K (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon lens YV2.2 × 1.4A-SA2; (ii) two monochromatic cameras Guppy F-044B NIR (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon HF25HA-1B (1:1.4/25 mm) lens for 18° field of view and glass filter 558 nm; (iii) two color cameras Guppy F-044C NIR (1/2"CCD) with Fujinon DF6HA-1B (1:1.2/6 mm) lens for 67° field of view. The observational complex is aimed at investigating spatial structure of the aurora, its scaling properties, and vertical distribution in the rayed forms. The cameras were installed on the main building of the Apatity division of the Polar Geophysical Institute and at the Apatity stratospheric range. The distance between these sites is nearly 4 km, so the identical monochromatic cameras can be used as a stereoscopic system. All cameras are accessible and operated remotely via Internet. For 2010-2011 winter season the equipment was upgraded by special blocks of GPS-time triggering, temperature control and motorized pan-tilt rotation mounts. This paper presents the equipment, samples of observed events and the web-site with access to available data previews.

Development of a CCD array as an imaging detector for advanced X-ray astrophysics facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, D. A.

1981-01-01

The development of a charge coupled device (CCD) X-ray imager for a large aperture, high angular resolution X-ray telescope is discussed. Existing CCDs were surveyed and three candidate concepts were identified. An electronic camera control and computer interface, including software to drive a Fairchild 211 CCD, is described. In addition a vacuum mounting and cooling system is discussed. Performance data for the various components are given.

Establishing imaging sensor specifications for digital still cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriss, Michael A.

2007-02-01

Digital Still Cameras, DSCs, have now displaced conventional still cameras in most markets. The heart of a DSC is thought to be the imaging sensor, be it Full Frame CCD, and Interline CCD, a CMOS sensor or the newer Foveon buried photodiode sensors. There is a strong tendency by consumers to consider only the number of mega-pixels in a camera and not to consider the overall performance of the imaging system, including sharpness, artifact control, noise, color reproduction, exposure latitude and dynamic range. This paper will provide a systematic method to characterize the physical requirements of an imaging sensor and supporting system components based on the desired usage. The analysis is based on two software programs that determine the "sharpness", potential for artifacts, sensor "photographic speed", dynamic range and exposure latitude based on the physical nature of the imaging optics, sensor characteristics (including size of pixels, sensor architecture, noise characteristics, surface states that cause dark current, quantum efficiency, effective MTF, and the intrinsic full well capacity in terms of electrons per square centimeter). Examples will be given for consumer, pro-consumer, and professional camera systems. Where possible, these results will be compared to imaging system currently on the market.

Design and fabrication of a CCD camera for use with relay optics in solar X-ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Configured as a subsystem of a sounding rocket experiment, a camera system was designed to record and transmit an X-ray image focused on a charge coupled device. The camera consists of a X-ray sensitive detector and the electronics for processing and transmitting image data. The design and operation of the camera are described. Schematics are included.

Evaluation of large format electron bombarded virtual phase CCDs as ultraviolet imaging detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Opal, Chet B.; Carruthers, George R.

1989-01-01

In conjunction with an external UV-sensitive cathode, an electron-bombarded CCD may be used as a high quantum efficiency/wide dynamic range photon-counting UV detector. Results are presented for the case of a 1024 x 1024, 18-micron square pixel virtual phase CCD used with an electromagnetically focused f/2 Schmidt camera, which yields excellent simgle-photoevent discrimination and counting efficiency. Attention is given to the vacuum-chamber arrangement used to conduct system tests and the CCD electronics and data-acquisition systems employed.

Miniature self-contained vacuum compatible electronic imaging microscope

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick P.; Batson, Phillip J.; Denham, Paul E.; Jones, Michael S.

2001-01-01

A vacuum compatible CCD-based microscopic camera with an integrated illuminator. The camera can provide video or still feed from the microscope contained within a vacuum chamber. Activation of an optional integral illuminator can provide light to illuminate the microscope subject. The microscope camera comprises a housing with a objective port, modified objective, beam-splitter, CCD camera, and LED illuminator.

Coaxial fundus camera for opthalmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Matos, Luciana; Castro, Guilherme; Castro Neto, Jarbas C.

2015-09-01

A Fundus Camera for ophthalmology is a high definition device which needs to meet low light illumination of the human retina, high resolution in the retina and reflection free image1. Those constraints make its optical design very sophisticated, but the most difficult to comply with is the reflection free illumination and the final alignment due to the high number of non coaxial optical components in the system. Reflection of the illumination, both in the objective and at the cornea, mask image quality, and a poor alignment make the sophisticated optical design useless. In this work we developed a totally axial optical system for a non-midriatic Fundus Camera. The illumination is performed by a LED ring, coaxial with the optical system and composed of IR of visible LEDs. The illumination ring is projected by the objective lens in the cornea. The Objective, LED illuminator, CCD lens are coaxial making the final alignment easily to perform. The CCD + capture lens module is a CCTV camera with autofocus and Zoom built in, added to a 175 mm focal length doublet corrected for infinity, making the system easily operated and very compact.

CCD detector development projects by the Beamline Technical Support Group at the Advanced Photon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, John H.; Fernandez, Patricia; Madden, Tim; Molitsky, Michael; Weizeorick, John

2007-11-01

This paper will describe two ongoing detector projects being developed by the Beamline Technical Support Group at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The first project is the design and construction of two detectors: a single-CCD system and a two-by-two Mosaic CCD camera for Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). Both of these systems utilize the Kodak KAF-4320E CCD coupled to fiber optic tapers, custom mechanical hardware, electronics, and software developed at ANL. The second project is a Fast-CCD (FCCD) detector being developed in a collaboration between ANL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). This detector will use ANL-designed readout electronics and a custom LBNL-designed CCD, with 480×480 pixels and 96 outputs, giving very fast readout.

Technical Note: Range verification system using edge detection method for a scintillator and a CCD camera system.

PubMed

Saotome, Naoya; Furukawa, Takuji; Hara, Yousuke; Mizushima, Kota; Tansho, Ryohei; Saraya, Yuichi; Shirai, Toshiyuki; Noda, Koji

2016-04-01

Three-dimensional irradiation with a scanned carbon-ion beam has been performed from 2011 at the authors' facility. The authors have developed the rotating-gantry equipped with the scanning irradiation system. The number of combinations of beam properties to measure for the commissioning is more than 7200, i.e., 201 energy steps, 3 intensities, and 12 gantry angles. To compress the commissioning time, quick and simple range verification system is required. In this work, the authors develop a quick range verification system using scintillator and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and estimate the accuracy of the range verification. A cylindrical plastic scintillator block and a CCD camera were installed on the black box. The optical spatial resolution of the system is 0.2 mm/pixel. The camera control system was connected and communicates with the measurement system that is part of the scanning system. The range was determined by image processing. Reference range for each energy beam was determined by a difference of Gaussian (DOG) method and the 80% of distal dose of the depth-dose distribution that were measured by a large parallel-plate ionization chamber. The authors compared a threshold method and a DOG method. The authors found that the edge detection method (i.e., the DOG method) is best for the range detection. The accuracy of range detection using this system is within 0.2 mm, and the reproducibility of the same energy measurement is within 0.1 mm without setup error. The results of this study demonstrate that the authors' range check system is capable of quick and easy range verification with sufficient accuracy.

Technical Note: Range verification system using edge detection method for a scintillator and a CCD camera system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saotome, Naoya, E-mail: naosao@nirs.go.jp; Furukawa, Takuji; Hara, Yousuke

Purpose: Three-dimensional irradiation with a scanned carbon-ion beam has been performed from 2011 at the authors’ facility. The authors have developed the rotating-gantry equipped with the scanning irradiation system. The number of combinations of beam properties to measure for the commissioning is more than 7200, i.e., 201 energy steps, 3 intensities, and 12 gantry angles. To compress the commissioning time, quick and simple range verification system is required. In this work, the authors develop a quick range verification system using scintillator and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and estimate the accuracy of the range verification. Methods: A cylindrical plastic scintillator blockmore » and a CCD camera were installed on the black box. The optical spatial resolution of the system is 0.2 mm/pixel. The camera control system was connected and communicates with the measurement system that is part of the scanning system. The range was determined by image processing. Reference range for each energy beam was determined by a difference of Gaussian (DOG) method and the 80% of distal dose of the depth-dose distribution that were measured by a large parallel-plate ionization chamber. The authors compared a threshold method and a DOG method. Results: The authors found that the edge detection method (i.e., the DOG method) is best for the range detection. The accuracy of range detection using this system is within 0.2 mm, and the reproducibility of the same energy measurement is within 0.1 mm without setup error. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the authors’ range check system is capable of quick and easy range verification with sufficient accuracy.« less

A matter of collection and detection for intraoperative and noninvasive near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging: To see or not to see?

PubMed Central

Zhu, Banghe; Rasmussen, John C.; Sevick-Muraca, Eva M.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Although fluorescence molecular imaging is rapidly evolving as a new combinational drug/device technology platform for molecularly guided surgery and noninvasive imaging, there remains no performance standards for efficient translation of “first-in-humans” fluorescent imaging agents using these devices. Methods: The authors employed a stable, solid phantom designed to exaggerate the confounding effects of tissue light scattering and to mimic low concentrations (nM–pM) of near-infrared fluorescent dyes expected clinically for molecular imaging in order to evaluate and compare the commonly used charge coupled device (CCD) camera systems employed in preclinical studies and in human investigational studies. Results: The results show that intensified CCD systems offer greater contrast with larger signal-to-noise ratios in comparison to their unintensified CCD systems operated at clinically reasonable, subsecond acquisition times. Conclusions: Camera imaging performance could impact the success of future “first-in-humans” near-infrared fluorescence imaging agent studies. PMID:24506637

A matter of collection and detection for intraoperative and noninvasive near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging: To see or not to see?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Banghe; Rasmussen, John C.; Sevick-Muraca, Eva M., E-mail: Eva.Sevick@uth.tmc.edu

2014-02-15

Purpose: Although fluorescence molecular imaging is rapidly evolving as a new combinational drug/device technology platform for molecularly guided surgery and noninvasive imaging, there remains no performance standards for efficient translation of “first-in-humans” fluorescent imaging agents using these devices. Methods: The authors employed a stable, solid phantom designed to exaggerate the confounding effects of tissue light scattering and to mimic low concentrations (nM–pM) of near-infrared fluorescent dyes expected clinically for molecular imaging in order to evaluate and compare the commonly used charge coupled device (CCD) camera systems employed in preclinical studies and in human investigational studies. Results: The results show thatmore » intensified CCD systems offer greater contrast with larger signal-to-noise ratios in comparison to their unintensified CCD systems operated at clinically reasonable, subsecond acquisition times. Conclusions: Camera imaging performance could impact the success of future “first-in-humans” near-infrared fluorescence imaging agent studies.« less

Cryostat and CCD for MEGARA at GTC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Domínguez, E.; Ferrusca, D.; Tulloch, S.; Velázquez, M.; Carrasco, E.; Gallego, J.; Gil de Paz, A.; Sánchez, F. M.; Vílchez Medina, J. M.

2012-09-01

MEGARA (Multi-Espectrógrafo en GTC de Alta Resolución para Astronomía) is the new integral field unit (IFU) and multi-object spectrograph (MOS) instrument for the GTC. The spectrograph subsystems include the pseudo-slit, the shutter, the collimator with a focusing mechanism, pupil elements on a volume phase holographic grating (VPH) wheel and the camera joined to the cryostat through the last lens, with a CCD detector inside. In this paper we describe the full preliminary design of the cryostat which will harbor the CCD detector for the spectrograph. The selected cryogenic device is an LN2 open-cycle cryostat which has been designed by the "Astronomical Instrumentation Lab for Millimeter Wavelengths" at INAOE. A complete description of the cryostat main body and CCD head is presented as well as all the vacuum and temperature sub-systems to operate it. The CCD is surrounded by a radiation shield to improve its performance and is placed in a custom made mechanical mounting which will allow physical adjustments for alignment with the spectrograph camera. The 4k x 4k pixel CCD231 is our selection for the cryogenically cooled detector of MEGARA. The characteristics of this CCD, the internal cryostat cabling and CCD controller hardware are discussed. Finally, static structural finite element modeling and thermal analysis results are shown to validate the cryostat model.

Back-illuminate fiber system research for multi-object fiber spectroscopic telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zengxiang; Liu, Zhigang; Hu, Hongzhuan; Wang, Jianping; Zhai, Chao; Chu, Jiaru

2016-07-01

In the telescope observation, the position of fiber will highly influence the spectra efficient input in the fiber to the spectrograph. When the fibers were back illuminated on the spectra end, they would export light on the positioner end, so the CCD cameras could capture the photo of fiber tip position covered the focal plane, calculates the precise position information by light centroid method and feeds back to control system. A set of fiber back illuminated system was developed which combined to the low revolution spectro instruments in LAMOST. It could provide uniform light output to the fibers, meet the requirements for the CCD camera measurement. The paper was introduced the back illuminated system design and different test for the light resource. After optimization, the effect illuminated system could compare with the integrating sphere, meet the conditions of fiber position measurement.Using parallel controlled fiber positioner as the spectroscopic receiver is an efficiency observation system for spectra survey, has been used in LAMOST recently, and will be proposed in CFHT and rebuilt telescope Mayall. In the telescope observation, the position of fiber will highly influence the spectra efficient input in the fiber to the spectrograph. When the fibers were back illuminated on the spectra end, they would export light on the positioner end, so the CCD cameras could capture the photo of fiber tip position covered the focal plane, calculates the precise position information by light centroid method and feeds back to control system. After many years on these research, the back illuminated fiber measurement was the best method to acquire the precision position of fibers. In LAMOST, a set of fiber back illuminated system was developed which combined to the low revolution spectro instruments in LAMOST. It could provide uniform light output to the fibers, meet the requirements for the CCD camera measurement and was controlled by high-level observation system which could shut down during the telescope observation. The paper was introduced the back illuminated system design and different test for the light resource. After optimization, the effect illuminated system could compare the integrating sphere, meet the conditions of fiber position measurement.

Theodolite with CCD Camera for Safe Measurement of Laser-Beam Pointing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crooke, Julie A.

2003-01-01

The simple addition of a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera to a theodolite makes it safe to measure the pointing direction of a laser beam. The present state of the art requires this to be a custom addition because theodolites are manufactured without CCD cameras as standard or even optional equipment. A theodolite is an alignment telescope equipped with mechanisms to measure the azimuth and elevation angles to the sub-arcsecond level. When measuring the angular pointing direction of a Class ll laser with a theodolite, one could place a calculated amount of neutral density (ND) filters in front of the theodolite s telescope. One could then safely view and measure the laser s boresight looking through the theodolite s telescope without great risk to one s eyes. This method for a Class ll visible wavelength laser is not acceptable to even consider tempting for a Class IV laser and not applicable for an infrared (IR) laser. If one chooses insufficient attenuation or forgets to use the filters, then looking at the laser beam through the theodolite could cause instant blindness. The CCD camera is already commercially available. It is a small, inexpensive, blackand- white CCD circuit-board-level camera. An interface adaptor was designed and fabricated to mount the camera onto the eyepiece of the specific theodolite s viewing telescope. Other equipment needed for operation of the camera are power supplies, cables, and a black-and-white television monitor. The picture displayed on the monitor is equivalent to what one would see when looking directly through the theodolite. Again, the additional advantage afforded by a cheap black-and-white CCD camera is that it is sensitive to infrared as well as to visible light. Hence, one can use the camera coupled to a theodolite to measure the pointing of an infrared as well as a visible laser.

Line scanning system for direct digital chemiluminescence imaging of DNA sequencing blots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karger, A.E.; Weiss, R.; Gesteland, R.F.

A cryogenically cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera equipped with an area CCD array is used in a line scanning system for low-light-level imaging of chemiluminescent DNA sequencing blots. Operating the CCD camera in time-delayed integration (TDI) mode results in continuous data acquisition independent of the length of the CCD array. Scanning is possible with a resolution of 1.4 line pairs/mm at the 50% level of the modulation transfer function. High-sensitivity, low-light-level scanning of chemiluminescent direct-transfer electrophoresis (DTE) DNA sequencing blots is shown. The detection of DNA fragments on the blot involves DNA-DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide-alkaline phosphatase conjugate and 1,2-dioxetane-based chemiluminescence.more » The width of the scan allows the recording of up to four sequencing reactions (16 lanes) on one scan. The scan speed of 52 cm/h used for the sequencing blots corresponds to a data acquisition rate of 384 pixels/s. The chemiluminescence detection limit on the scanned images is 3.9 [times] 10[sup [minus]18] mol of plasmid DNA. A conditional median filter is described to remove spikes caused by cosmic ray events from the CCD images. 39 refs., 9 refs.« less

Optimized algorithm for the spatial nonuniformity correction of an imaging system based on a charge-coupled device color camera.

PubMed

de Lasarte, Marta; Pujol, Jaume; Arjona, Montserrat; Vilaseca, Meritxell

2007-01-10

We present an optimized linear algorithm for the spatial nonuniformity correction of a CCD color camera's imaging system and the experimental methodology developed for its implementation. We assess the influence of the algorithm's variables on the quality of the correction, that is, the dark image, the base correction image, and the reference level, and the range of application of the correction using a uniform radiance field provided by an integrator cube. The best spatial nonuniformity correction is achieved by having a nonzero dark image, by using an image with a mean digital level placed in the linear response range of the camera as the base correction image and taking the mean digital level of the image as the reference digital level. The response of the CCD color camera's imaging system to the uniform radiance field shows a high level of spatial uniformity after the optimized algorithm has been applied, which also allows us to achieve a high-quality spatial nonuniformity correction of captured images under different exposure conditions.

Proton radiation damage experiment on P-Channel CCD for an X-ray CCD camera onboard the ASTRO-H satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mori, Koji; Nishioka, Yusuke; Ohura, Satoshi; Koura, Yoshiaki; Yamauchi, Makoto; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Ueda, Shutaro; Kan, Hiroaki; Anabuki, Naohisa; Nagino, Ryo; Hayashida, Kiyoshi; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Ikeda, Shoma; Murakami, Hiroshi; Ozaki, Masanobu; Dotani, Tadayasu; Maeda, Yukie; Sagara, Kenshi

2013-12-01

We report on a proton radiation damage experiment on P-channel CCD newly developed for an X-ray CCD camera onboard the ASTRO-H satellite. The device was exposed up to 109 protons cm-2 at 6.7 MeV. The charge transfer inefficiency (CTI) was measured as a function of radiation dose. In comparison with the CTI currently measured in the CCD camera onboard the Suzaku satellite for 6 years, we confirmed that the new type of P-channel CCD is radiation tolerant enough for space use. We also confirmed that a charge-injection technique and lowering the operating temperature efficiently work to reduce the CTI for our device. A comparison with other P-channel CCD experiments is also discussed. We performed a proton radiation damage experiment on a new P-channel CCD. The device was exposed up to 109 protons cm-2 at 6.7 MeV. We confirmed that it is radiation tolerant enough for space use. We confirmed that a charge-injection technique reduces the CTI. We confirmed that lowering the operating temperature also reduces the CTI.

Upgrading the Arecibo Potassium Lidar Receiver for Meridional Wind Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piccone, A. N.; Lautenbach, J.

2017-12-01

Lidar can be used to measure a plethora of variables: temperature, density of metals, and wind. This REU project is focused on the set up of a semi steerable telescope that will allow the measurement of meridional wind in the mesosphere (80-105 km) with Arecibo Observatory's potassium resonance lidar. This includes the basic design concept of a steering system that is able to turn the telescope to a maximum of 40°, alignment of the mirror with the telescope frame to find the correct focusing, and the triggering and programming of a CCD camera. The CCD camera's purpose is twofold: looking though the telescope and matching the stars in the field of view with a star map to accurately calibrate the steering system and determining the laser beam properties and position. Using LabVIEW, the frames from the CCD camera can be analyzed to identify the most intense pixel in the image (and therefore the brightest point in the laser beam or stars) by plotting average pixel values per row and column and locating the peaks of these plots. The location of this pixel can then be plotted, determining the jitter in the laser and position within the field of view of the telescope.

New low noise CCD cameras for Pi-of-the-Sky project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasprowicz, G.; Czyrkowski, H.; Dabrowski, R.; Dominik, W.; Mankiewicz, L.; Pozniak, K.; Romaniuk, R.; Sitek, P.; Sokolowski, M.; Sulej, R.; Uzycki, J.; Wrochna, G.

2006-10-01

Modern research trends require observation of fainter and fainter astronomical objects on large areas of the sky. This implies usage of systems with high temporal and optical resolution with computer based data acquisition and processing. Therefore Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) became so popular. They offer quick picture conversion with much better quality than film based technologies. This work is theoretical and practical study of the CCD based picture acquisition system. The system was optimized for "Pi of The Sky" project. But it can be adapted to another professional astronomical researches. The work includes issue of picture conversion, signal acquisition, data transfer and mechanical construction of the device.

SU-F-J-190: Time Resolved Range Measurement System Using Scintillator and CCD Camera for the Slow Beam Extraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saotome, N; Furukawa, T; Mizushima, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the time structure of the range, we have verified the rang shift due to the betatron tune shift with several synchrotron parameters. Methods: A cylindrical plastic scintillator block and a CCD camera were installed on the black box. Using image processing, the range was determined the 80 percent of distal dose of the depth light distribution. The root mean square error of the range measurement using the scintillator and CCD system is about 0.2 mm. Range measurement was performed at interval of 170 msec. The chromaticity of the synchrotron was changed in the range of plus ormore » minus 1% from reference chromaticity in this study. All of the particle inside the synchrotron ring were extracted with the output beam intensity 1.8×10{sup 8} and 5.0×10{sub 7} particle per sec. Results: The time strictures of the range were changed by changing of the chromaticity. The reproducibility of the measurement was sufficient to observe the time structures of the range. The range shift was depending on the number of the residual particle inside the synchrotron ring. Conclusion: In slow beam extraction for scanned carbon-ion therapy, the range shift is undesirable because it causes the dose uncertainty in the target. We introduced the time-resolved range measurement using scintillator and CCD system. The scintillator and CCD system have enabled to verify the range shift with sufficient spatial resolution and reproducibility.« less

One-Meter Telescope in Kolonica Saddle - 4 Years of Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudzej, I.; Dubovsky, P. A.

2010-12-01

The actual technical status of 1 meter Vihorlat National Telescope (VNT) at Astronomical Observatory at Kolonica Saddle is presented. Cassegrain and Nasmyth focus, autoguiding system, computer controlled focusing and fine movements and other improvements achieved recently. For two channel photoelectric photometer the system of channels calibration based on artificial light source is described. For CCD camera FLI PL1001E actually installed in Cassegrain focus we presents transformation coefficients from our instrumental to international photometric BVRI system. The measurements were done during regular observations when good photometry of the constant field stars was available. Before FLI camera acquisition we used SBIG ST9 camera. Transformation coefficients for this instrument are presented as well. In the second part of the paper we presents results of variable stars observations with 1 meter telescope in recent four years. The first experimental electronic measurements were done in 2006. Both with CCD cameras and with two channel photoelectric photometer. Starting in 2007 the regular observing program is in operation. There are only few stars suitable for two channel photoelectric photometer observation. Generally the photometer is better when fast brightness changes (time scale of seconds) must be recorded. Thus the majority of observations is done with CCD detectors. We presents an brief overview of most important observing programs: long term monitoring of selected intermediate polars, eclipse observations of SW Sex stars. Occasional observing campaigns were performed on several interesting objects: OT J071126.0+440405, V603 Aql, V471 Tau eclipse timings, Z And in outburst.

Development of CCD Cameras for Soft X-ray Imaging at the National Ignition Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teruya, A. T.; Palmer, N. E.; Schneider, M. B.

2013-09-01

The Static X-Ray Imager (SXI) is a National Ignition Facility (NIF) diagnostic that uses a CCD camera to record time-integrated X-ray images of target features such as the laser entrance hole of hohlraums. SXI has two dedicated positioners on the NIF target chamber for viewing the target from above and below, and the X-ray energies of interest are 870 eV for the “soft” channel and 3 – 5 keV for the “hard” channels. The original cameras utilize a large format back-illuminated 2048 x 2048 CCD sensor with 24 micron pixels. Since the original sensor is no longer available, an effortmore » was recently undertaken to build replacement cameras with suitable new sensors. Three of the new cameras use a commercially available front-illuminated CCD of similar size to the original, which has adequate sensitivity for the hard X-ray channels but not for the soft. For sensitivity below 1 keV, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had additional CCDs back-thinned and converted to back-illumination for use in the other two new cameras. In this paper we describe the characteristics of the new cameras and present performance data (quantum efficiency, flat field, and dynamic range) for the front- and back-illuminated cameras, with comparisons to the original cameras.« less

Development of a CCD based solar speckle imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisenson, Peter; Stachnik, Robert V.; Noyes, Robert W.

1986-02-01

A program to develop software and hardware for the purpose of obtaining high angular resolution images of the solar surface is described. The program included the procurement of a Charge Coupled Devices imaging system; an extensive laboratory and remote site testing of the camera system; the development of a software package for speckle image reconstruction which was eventually installed and tested at the Sacramento Peak Observatory; and experiments of the CCD system (coupled to an image intensifier) for low light level, narrow spectral band solar imaging.

Using a trichromatic CCD camera for spectral skylight estimation.

PubMed

López-Alvarez, Miguel A; Hernández-Andrés, Javier; Romero, Javier; Olmo, F J; Cazorla, A; Alados-Arboledas, L

2008-12-01

In a previous work [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 24, 942-956 (2007)] we showed how to design an optimum multispectral system aimed at spectral recovery of skylight. Since high-resolution multispectral images of skylight could be interesting for many scientific disciplines, here we also propose a nonoptimum but much cheaper and faster approach to achieve this goal by using a trichromatic RGB charge-coupled device (CCD) digital camera. The camera is attached to a fish-eye lens, hence permitting us to obtain a spectrum of every point of the skydome corresponding to each pixel of the image. In this work we show how to apply multispectral techniques to the sensors' responses of a common trichromatic camera in order to obtain skylight spectra from them. This spectral information is accurate enough to estimate experimental values of some climate parameters or to be used in algorithms for automatic cloud detection, among many other possible scientific applications.

Dynamic imaging with a triggered and intensified CCD camera system in a high-intensity neutron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vontobel, P.; Frei, G.; Brunner, J.; Gildemeister, A. E.; Engelhardt, M.

2005-04-01

When time-dependent processes within metallic structures should be inspected and visualized, neutrons are well suited due to their high penetration through Al, Ag, Ti or even steel. Then it becomes possible to inspect the propagation, distribution and evaporation of organic liquids as lubricants, fuel or water. The principle set-up of a suited real-time system was implemented and tested at the radiography facility NEUTRA of PSI. The highest beam intensity there is 2×107 cm s, which enables to observe sequences in a reasonable time and quality. The heart of the detection system is the MCP intensified CCD camera PI-Max with a Peltier cooled chip (1300×1340 pixels). The intensifier was used for both gating and image enhancement, where as the information was accumulated over many single frames on the chip before readout. Although, a 16-bit dynamic range is advertised by the camera manufacturers, it must be less due to the inherent noise level from the intensifier. The obtained result should be seen as the starting point to go ahead to fit the different requirements of car producers in respect to fuel injection, lubricant distribution, mechanical stability and operation control. Similar inspections will be possible for all devices with repetitive operation principle. Here, we report about two measurements dealing with the lubricant distribution in a running motorcycle motor turning at 1200 rpm. We were monitoring the periodic stationary movements of piston, valves and camshaft with a micro-channel plate intensified CCD camera system (PI-Max 1300RB, Princeton Instruments) triggered at exactly chosen time points.

Developing a CCD camera with high spatial resolution for RIXS in the soft X-ray range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soman, M. R.; Hall, D. J.; Tutt, J. H.; Murray, N. J.; Holland, A. D.; Schmitt, T.; Raabe, J.; Schmitt, B.

2013-12-01

The Super Advanced X-ray Emission Spectrometer (SAXES) at the Swiss Light Source contains a high resolution Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera used for Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS). Using the current CCD-based camera system, the energy-dispersive spectrometer has an energy resolution (E/ΔE) of approximately 12,000 at 930 eV. A recent study predicted that through an upgrade to the grating and camera system, the energy resolution could be improved by a factor of 2. In order to achieve this goal in the spectral domain, the spatial resolution of the CCD must be improved to better than 5 μm from the current 24 μm spatial resolution (FWHM). The 400 eV-1600 eV energy X-rays detected by this spectrometer primarily interact within the field free region of the CCD, producing electron clouds which will diffuse isotropically until they reach the depleted region and buried channel. This diffusion of the charge leads to events which are split across several pixels. Through the analysis of the charge distribution across the pixels, various centroiding techniques can be used to pinpoint the spatial location of the X-ray interaction to the sub-pixel level, greatly improving the spatial resolution achieved. Using the PolLux soft X-ray microspectroscopy endstation at the Swiss Light Source, a beam of X-rays of energies from 200 eV to 1400 eV can be focused down to a spot size of approximately 20 nm. Scanning this spot across the 16 μm square pixels allows the sub-pixel response to be investigated. Previous work has demonstrated the potential improvement in spatial resolution achievable by centroiding events in a standard CCD. An Electron-Multiplying CCD (EM-CCD) has been used to improve the signal to effective readout noise ratio achieved resulting in a worst-case spatial resolution measurement of 4.5±0.2 μm and 3.9±0.1 μm at 530 eV and 680 eV respectively. A method is described that allows the contribution of the X-ray spot size to be deconvolved from these worst-case resolution measurements, estimating the spatial resolution to be approximately 3.5 μm and 3.0 μm at 530 eV and 680 eV, well below the resolution limit of 5 μm required to improve the spectral resolution by a factor of 2.

Generalized free-space diffuse photon transport model based on the influence analysis of a camera lens diaphragm.

PubMed

Chen, Xueli; Gao, Xinbo; Qu, Xiaochao; Chen, Duofang; Ma, Xiaopeng; Liang, Jimin; Tian, Jie

2010-10-10

The camera lens diaphragm is an important component in a noncontact optical imaging system and has a crucial influence on the images registered on the CCD camera. However, this influence has not been taken into account in the existing free-space photon transport models. To model the photon transport process more accurately, a generalized free-space photon transport model is proposed. It combines Lambertian source theory with analysis of the influence of the camera lens diaphragm to simulate photon transport process in free space. In addition, the radiance theorem is also adopted to establish the energy relationship between the virtual detector and the CCD camera. The accuracy and feasibility of the proposed model is validated with a Monte-Carlo-based free-space photon transport model and physical phantom experiment. A comparison study with our previous hybrid radiosity-radiance theorem based model demonstrates the improvement performance and potential of the proposed model for simulating photon transport process in free space.

A Flight Photon Counting Camera for the WFIRST Coronagraph

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrissey, Patrick

2018-01-01

A photon counting camera based on the Teledyne-e2v CCD201-20 electron multiplying CCD (EMCCD) is being developed for the NASA WFIRST coronagraph, an exoplanet imaging technology development of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, CA) that is scheduled to launch in 2026. The coronagraph is designed to directly image planets around nearby stars, and to characterize their spectra. The planets are exceedingly faint, providing signals similar to the detector dark current, and require the use of photon counting detectors. Red sensitivity (600-980nm) is preferred to capture spectral features of interest. Since radiation in space affects the ability of the EMCCD to transfer the required single electron signals, care has been taken to develop appropriate shielding that will protect the cameras during a five year mission. In this poster, consideration of the effects of space radiation on photon counting observations will be described with the mitigating features of the camera design. An overview of the current camera flight system electronics requirements and design will also be described.

Electronic still camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holland, S. Douglas

1992-09-01

A handheld, programmable, digital camera is disclosed that supports a variety of sensors and has program control over the system components to provide versatility. The camera uses a high performance design which produces near film quality images from an electronic system. The optical system of the camera incorporates a conventional camera body that was slightly modified, thus permitting the use of conventional camera accessories, such as telephoto lenses, wide-angle lenses, auto-focusing circuitry, auto-exposure circuitry, flash units, and the like. An image sensor, such as a charge coupled device ('CCD') collects the photons that pass through the camera aperture when the shutter is opened, and produces an analog electrical signal indicative of the image. The analog image signal is read out of the CCD and is processed by preamplifier circuitry, a correlated double sampler, and a sample and hold circuit before it is converted to a digital signal. The analog-to-digital converter has an accuracy of eight bits to insure accuracy during the conversion. Two types of data ports are included for two different data transfer needs. One data port comprises a general purpose industrial standard port and the other a high speed/high performance application specific port. The system uses removable hard disks as its permanent storage media. The hard disk receives the digital image signal from the memory buffer and correlates the image signal with other sensed parameters, such as longitudinal or other information. When the storage capacity of the hard disk has been filled, the disk can be replaced with a new disk.

Electronic Still Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, S. Douglas (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A handheld, programmable, digital camera is disclosed that supports a variety of sensors and has program control over the system components to provide versatility. The camera uses a high performance design which produces near film quality images from an electronic system. The optical system of the camera incorporates a conventional camera body that was slightly modified, thus permitting the use of conventional camera accessories, such as telephoto lenses, wide-angle lenses, auto-focusing circuitry, auto-exposure circuitry, flash units, and the like. An image sensor, such as a charge coupled device ('CCD') collects the photons that pass through the camera aperture when the shutter is opened, and produces an analog electrical signal indicative of the image. The analog image signal is read out of the CCD and is processed by preamplifier circuitry, a correlated double sampler, and a sample and hold circuit before it is converted to a digital signal. The analog-to-digital converter has an accuracy of eight bits to insure accuracy during the conversion. Two types of data ports are included for two different data transfer needs. One data port comprises a general purpose industrial standard port and the other a high speed/high performance application specific port. The system uses removable hard disks as its permanent storage media. The hard disk receives the digital image signal from the memory buffer and correlates the image signal with other sensed parameters, such as longitudinal or other information. When the storage capacity of the hard disk has been filled, the disk can be replaced with a new disk.

Development of Next Generation Lifetime PSP Imaging Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, A. Neal; Jordan, Jeffrey D.; Leighty, Bradley D.; Ingram, JoAnne L.; Oglesby, Donald M.

2002-01-01

This paper describes a lifetime PSP system that has recently been developed using pulsed light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and a new interline transfer CCD camera technology. This system alleviates noise sources associated with lifetime PSP systems that use either flash-lamp or laser excitation sources and intensified CCD cameras for detection. Calibration curves have been acquired for a variety of PSP formulations using this system, and a validation test was recently completed in the Subsonic Aerodynamic Research Laboratory (SARL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). In this test, global surface pressure distributions were recovered using both a standard intensity-based method and the new lifetime system. Results from the lifetime system agree both qualitatively and quantitatively with those measured using the intensity-based method. Finally, an advanced lifetime imaging technique capable of measuring temperature and pressure simultaneously is introduced and initial results are presented.

Development of Measurement Device of Working Radius of Crane Based on Single CCD Camera and Laser Range Finder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nara, Shunsuke; Takahashi, Satoru

In this paper, what we want to do is to develop an observation device to measure the working radius of a crane truck. The device has a single CCD camera, a laser range finder and two AC servo motors. First, in order to measure the working radius, we need to consider algorithm of a crane hook recognition. Then, we attach the cross mark on the crane hook. Namely, instead of the crane hook, we try to recognize the cross mark. Further, for the observation device, we construct PI control system with an extended Kalman filter to track the moving cross mark. Through experiments, we show the usefulness of our device including new control system of mark tracking.

Illumination box and camera system

DOEpatents

Haas, Jeffrey S.; Kelly, Fredrick R.; Bushman, John F.; Wiefel, Michael H.; Jensen, Wayne A.; Klunder, Gregory L.

2002-01-01

A hand portable, field-deployable thin-layer chromatography (TLC) unit and a hand portable, battery-operated unit for development, illumination, and data acquisition of the TLC plates contain many miniaturized features that permit a large number of samples to be processed efficiently. The TLC unit includes a solvent tank, a holder for TLC plates, and a variety of tool chambers for storing TLC plates, solvent, and pipettes. After processing in the TLC unit, a TLC plate is positioned in a collapsible illumination box, where the box and a CCD camera are optically aligned for optimal pixel resolution of the CCD images of the TLC plate. The TLC system includes an improved development chamber for chemical development of TLC plates that prevents solvent overflow.

Structure Formation in Complex Plasma

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-24

Dewer bottle (upper figures) or in the vapor of liquid helium (lower figures). Liq. He Ring electrode Particles Green Laser RF Plasma ... Ring electrode CCD camera Prism mirror Liq. He Glass Tube Liq. N2 Glass Dewar Acrylic particles Gas Helium Green Laser CCD camera Pressure

Design of area array CCD image acquisition and display system based on FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lei; Zhang, Ning; Li, Tianting; Pan, Yue; Dai, Yuming

2014-09-01

With the development of science and technology, CCD(Charge-coupled Device) has been widely applied in various fields and plays an important role in the modern sensing system, therefore researching a real-time image acquisition and display plan based on CCD device has great significance. This paper introduces an image data acquisition and display system of area array CCD based on FPGA. Several key technical challenges and problems of the system have also been analyzed and followed solutions put forward .The FPGA works as the core processing unit in the system that controls the integral time sequence .The ICX285AL area array CCD image sensor produced by SONY Corporation has been used in the system. The FPGA works to complete the driver of the area array CCD, then analog front end (AFE) processes the signal of the CCD image, including amplification, filtering, noise elimination, CDS correlation double sampling, etc. AD9945 produced by ADI Corporation to convert analog signal to digital signal. Developed Camera Link high-speed data transmission circuit, and completed the PC-end software design of the image acquisition, and realized the real-time display of images. The result through practical testing indicates that the system in the image acquisition and control is stable and reliable, and the indicators meet the actual project requirements.

Development of X-ray CCD camera based X-ray micro-CT system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Partha S.; Ray, N. K.; Pal, Manoj K.; Baribaddala, Ravi; Agrawal, Ashish; Kashyap, Y.; Sinha, A.; Gadkari, S. C.

2017-02-01

Availability of microfocus X-ray sources and high resolution X-ray area detectors has made it possible for high resolution microtomography studies to be performed outside the purview of synchrotron. In this paper, we present the work towards the use of an external shutter on a high resolution microtomography system using X-ray CCD camera as a detector. During micro computed tomography experiments, the X-ray source is continuously ON and owing to the readout mechanism of the CCD detector electronics, the detector registers photons reaching it during the read-out period too. This introduces a shadow like pattern in the image known as smear whose direction is defined by the vertical shift register. To resolve this issue, the developed system has been incorporated with a synchronized shutter just in front of the X-ray source. This is positioned in the X-ray beam path during the image readout period and out of the beam path during the image acquisition period. This technique has resulted in improved data quality and hence the same is reflected in the reconstructed images.

Cat-eye effect reflected beam profiles of an optical system with sensor array.

PubMed

Gong, Mali; He, Sifeng; Guo, Rui; Wang, Wei

2016-06-01

In this paper, we propose an applicable propagation model for Gaussian beams passing through any cat-eye target instead of traditional simplification consisting of only a mirror placed at the focal plane of a lens. According to the model, the cat-eye effect of CCD cameras affected by defocus is numerically simulated. An excellent agreement of experiment results with theoretical analysis is obtained. It is found that the reflectivity distribution at the focal plane of the cat-eye optical lens has great influence on the results, while the cat-eye effect reflected beam profiles of CCD cameras show obvious periodicity.

Scientific CCD technology at JPL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Janesick, J.; Collins, S. A.; Fossum, E. R.

1991-01-01

Charge-coupled devices (CCD's) were recognized for their potential as an imaging technology almost immediately following their conception in 1970. Twenty years later, they are firmly established as the technology of choice for visible imaging. While consumer applications of CCD's, especially the emerging home video camera market, dominated manufacturing activity, the scientific market for CCD imagers has become significant. Activity of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and its industrial partners in the area of CCD imagers for space scientific instruments is described. Requirements for scientific imagers are significantly different from those needed for home video cameras, and are described. An imager for an instrument on the CRAF/Cassini mission is described in detail to highlight achieved levels of performance.

Study of Cryogenic Complex Plasma

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-26

enabled us to detect the formation of the Coulomb crystals as shown in Fig. 2. Liq. He Ring electrode Particles Green Laser RF Plasma ... Ring electrode CCD camera Prism mirror Liq. He Glass Tube Liq. N2 Glass Dewar Acrylic particles Gas Helium Green Laser CCD camera Pressure

Tracking a Head-Mounted Display in a Room-Sized Environment with Head-Mounted Cameras

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

poor resolution and a very limited working volume [Wan90]. 4 OPTOTRAK [Nor88] uses one camera with two dual-axis CCD infrared position sensors. Each...Nor88] Northern Digital. Trade literature on Optotrak - Northern Digital’s Three Dimensional Optical Motion Tracking and Analysis System. Northern Digital

A comparison of imaging methods for use in an array biosensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golden, Joel P.; Ligler, Frances S.

2002-01-01

An array biosensor has been developed which uses an actively-cooled, charge-coupled device (CCD) imager. In an effort to save money and space, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera and photodiode were tested as replacements for the cooled CCD imager. Different concentrations of CY5 fluorescent dye in glycerol were imaged using the three different detection systems with the same imaging optics. Signal discrimination above noise was compared for each of the three systems.

Measurement system for 3-D foot coordinates and parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guozhong; Li, Yunhui; Wang, Boxiong; Shi, Hui; Luo, Xiuzhi

2008-12-01

The 3-D foot-shape measurement system based on laser-line-scanning principle and the model of the measurement system were presented. Errors caused by nonlinearity of CCD cameras and caused by installation can be eliminated by using the global calibration method for CCD cameras, which based on nonlinear coordinate mapping function and the optimized method. A local foot coordinate system is defined with the Pternion and the Acropodion extracted from the boundaries of foot projections. The characteristic points can thus be located and foot parameters be extracted automatically by the local foot coordinate system and the related sections. Foot measurements for about 200 participants were conducted and the measurement results for male and female participants were presented. 3-D foot coordinates and parameters measurement makes it possible to realize custom-made shoe-making and shows great prosperity in shoe design, foot orthopaedic treatment, shoe size standardization, and establishment of a feet database for consumers.

Pi of the Sky full system and the new telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankiewicz, L.; Batsch, T.; Castro-Tirado, A.; Czyrkowski, H.; Cwiek, A.; Cwiok, M.; Dabrowski, R.; Jelínek, M.; Kasprowicz, G.; Majcher, A.; Majczyna, A.; Malek, K.; Nawrocki, K.; Obara, L.; Opiela, R.; Piotrowski, L. W.; Siudek, M.; Sokolowski, M.; Wawrzaszek, R.; Wrochna, G.; Zaremba, M.; Żarnecki, A. F.

2014-12-01

The Pi of the Sky is a system of wide field of view robotic telescopes, which search for short timescale astrophysical phenomena, especially for prompt optical GRB emission. The system was designed for autonomous operation, monitoring a large fraction of the sky to a depth of 12(m}-13({m)) and with time resolution of the order of 1 - 10 seconds. The system design and observation strategy were successfully tested with a prototype detector operational at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile from 2004-2009 and moved to San Pedro de Atacama Observatory in March 2011. In October 2010 the first unit of the final Pi of the Sky detector system, with 4 CCD cameras, was successfully installed at the INTA El Arenosillo Test Centre in Spain. In July 2013 three more units (12 CCD cameras) were commissioned and installed, together with the first one, on a new platform in INTA, extending sky coverage to about 6000 square degrees.

A stroboscopic technique for using CCD cameras in flow visualization systems for continuous viewing and stop action photography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franke, John M.; Rhodes, David B.; Jones, Stephen B.; Dismond, Harriet R.

1992-01-01

A technique for synchronizing a pulse light source to charge coupled device cameras is presented. The technique permits the use of pulse light sources for continuous as well as stop action flow visualization. The technique has eliminated the need to provide separate lighting systems at facilities requiring continuous and stop action viewing or photography.

Head-coupled remote stereoscopic camera system for telepresence applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolas, Mark T.; Fisher, Scott S.

1990-09-01

The Virtual Environment Workstation Project (VIEW) at NASA's Ames Research Center has developed a remotely controlled stereoscopic camera system that can be used for telepresence research and as a tool to develop and evaluate configurations for head-coupled visual systems associated with space station telerobots and remote manipulation robotic arms. The prototype camera system consists of two lightweight CCD video cameras mounted on a computer controlled platform that provides real-time pan, tilt, and roll control of the camera system in coordination with head position transmitted from the user. This paper provides an overall system description focused on the design and implementation of the camera and platform hardware configuration and the development of control software. Results of preliminary performance evaluations are reported with emphasis on engineering and mechanical design issues and discussion of related psychophysiological effects and objectives.

The research on calibration methods of dual-CCD laser three-dimensional human face scanning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinjiang; Chang, Tianyu; Ge, Baozhen; Tian, Qingguo; Yang, Fengting; Shi, Shendong

2013-09-01

In this paper, on the basis of considering the performance advantages of two-step method, we combines the stereo matching of binocular stereo vision with active laser scanning to calibrate the system. Above all, we select a reference camera coordinate system as the world coordinate system and unity the coordinates of two CCD cameras. And then obtain the new perspective projection matrix (PPM) of each camera after the epipolar rectification. By those, the corresponding epipolar equation of two cameras can be defined. So by utilizing the trigonometric parallax method, we can measure the space point position after distortion correction and achieve stereo matching calibration between two image points. Experiments verify that this method can improve accuracy and system stability is guaranteed. The stereo matching calibration has a simple process with low-cost, and simplifies regular maintenance work. It can acquire 3D coordinates only by planar checkerboard calibration without the need of designing specific standard target or using electronic theodolite. It is found that during the experiment two-step calibration error and lens distortion lead to the stratification of point cloud data. The proposed calibration method which combining active line laser scanning and binocular stereo vision has the both advantages of them. It has more flexible applicability. Theory analysis and experiment shows the method is reasonable.

Optical Transient Monitor (OTM) for BOOTES Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Páta, P.; Bernas, M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Hudec, R.

2003-04-01

The Optical Transient Monitor (OTM) is a software for control of three wide and ultra-wide filed cameras of BOOTES (Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System) station. The OTM is a PC based and it is powerful tool for taking images from two SBIG CCD cameras in same time or from one camera only. The control program for BOOTES cameras is Windows 98 or MSDOS based. Now the version for Windows 2000 is prepared. There are five main supported modes of work. The OTM program could control cameras and evaluate image data without human interaction.

Noise and sensitivity of x-ray framing cameras at Nike (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawley, C. J.; Deniz, A. V.; Lehecka, T.

1999-01-01

X-ray framing cameras are the most widely used tool for radiographing density distributions in laser and Z-pinch driven experiments. The x-ray framing cameras that were developed specifically for experiments on the Nike laser system are described. One of these cameras has been coupled to a CCD camera and was tested for resolution and image noise using both electrons and x rays. The largest source of noise in the images was found to be due to low quantum detection efficiency of x-ray photons.

Time-resolved spectra of dense plasma focus using spectrometer, streak camera, and CCD combination.

PubMed

Goldin, F J; Meehan, B T; Hagen, E C; Wilkins, P R

2010-10-01

A time-resolving spectrographic instrument has been assembled with the primary components of a spectrometer, image-converting streak camera, and CCD recording camera, for the primary purpose of diagnosing highly dynamic plasmas. A collection lens defines the sampled region and couples light from the plasma into a step index, multimode fiber which leads to the spectrometer. The output spectrum is focused onto the photocathode of the streak camera, the output of which is proximity-coupled to the CCD. The spectrometer configuration is essentially Czerny-Turner, but off-the-shelf Nikon refraction lenses, rather than mirrors, are used for practicality and flexibility. Only recently assembled, the instrument requires significant refinement, but has now taken data on both bridge wire and dense plasma focus experiments.

CTK: A new CCD Camera at the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugrauer, M.

2009-05-01

The Cassegrain-Teleskop-Kamera (CTK) is a new CCD imager which is operated at the University Observatory Jena since begin of 2006. This article describes the main characteristics of the new camera. The properties of the CCD detector, the CTK image quality, as well as its detection limits for all filters are presented. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University.

LED characterization for development of on-board calibration unit of CCD-based advanced wide-field sensor camera of Resourcesat-2A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Abhijit; Verma, Anurag

2016-05-01

The Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) camera caters to high temporal resolution requirement of Resourcesat-2A mission with repeativity of 5 days. The AWiFS camera consists of four spectral bands, three in the visible and near IR and one in the short wave infrared. The imaging concept in VNIR bands is based on push broom scanning that uses linear array silicon charge coupled device (CCD) based Focal Plane Array (FPA). On-Board Calibration unit for these CCD based FPAs is used to monitor any degradation in FPA during entire mission life. Four LEDs are operated in constant current mode and 16 different light intensity levels are generated by electronically changing exposure of CCD throughout the calibration cycle. This paper describes experimental setup and characterization results of various flight model visible LEDs (λP=650nm) for development of On-Board Calibration unit of Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) camera of RESOURCESAT-2A. Various LED configurations have been studied to meet dynamic range coverage of 6000 pixels silicon CCD based focal plane array from 20% to 60% of saturation during night pass of the satellite to identify degradation of detector elements. The paper also explains comparison of simulation and experimental results of CCD output profile at different LED combinations in constant current mode.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Photometry of multiple stars at NAOR&ASV in 2015 (Cvetkovic+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cvetkovic, Z.; Pavlovic, R.; Boeva, S.

2018-05-01

This is the ninth series of CCD observations of double and multiple stars, obtained at the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory at Rozhen (NAOR) over five nights. As previously, the CCD camera VersArray 1300B was used, which was attached to the 2 m telescope. For each double or multiple star, five CCD frames in the Johnson B filter and five frames in the Johnson V filter were taken, which enabled us to determine the magnitude difference for these filters. In 2015 at the Astronomical Station at Vidojevica (ASV), over a total of 23 nights, observations were carried out by using the 60 cm telescope with a Cassegrain optical system. This is the fourth observational series at ASV since the work started there in 2011. In the observations we used the Apogee Alta U42 CCD camera whose characteristics can be found in the paper by Cvetkovic et al. (2016, J/AJ/151/58). Every pair was observed five times in the Cousins/Bessel B filter and five times in the Cousins/Bessel V one. (3 data files).

Hyper Suprime-Cam: Camera dewar design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komiyama, Yutaka; Obuchi, Yoshiyuki; Nakaya, Hidehiko; Kamata, Yukiko; Kawanomoto, Satoshi; Utsumi, Yousuke; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Uraguchi, Fumihiro; Furusawa, Hisanori; Morokuma, Tomoki; Uchida, Tomohisa; Miyatake, Hironao; Mineo, Sogo; Fujimori, Hiroki; Aihara, Hiroaki; Karoji, Hiroshi; Gunn, James E.; Wang, Shiang-Yu

2018-01-01

This paper describes the detailed design of the CCD dewar and the camera system which is a part of the wide-field imager Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. On the 1.°5 diameter focal plane (497 mm in physical size), 116 four-side buttable 2 k × 4 k fully depleted CCDs are tiled with 0.3 mm gaps between adjacent chips, which are cooled down to -100°C by two pulse tube coolers with a capability to exhaust 100 W heat at -100°C. The design of the dewar is basically a natural extension of Suprime-Cam, incorporating some improvements such as (1) a detailed CCD positioning strategy to avoid any collision between CCDs while maximizing the filling factor of the focal plane, (2) a spherical washers mechanism adopted for the interface points to avoid any deformation caused by the tilt of the interface surface to be transferred to the focal plane, (3) the employment of a truncated-cone-shaped window, made of synthetic silica, to save the back focal space, and (4) a passive heat transfer mechanism to exhaust efficiently the heat generated from the CCD readout electronics which are accommodated inside the dewar. Extensive simulations using a finite-element analysis (FEA) method are carried out to verify that the design of the dewar is sufficient to satisfy the assigned errors. We also perform verification tests using the actually assembled CCD dewar to supplement the FEA and demonstrate that the design is adequate to ensure an excellent image quality which is key to the HSC. The details of the camera system, including the control computer system, are described as well as the assembling process of the dewar and the process of installation on the telescope.

A high-resolution multimode digital microscope system.

PubMed

Salmon, Edward D; Shaw, Sidney L; Waters, Jennifer C; Waterman-Storer, Clare M; Maddox, Paul S; Yeh, Elaine; Bloom, Kerry

2013-01-01

This chapter describes the development of a high-resolution, multimode digital imaging system based on a wide-field epifluorescent and transmitted light microscope, and a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The three main parts of this imaging system are Nikon FXA microscope, Hamamatsu C4880 cooled CCD camera, and MetaMorph digital imaging system. This chapter presents various design criteria for the instrument and describes the major features of the microscope components-the cooled CCD camera and the MetaMorph digital imaging system. The Nikon FXA upright microscope can produce high resolution images for both epifluorescent and transmitted light illumination without switching the objective or moving the specimen. The functional aspects of the microscope set-up can be considered in terms of the imaging optics, the epi-illumination optics, the transillumination optics, the focus control, and the vibration isolation table. This instrument is somewhat specialized for microtubule and mitosis studies, and it is also applicable to a variety of problems in cellular imaging, including tracking proteins fused to the green fluorescent protein in live cells. The instrument is also valuable for correlating the assembly dynamics of individual cytoplasmic microtubules (labeled by conjugating X-rhodamine to tubulin) with the dynamics of membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (labeled with DiOC6) and the dynamics of the cell cortex (by differential interference contrast) in migrating vertebrate epithelial cells. This imaging system also plays an important role in the analysis of mitotic mutants in the powerful yeast genetic system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Copyright © 1998 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical transient monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernas, Martin; Páta, Petr; Hudec, René; Soldán, Jan; Rezek, Tomáš; Castro-Tirado, Alberto J.

1998-05-01

Although there are several optical GRB follow-up systems in operation and/or in development, some of them with a very short response time, they will never be able to provide true simultaneous (no delay) and pre-burst optical data for GRBs. We report on the development and tests of a monitoring experiment expected to be put into test operation in 1998. The system should detect Optical Transients down to mag 6-7 (few seconds duration assumed) over a wide field of view. The system is based on the double CCD wide-field cameras ST8. For the real time evaluation of the signal from both cameras, two TMS 320C40 processors are used. Using two channels differing in spectral sensitivity and processing of temporal sequence of images allows us to eliminate man-made objects and defects of the CCD electronics. The system is controlled by a standard PC computer.

Multipurpose Hyperspectral Imaging System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Chengye; Smith, David; Lanoue, Mark A.; Poole, Gavin H.; Heitschmidt, Jerry; Martinez, Luis; Windham, William A.; Lawrence, Kurt C.; Park, Bosoon

2005-01-01

A hyperspectral imaging system of high spectral and spatial resolution that incorporates several innovative features has been developed to incorporate a focal plane scanner (U.S. Patent 6,166,373). This feature enables the system to be used for both airborne/spaceborne and laboratory hyperspectral imaging with or without relative movement of the imaging system, and it can be used to scan a target of any size as long as the target can be imaged at the focal plane; for example, automated inspection of food items and identification of single-celled organisms. The spectral resolution of this system is greater than that of prior terrestrial multispectral imaging systems. Moreover, unlike prior high-spectral resolution airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral imaging systems, this system does not rely on relative movement of the target and the imaging system to sweep an imaging line across a scene. This compact system (see figure) consists of a front objective mounted at a translation stage with a motorized actuator, and a line-slit imaging spectrograph mounted within a rotary assembly with a rear adaptor to a charged-coupled-device (CCD) camera. Push-broom scanning is carried out by the motorized actuator which can be controlled either manually by an operator or automatically by a computer to drive the line-slit across an image at a focal plane of the front objective. To reduce the cost, the system has been designed to integrate as many as possible off-the-shelf components including the CCD camera and spectrograph. The system has achieved high spectral and spatial resolutions by using a high-quality CCD camera, spectrograph, and front objective lens. Fixtures for attachment of the system to a microscope (U.S. Patent 6,495,818 B1) make it possible to acquire multispectral images of single cells and other microscopic objects.

The In-flight Spectroscopic Performance of the Swift XRT CCD Camera During 2006-2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godet, O.; Beardmore, A.P.; Abbey, A.F.; Osborne, J.P.; Page, K.L.; Evans, P.; Starling, R.; Wells, A.A.; Angelini, L.; Burrows, D.N.;

A New Remote Sensing Filter Radiometer Employing a Fabry-Perot Etalon and a CCD Camera for Column Measurements of Methane in the Earth Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgieva, E. M.; Huang, W.; Heaps, W. S.

2012-01-01

A portable remote sensing system for precision column measurements of methane has been developed, built and tested at NASA GSFC. The sensor covers the spectral range from 1.636 micrometers to 1.646 micrometers, employs an air-gapped Fabry-Perot filter and a CCD camera and has a potential to operate from a variety of platforms. The detector is an XS-1.7-320 camera unit from Xenics Infrared solutions which combines an uncooled InGaAs detector array working up to 1.7 micrometers. Custom software was developed in addition to the graphical user basic interface X-Control provided by the company to help save and process the data. The technique and setup can be used to measure other trace gases in the atmosphere with minimal changes of the etalon and the prefilter. In this paper we describe the calibration of the system using several different approaches.

Imaging with organic indicators and high-speed charge-coupled device cameras in neurons: some applications where these classic techniques have advantages.

PubMed

Ross, William N; Miyazaki, Kenichi; Popovic, Marko A; Zecevic, Dejan

2015-04-01

Dynamic calcium and voltage imaging is a major tool in modern cellular neuroscience. Since the beginning of their use over 40 years ago, there have been major improvements in indicators, microscopes, imaging systems, and computers. While cutting edge research has trended toward the use of genetically encoded calcium or voltage indicators, two-photon microscopes, and in vivo preparations, it is worth noting that some questions still may be best approached using more classical methodologies and preparations. In this review, we highlight a few examples in neurons where the combination of charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging and classical organic indicators has revealed information that has so far been more informative than results using the more modern systems. These experiments take advantage of the high frame rates, sensitivity, and spatial integration of the best CCD cameras. These cameras can respond to the faster kinetics of organic voltage and calcium indicators, which closely reflect the fast dynamics of the underlying cellular events.

Noninvasive imaging of protein-protein interactions from live cells and living subjects using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

De, Abhijit; Gambhir, Sanjiv Sam

2005-12-01

This study demonstrates a significant advancement of imaging of a distance-dependent physical process, known as the bioluminescent resonance energy transfer (BRET2) signal in living subjects, by using a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A CCD camera-based spectral imaging strategy enables simultaneous visualization and quantitation of BRET signal from live cells and cells implanted in living mice. We used the BRET2 system, which utilizes Renilla luciferase (hRluc) protein and its substrate DeepBlueC (DBC) as an energy donor and a mutant green fluorescent protein (GFP2) as the acceptor. To accomplish this objective in this proof-of-principle study, the donor and acceptor proteins were fused to FKBP12 and FRB, respectively, which are known to interact only in the presence of the small molecule mediator rapamycin. Mammalian cells expressing these fusion constructs were imaged using a cooled-CCD camera either directly from culture dishes or by implanting them into mice. By comparing the emission photon yields in the presence and absence of rapamycin, the specific BRET signal was determined. The CCD imaging approach of BRET signal is particularly appealing due to its capacity to seamlessly bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo studies. This work validates BRET as a powerful tool for interrogating and observing protein-protein interactions directly at limited depths in living mice.

CCD image sensor induced error in PIV applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Legrand, M.; Nogueira, J.; Vargas, A. A.; Ventas, R.; Rodríguez-Hidalgo, M. C.

2014-06-01

The readout procedure of charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras is known to generate some image degradation in different scientific imaging fields, especially in astrophysics. In the particular field of particle image velocimetry (PIV), widely extended in the scientific community, the readout procedure of the interline CCD sensor induces a bias in the registered position of particle images. This work proposes simple procedures to predict the magnitude of the associated measurement error. Generally, there are differences in the position bias for the different images of a certain particle at each PIV frame. This leads to a substantial bias error in the PIV velocity measurement (˜0.1 pixels). This is the order of magnitude that other typical PIV errors such as peak-locking may reach. Based on modern CCD technology and architecture, this work offers a description of the readout phenomenon and proposes a modeling for the CCD readout bias error magnitude. This bias, in turn, generates a velocity measurement bias error when there is an illumination difference between two successive PIV exposures. The model predictions match the experiments performed with two 12-bit-depth interline CCD cameras (MegaPlus ES 4.0/E incorporating the Kodak KAI-4000M CCD sensor with 4 megapixels). For different cameras, only two constant values are needed to fit the proposed calibration model and predict the error from the readout procedure. Tests by different researchers using different cameras would allow verification of the model, that can be used to optimize acquisition setups. Simple procedures to obtain these two calibration values are also described.

A protection system for the JET ITER-like wall based on imaging diagnostics.

PubMed

Arnoux, G; Devaux, S; Alves, D; Balboa, I; Balorin, C; Balshaw, N; Beldishevski, M; Carvalho, P; Clever, M; Cramp, S; de Pablos, J-L; de la Cal, E; Falie, D; Garcia-Sanchez, P; Felton, R; Gervaise, V; Goodyear, A; Horton, A; Jachmich, S; Huber, A; Jouve, M; Kinna, D; Kruezi, U; Manzanares, A; Martin, V; McCullen, P; Moncada, V; Obrejan, K; Patel, K; Lomas, P J; Neto, A; Rimini, F; Ruset, C; Schweer, B; Sergienko, G; Sieglin, B; Soleto, A; Stamp, M; Stephen, A; Thomas, P D; Valcárcel, D F; Williams, J; Wilson, J; Zastrow, K-D

2012-10-01

The new JET ITER-like wall (made of beryllium and tungsten) is more fragile than the former carbon fiber composite wall and requires active protection to prevent excessive heat loads on the plasma facing components (PFC). Analog CCD cameras operating in the near infrared wavelength are used to measure surface temperature of the PFCs. Region of interest (ROI) analysis is performed in real time and the maximum temperature measured in each ROI is sent to the vessel thermal map. The protection of the ITER-like wall system started in October 2011 and has already successfully led to a safe landing of the plasma when hot spots were observed on the Be main chamber PFCs. Divertor protection is more of a challenge due to dust deposits that often generate false hot spots. In this contribution we describe the camera, data capture and real time processing systems. We discuss the calibration strategy for the temperature measurements with cross validation with thermal IR cameras and bi-color pyrometers. Most importantly, we demonstrate that a protection system based on CCD cameras can work and show examples of hot spot detections that stop the plasma pulse. The limits of such a design and the associated constraints on the operations are also presented.

A protection system for the JET ITER-like wall based on imaging diagnosticsa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnoux, G.; Devaux, S.; Alves, D.; Balboa, I.; Balorin, C.; Balshaw, N.; Beldishevski, M.; Carvalho, P.; Clever, M.; Cramp, S.; de Pablos, J.-L.; de la Cal, E.; Falie, D.; Garcia-Sanchez, P.; Felton, R.; Gervaise, V.; Goodyear, A.; Horton, A.; Jachmich, S.; Huber, A.; Jouve, M.; Kinna, D.; Kruezi, U.; Manzanares, A.; Martin, V.; McCullen, P.; Moncada, V.; Obrejan, K.; Patel, K.; Lomas, P. J.; Neto, A.; Rimini, F.; Ruset, C.; Schweer, B.; Sergienko, G.; Sieglin, B.; Soleto, A.; Stamp, M.; Stephen, A.; Thomas, P. D.; Valcárcel, D. F.; Williams, J.; Wilson, J.; Zastrow, K.-D.; JET-EFDA Contributors

2012-10-01

The new JET ITER-like wall (made of beryllium and tungsten) is more fragile than the former carbon fiber composite wall and requires active protection to prevent excessive heat loads on the plasma facing components (PFC). Analog CCD cameras operating in the near infrared wavelength are used to measure surface temperature of the PFCs. Region of interest (ROI) analysis is performed in real time and the maximum temperature measured in each ROI is sent to the vessel thermal map. The protection of the ITER-like wall system started in October 2011 and has already successfully led to a safe landing of the plasma when hot spots were observed on the Be main chamber PFCs. Divertor protection is more of a challenge due to dust deposits that often generate false hot spots. In this contribution we describe the camera, data capture and real time processing systems. We discuss the calibration strategy for the temperature measurements with cross validation with thermal IR cameras and bi-color pyrometers. Most importantly, we demonstrate that a protection system based on CCD cameras can work and show examples of hot spot detections that stop the plasma pulse. The limits of such a design and the associated constraints on the operations are also presented.

CTK-II & RTK: The CCD-cameras operated at the auxiliary telescopes of the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugrauer, M.

2016-03-01

The Cassegrain-Teleskop-Kamera (CTK-II) and the Refraktor-Teleskop-Kamera (RTK) are two CCD-imagers which are operated at the 25 cm Cassegrain and 20 cm refractor auxiliary telescopes of the University Observatory Jena. This article describes the main characteristics of these instruments. The properties of the CCD-detectors, the astrometry, the image quality, and the detection limits of both CCD-cameras, as well as some results of ongoing observing projects, carried out with these instruments, are presented. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University.

Compression of CCD raw images for digital still cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriram, Parthasarathy; Sudharsanan, Subramania

2005-03-01

Lossless compression of raw CCD images captured using color filter arrays has several benefits. The benefits include improved storage capacity, reduced memory bandwidth, and lower power consumption for digital still camera processors. The paper discusses the benefits in detail and proposes the use of a computationally efficient block adaptive scheme for lossless compression. Experimental results are provided that indicate that the scheme performs well for CCD raw images attaining compression factors of more than two. The block adaptive method also compares favorably with JPEG-LS. A discussion is provided indicating how the proposed lossless coding scheme can be incorporated into digital still camera processors enabling lower memory bandwidth and storage requirements.

Development of a 300,000-pixel ultrahigh-speed high-sensitivity CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohtake, H.; Hayashida, T.; Kitamura, K.; Arai, T.; Yonai, J.; Tanioka, K.; Maruyama, H.; Etoh, T. Goji; Poggemann, D.; Ruckelshausen, A.; van Kuijk, H.; Bosiers, Jan T.

2006-02-01

We are developing an ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity broadcast camera that is capable of capturing clear, smooth slow-motion videos even where lighting is limited, such as at professional baseball games played at night. In earlier work, we developed an ultrahigh-speed broadcast color camera1) using three 80,000-pixel ultrahigh-speed, highsensitivity CCDs2). This camera had about ten times the sensitivity of standard high-speed cameras, and enabled an entirely new style of presentation for sports broadcasts and science programs. Most notably, increasing the pixel count is crucially important for applying ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity CCDs to HDTV broadcasting. This paper provides a summary of our experimental development aimed at improving the resolution of CCD even further: a new ultrahigh-speed high-sensitivity CCD that increases the pixel count four-fold to 300,000 pixels.

Measurement precision and noise analysis of CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, ZhenSen; Li, Zhiyang; Zhang, Ping

1993-09-01

CHINA The lirait precision of CCD camera with 1O. bit analogue to digital conversion is estimated in this paper . The noise effect on ineasurenent precision and the noise characteristics are analyzed in details. The noise process means are also discussed and the diagram of noise properties is given in this paper.

An ultrahigh-speed color video camera operating at 1,000,000 fps with 288 frame memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitamura, K.; Arai, T.; Yonai, J.; Hayashida, T.; Kurita, T.; Maruyama, H.; Namiki, J.; Yanagi, T.; Yoshida, T.; van Kuijk, H.; Bosiers, Jan T.; Saita, A.; Kanayama, S.; Hatade, K.; Kitagawa, S.; Etoh, T. Goji

2008-11-01

We developed an ultrahigh-speed color video camera that operates at 1,000,000 fps (frames per second) and had capacity to store 288 frame memories. In 2005, we developed an ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity portable color camera with a 300,000-pixel single CCD (ISIS-V4: In-situ Storage Image Sensor, Version 4). Its ultrahigh-speed shooting capability of 1,000,000 fps was made possible by directly connecting CCD storages, which record video images, to the photodiodes of individual pixels. The number of consecutive frames was 144. However, longer capture times were demanded when the camera was used during imaging experiments and for some television programs. To increase ultrahigh-speed capture times, we used a beam splitter and two ultrahigh-speed 300,000-pixel CCDs. The beam splitter was placed behind the pick up lens. One CCD was located at each of the two outputs of the beam splitter. The CCD driving unit was developed to separately drive two CCDs, and the recording period of the two CCDs was sequentially switched. This increased the recording capacity to 288 images, an increase of a factor of two over that of conventional ultrahigh-speed camera. A problem with the camera was that the incident light on each CCD was reduced by a factor of two by using the beam splitter. To improve the light sensitivity, we developed a microlens array for use with the ultrahigh-speed CCDs. We simulated the operation of the microlens array in order to optimize its shape and then fabricated it using stamping technology. Using this microlens increased the light sensitivity of the CCDs by an approximate factor of two. By using a beam splitter in conjunction with the microlens array, it was possible to make an ultrahigh-speed color video camera that has 288 frame memories but without decreasing the camera's light sensitivity.

The Panoramic Camera (Pancam) Investigation on the NASA 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, J. F., III; Squyres, S. W.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Maki, J.; Schwochert, M.; Dingizian, A.; Brown, D.; Morris, R. V.; Arneson, H. M.; Johnson, M. J.

2003-01-01

The Panoramic Camera System (Pancam) is part of the Athena science payload to be launched to Mars in 2003 on NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions. The Pancam imaging system on each rover consists of two major components: a pair of digital CCD cameras, and the Pancam Mast Assembly (PMA), which provides the azimuth and elevation actuation for the cameras as well as a 1.5 meter high vantage point from which to image. Pancam is a multispectral, stereoscopic, panoramic imaging system, with a field of regard provided by the PMA that extends across 360 of azimuth and from zenith to nadir, providing a complete view of the scene around the rover.

Infrared imaging spectrometry by the use of bundled chalcogenide glass fibers and a PtSi CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Mitsunori; Kikuchi, Katsuhiro; Tanaka, Chinari; Sone, Hiroshi; Morimoto, Shozo; Yamashita, Toshiharu T.; Nishii, Junji

1999-10-01

A coherent fiber bundle for infrared image transmission was prepared by arranging 8400 chalcogenide (AsS) glass fibers. The fiber bundle, 1 m in length, is transmissive in the infrared spectral region of 1 - 6 micrometer. A remote spectroscopic imaging system was constructed with the fiber bundle and an infrared PtSi CCD camera. The system was used for the real-time observation (frame time: 1/60 s) of gas distribution. Infrared light from a SiC heater was delivered to a gas cell through a chalcogenide fiber, and transmitted light was observed through the fiber bundle. A band-pass filter was used for the selection of gas species. A He-Ne laser of 3.4 micrometer wavelength was also used for the observation of hydrocarbon gases. Gases bursting from a nozzle were observed successfully by a remote imaging system.

Automatic vision system for analysis of microscopic behavior of flow and transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashidi, Mehdi; Dehmeshki, Jamshid; Dickenson, Eric; Daemi, M. Farhang

1997-10-01

This paper describes the development of a novel automated and efficient vision system to obtain velocity and concentration measurement within a porous medium. An aqueous fluid lace with a fluorescent dye to microspheres flows through a transparent, refractive-index-matched column packed with transparent crystals. For illumination purposes, a planar sheet of laser passes through the column as a CCD camera records all the laser illuminated planes. Detailed microscopic velocity and concentration fields have been computed within a 3D volume of the column. For measuring velocities, while the aqueous fluid, laced with fluorescent microspheres, flows through the transparent medium, a CCD camera records the motions of the fluorescing particles by a video cassette recorder. The recorded images are acquired automatically frame by frame and transferred to the computer for processing, by using a frame grabber an written relevant algorithms through an RS-232 interface. Since the grabbed image is poor in this stage, some preprocessings are used to enhance particles within images. Finally, these enhanced particles are monitored to calculate velocity vectors in the plane of the beam. For concentration measurements, while the aqueous fluid, laced with a fluorescent organic dye, flows through the transparent medium, a CCD camera sweeps back and forth across the column and records concentration slices on the planes illuminated by the laser beam traveling simultaneously with the camera. Subsequently, these recorded images are transferred to the computer for processing in similar fashion to the velocity measurement. In order to have a fully automatic vision system, several detailed image processing techniques are developed to match exact images that have different intensities values but the same topological characteristics. This results in normalized interstitial chemical concentrations as a function of time within the porous column.

Model-based frequency response characterization of a digital-image analysis system for epifluorescence microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazra, Rajeeb; Viles, Charles L.; Park, Stephen K.; Reichenbach, Stephen E.; Sieracki, Michael E.

1992-01-01

Consideration is given to a model-based method for estimating the spatial frequency response of a digital-imaging system (e.g., a CCD camera) that is modeled as a linear, shift-invariant image acquisition subsystem that is cascaded with a linear, shift-variant sampling subsystem. The method characterizes the 2D frequency response of the image acquisition subsystem to beyond the Nyquist frequency by accounting explicitly for insufficient sampling and the sample-scene phase. Results for simulated systems and a real CCD-based epifluorescence microscopy system are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the method.

Inexpensive Neutron Imaging Cameras Using CCDs for Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewat, A. W.

We have developed inexpensive neutron imaging cameras using CCDs originally designed for amateur astronomical observation. The low-light, high resolution requirements of such CCDs are similar to those for neutron imaging, except that noise as well as cost is reduced by using slower read-out electronics. For example, we use the same 2048x2048 pixel ;Kodak; KAI-4022 CCD as used in the high performance PCO-2000 CCD camera, but our electronics requires ∼5 sec for full-frame read-out, ten times slower than the PCO-2000. Since neutron exposures also require several seconds, this is not seen as a serious disadvantage for many applications. If higher frame rates are needed, the CCD unit on our camera can be easily swapped for a faster readout detector with similar chip size and resolution, such as the PCO-2000 or the sCMOS PCO.edge 4.2.

Investigation of solar active regions at high resolution by balloon flights of the solar optical universal polarimeter, extended definition phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarbell, Theodore D.

1993-01-01

Technical studies of the feasibility of balloon flights of the former Spacelab instrument, the Solar Optical Universal Polarimeter, with a modern charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, to study the structure and evolution of solar active regions at high resolution, are reviewed. In particular, different CCD cameras were used at ground-based solar observatories with the SOUP filter, to evaluate their performance and collect high resolution images. High resolution movies of the photosphere and chromosphere were successfully obtained using four different CCD cameras. Some of this data was collected in coordinated observations with the Yohkoh satellite during May-July, 1992, and they are being analyzed scientifically along with simultaneous X-ray observations.

Optimum color filters for CCD digital cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelhardt, Kai; Kunz, Rino E.; Seitz, Peter; Brunner, Harald; Knop, Karl

1993-12-01

As part of the ESPRIT II project No. 2103 (MASCOT) a high performance prototype color CCD still video camera was developed. Intended for professional usage such as in the graphic arts, the camera provides a maximum resolution of 3k X 3k full color pixels. A high colorimetric performance was achieved through specially designed dielectric filters and optimized matrixing. The color transformation was obtained by computer simulation of the camera system and non-linear optimization which minimized the perceivable color errors as measured in the 1976 CIELUV uniform color space for a set of about 200 carefully selected test colors. The color filters were designed to allow perfect colorimetric reproduction in principle and at the same time with imperceptible color noise and with special attention to fabrication tolerances. The camera system includes a special real-time digital color processor which carries out the color transformation. The transformation can be selected from a set of sixteen matrices optimized for different illuminants and output devices. Because the actual filter design was based on slightly incorrect data the prototype camera showed a mean colorimetric error of 2.7 j.n.d. (CIELUV) in experiments. Using correct input data in the redesign of the filters, a mean colorimetric error of only 1 j.n.d. (CIELUV) seems to be feasible, implying that it is possible with such an optimized color camera to achieve such a high colorimetric performance that the reproduced colors in an image cannot be distinguished from the original colors in a scene, even in direct comparison.

A design of driving circuit for star sensor imaging camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Da-wei; Yang, Xiao-xu; Han, Jun-feng; Liu, Zhao-hui

2016-01-01

The star sensor is a high-precision attitude sensitive measuring instruments, which determine spacecraft attitude by detecting different positions on the celestial sphere. Imaging camera is an important portion of star sensor. The purpose of this study is to design a driving circuit based on Kodak CCD sensor. The design of driving circuit based on Kodak KAI-04022 is discussed, and the timing of this CCD sensor is analyzed. By the driving circuit testing laboratory and imaging experiments, it is found that the driving circuits can meet the requirements of Kodak CCD sensor.

Digital X-ray camera for quality evaluation three-dimensional topographic reconstruction of single crystals of biological macromolecules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borgstahl, Gloria (Inventor); Lovelace, Jeff (Inventor); Snell, Edward Holmes (Inventor); Bellamy, Henry (Inventor)

2008-01-01

The present invention provides a digital topography imaging system for determining the crystalline structure of a biological macromolecule, wherein the system employs a charge coupled device (CCD) camera with antiblooming circuitry to directly convert x-ray signals to electrical signals without the use of phosphor and measures reflection profiles from the x-ray emitting source after x-rays are passed through a sample. Methods for using said system are also provided.

Breast Biopsy System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) are high technology silicon chips that connect light directly into electronic or digital images, which can be manipulated or enhanced by computers. When Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) scientists realized that existing CCD technology could not meet scientific requirements for the Hubble Space Telescope Imagining Spectrograph, GSFC contracted with Scientific Imaging Technologies, Inc. (SITe) to develop an advanced CCD. SITe then applied many of the NASA-driven enhancements to the manufacture of CCDs for digital mammography. The resulting device images breast tissue more clearly and efficiently. The LORAD Stereo Guide Breast Biopsy system incorporates SITe's CCD as part of a digital camera system that is replacing surgical biopsy in many cases. Known as stereotactic needle biopsy, it is performed under local anesthesia with a needle and saves women time, pain, scarring, radiation exposure and money.

Intense acoustic bursts as a signal-enhancement mechanism in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography.

PubMed

Kim, Chulhong; Zemp, Roger J; Wang, Lihong V

2006-08-15

Biophotonic imaging with ultrasound-modulated optical tomography (UOT) promises ultrasonically resolved imaging in biological tissues. A key challenge in this imaging technique is a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We show significant UOT signal enhancement by using intense time-gated acoustic bursts. A CCD camera captured the speckle pattern from a laser-illuminated tissue phantom. Differences in speckle contrast were observed when ultrasonic bursts were applied, compared with when no ultrasound was applied. When CCD triggering was synchronized with burst initiation, acoustic-radiation-force-induced displacements were detected. To avoid mechanical contrast in UOT images, the CCD camera acquisition was delayed several milliseconds until transient effects of acoustic radiation force attenuated to a satisfactory level. The SNR of our system was sufficiently high to provide an image pixel per acoustic burst without signal averaging. Because of the substantially improved SNR, the use of intense acoustic bursts is a promising signal enhancement strategy for UOT.

A projective surgical navigation system for cancer resection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Qi; Shao, Pengfei; Wang, Dong; Ye, Jian; Zhang, Zeshu; Wang, Xinrui; Xu, Ronald

2016-03-01

Near infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging technique can provide precise and real-time information about tumor location during a cancer resection surgery. However, many intraoperative fluorescence imaging systems are based on wearable devices or stand-alone displays, leading to distraction of the surgeons and suboptimal outcome. To overcome these limitations, we design a projective fluorescence imaging system for surgical navigation. The system consists of a LED excitation light source, a monochromatic CCD camera, a host computer, a mini projector and a CMOS camera. A software program is written by C++ to call OpenCV functions for calibrating and correcting fluorescence images captured by the CCD camera upon excitation illumination of the LED source. The images are projected back to the surgical field by the mini projector. Imaging performance of this projective navigation system is characterized in a tumor simulating phantom. Image-guided surgical resection is demonstrated in an ex-vivo chicken tissue model. In all the experiments, the projected images by the projector match well with the locations of fluorescence emission. Our experimental results indicate that the proposed projective navigation system can be a powerful tool for pre-operative surgical planning, intraoperative surgical guidance, and postoperative assessment of surgical outcome. We have integrated the optoelectronic elements into a compact and miniaturized system in preparation for further clinical validation.

OSIRIS-REx OCAMS detector assembly characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hancock, J.; Crowther, B.; Whiteley, M.; Burt, R.; Watson, M.; Nelson, J.; Fellows, C.; Rizk, B.; Kinney-Spano, E.; Perry, M.; Hunten, M.

2013-09-01

The OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission carries a suite of three cameras referred to as OCAMS. The Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) at Utah State University is providing the CCD-based detector assemblies for OCAMS to the Lunar Planetary Lab (LPL) at the University of Arizona. Working with the LPL, SDL has designed the electronics to operate a 1K by 1K frame transfer Teledyne DALSA Multi-Pinned Phase (MPP) CCD. The detector assembly electronics provides the CCD clocking, biasing, and digital interface with the OCAMS payload Command Control Module (CCM). A prototype system was built to verify the functionality of the detector assembly design and to characterize the detector system performance at the intended operating temperatures. The characterization results are described in this paper.

Experimental research on femto-second laser damaging array CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Junfeng; Guo, Jin; Wang, Ting-feng; Wang, Ming

2013-05-01

Charged Coupled Devices (CCD) are widely used in military and security applications, such as airborne and ship based surveillance, satellite reconnaissance and so on. Homeland security requires effective means to negate these advanced overseeing systems. Researches show that CCD based EO systems can be significantly dazzled or even damaged by high-repetition rate pulsed lasers. Here, we report femto - second laser interaction with CCD camera, which is probable of great importance in future. Femto - second laser is quite fresh new lasers, which has unique characteristics, such as extremely short pulse width (1 fs = 10-15 s), extremely high peak power (1 TW = 1012W), and especially its unique features when interacting with matters. Researches in femto second laser interaction with materials (metals, dielectrics) clearly indicate non-thermal effect dominates the process, which is of vast difference from that of long pulses interaction with matters. Firstly, the damage threshold test are performed with femto second laser acting on the CCD camera. An 800nm, 500μJ, 100fs laser pulse is used to irradiate interline CCD solid-state image sensor in the experiment. In order to focus laser energy onto tiny CCD active cells, an optical system of F/5.6 is used. A Sony production CCDs are chose as typical targets. The damage threshold is evaluated with multiple test data. Point damage, line damage and full array damage were observed when the irradiated pulse energy continuously increase during the experiment. The point damage threshold is found 151.2 mJ/cm2.The line damage threshold is found 508.2 mJ/cm2.The full-array damage threshold is found to be 5.91 J/cm2. Although the phenomenon is almost the same as that of nano laser interaction with CCD, these damage thresholds are substantially lower than that of data obtained from nano second laser interaction with CCD. Then at the same time, the electric features after different degrees of damage are tested with electronic multi meter. The resistance values between clock signal lines are measured. Contrasting the resistance values of the CCD before and after damage, it is found that the resistances decrease significantly between the vertical transfer clock signal lines values. The same results are found between the vertical transfer clock signal line and the earth electrode (ground).At last, the damage position and the damage mechanism were analyzed with above results and SEM morphological experiments. The point damage results in the laser destroying material, which shows no macro electro influence. The line damage is quite different from that of point damage, which shows deeper material corroding effect. More importantly, short circuits are found between vertical clock lines. The full array damage is even more severe than that of line damage starring with SEM, while no obvious different electrical features than that of line damage are found. Further researches are anticipated in femto second laser caused CCD damage mechanism with more advanced tools. This research is valuable in EO countermeasure and/or laser shielding applications.

High-frame-rate infrared and visible cameras for test range instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, Joseph G.; King, B.; Tower, John R.; Hughes, Gary W.; Levine, Peter A.; Villani, Thomas S.; Esposito, Benjamin J.; Davis, Timothy J.; O'Mara, K.; Sjursen, W.; McCaffrey, Nathaniel J.; Pantuso, Francis P.

1995-09-01

Field deployable, high frame rate camera systems have been developed to support the test and evaluation activities at the White Sands Missile Range. The infrared cameras employ a 640 by 480 format PtSi focal plane array (FPA). The visible cameras employ a 1024 by 1024 format backside illuminated CCD. The monolithic, MOS architecture of the PtSi FPA supports commandable frame rate, frame size, and integration time. The infrared cameras provide 3 - 5 micron thermal imaging in selectable modes from 30 Hz frame rate, 640 by 480 frame size, 33 ms integration time to 300 Hz frame rate, 133 by 142 frame size, 1 ms integration time. The infrared cameras employ a 500 mm, f/1.7 lens. Video outputs are 12-bit digital video and RS170 analog video with histogram-based contrast enhancement. The 1024 by 1024 format CCD has a 32-port, split-frame transfer architecture. The visible cameras exploit this architecture to provide selectable modes from 30 Hz frame rate, 1024 by 1024 frame size, 32 ms integration time to 300 Hz frame rate, 1024 by 1024 frame size (with 2:1 vertical binning), 0.5 ms integration time. The visible cameras employ a 500 mm, f/4 lens, with integration time controlled by an electro-optical shutter. Video outputs are RS170 analog video (512 by 480 pixels), and 12-bit digital video.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Observation of six NSVS eclipsing binaries (Dimitrov+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrov, D. P.; Kjurkchieva, D. P.

2017-11-01

We managed to separate a sample of about 40 ultrashort-period candidates from the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS, Wozniak et al. 2004AJ....127.2436W) appropriate for follow-up observations at Rozhen observatory (δ>-10°). Follow-up CCD photometry of the targets in the VRI bands was carried out with the three telescopes of the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory. The 2-m RCC telescope is equipped with a VersArray CCD camera (1340x1300 pixels, 20 μm/pixel, field of 5.35x5.25 arcmin2). The 60-cm Cassegrain telescope is equipped with a FLI PL09000 CCD camera (3056x3056 pixels, 12 μm/pixel, field of 17.1x17.1 arcmin2). The 50/70 cm Schmidt telescope has a field of view (FoV) of around 1° and is equipped with a FLI PL 16803 CCD camera, 4096x4096 pixels, 9 μm/pixel size. (4 data files).

Novel low-cost vision-sensing technology with controllable of exposal time for welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenzeng; Wang, Bin; Chen, Nian; Cao, Yipeng

2005-02-01

In the process of robot Welding, position of welding seam and welding pool shape is detected by CCD camera for quality control and seam tracking in real-time. It is difficult to always get a clear welding image in some welding methods, such as TIG welding. A novel idea that the exposal time of CCD camera is automatically controlled by arc voltage or arc luminance is proposed to get clear welding image. A set of special device and circuits are added to a common industrial CCD camera in order to flexibly control the CCD to start or close exposal by control of the internal clearing signal of the accumulated charge. Two special vision sensors according to the idea are developed. Their exposal grabbing can be triggered respectively by the arc voltage and the variety of the arc luminance. Two prototypes have been designed and manufactured. Experiments show that they can stably grab clear welding images at appointed moment, which is a basic for the feedback control of automatic welding.

Optical sample-position sensing for electrostatic levitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sridharan, G.; Chung, S.; Elleman, D.; Whim, W. K.

1989-01-01

A comparative study is conducted for optical position-sensing techniques applicable to micro-G conditions sample-levitation systems. CCD sensors are compared with one- and two-dimensional position detectors used in electrostatic particle levitation. In principle, the CCD camera method can be improved from current resolution levels of 200 microns through the incorporation of a higher-pixel device and more complex digital signal processor interface. Nevertheless, the one-dimensional position detectors exhibited superior, better-than-one-micron resolution.

Research on the electro-optical assistant landing system based on the dual camera photogrammetry algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mi, Yuhe; Huang, Yifan; Li, Lin

2015-08-01

Based on the location technique of beacon photogrammetry, Dual Camera Photogrammetry (DCP) algorithm was used to assist helicopters landing on the ship. In this paper, ZEMAX was used to simulate the two Charge Coupled Device (CCD) cameras imaging four beacons on both sides of the helicopter and output the image to MATLAB. Target coordinate systems, image pixel coordinate systems, world coordinate systems and camera coordinate systems were established respectively. According to the ideal pin-hole imaging model, the rotation matrix and translation vector of the target coordinate systems and the camera coordinate systems could be obtained by using MATLAB to process the image information and calculate the linear equations. On the basis mentioned above, ambient temperature and the positions of the beacons and cameras were changed in ZEMAX to test the accuracy of the DCP algorithm in complex sea status. The numerical simulation shows that in complex sea status, the position measurement accuracy can meet the requirements of the project.

A High Resolution TDI CCD Camera forMicrosatellite (HRCM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Yuncai; Zheng, You; Dong, Ying; Li, Tao; Yu, Shijie

In resent years it is a important development direction in the commercial remote sensing field to obtain (1-5)m high ground resolution from space using microsatellite. Thanks to progress of new technologies, new materials and new detectors it is possible to develop 1m ground resolution space imaging system with weight less than 20kg. Based on many years works on optical system design a project of very high resolution TDI CCD camera using in space was proposed by the authors of this paper. The performance parameters and optical lay-out of the HRCM was presented. A compact optical design and results analysis for the system was given in the paper also. and small fold mirror to take a line field of view usable for TDI CCD and short outer size. The length along the largest size direction is about 1/4 of the focal length. And two 4096X96(grades) line TDI CCD will be used as the focal plane detector. The special optical parts are fixed near before the final image for getting the ground pixel resolution higher than the Nyquist resolution of the detector using the sub-pixel technique which will be explained in the paper. In the system optical SiC will be used as the mirror material, the C-C composite material will be used as the material of the mechanical structure framework. The circle frame of the primary and secondary mirrors will use one time turning on a machine tool in order to assuring concentric request for alignment of the system. In general the HRCM have the performance parameters with 2.5m focal length, 20 FOV, 1/11relative aperture, (0.4-0.8) micrometer spectral range, 10 micron pixel size of TDI CCD, weight less than 20kg, 1m ground pixel resolution at flying orbit 500km high. Design and analysis of the HRCM put up in the paper indicate that HRCM have many advantages to use it in space. Keywords High resolution TDI CCD Sub-pixel imaging Light-weighted optical system SiC mirror

Design of a frequency domain instrument for simultaneous optical tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of small animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masciotti, James M.; Rahim, Shaheed; Grover, Jarrett; Hielscher, Andreas H.

2007-02-01

We present a design for frequency domain instrument that allows for simultaneous gathering of magnetic resonance and diffuse optical tomographic imaging data. This small animal imaging system combines the high anatomical resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the high temporal resolution and physiological information provided by diffuse optical tomography (DOT). The DOT hardware comprises laser diodes and an intensified CCD camera, which are modulated up to 1 GHz by radio frequency (RF) signal generators. An optical imaging head is designed to fit inside the 4 cm inner diameter of a 9.4 T MRI system. Graded index fibers are used to transfer light between the optical hardware and the imaging head within the RF coil. Fiducial markers are integrated into the imaging head to allow the determination of the positions of the source and detector fibers on the MR images and to permit co-registration of MR and optical tomographic images. Detector fibers are arranged compactly and focused through a camera lens onto the photocathode of the intensified CCD camera.

The kinelite project. A new powerful motion analyser for spacelab and space station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venet, M.; Pinard, H.; McIntyre, J.; Berthoz, A.; Lacquaniti, F.

The goal of the Kinelite Project is to develop a space qualified motion analysis system to be used in space by the scientific community, mainly to support neuroscience protocols. The measurement principle of the Kinelite is to determine, by triangulation mean, the 3D position of small, lightweight, reflective markers positionned at the different points of interest. The scene is illuminated by Infra Red flashes and the reflected light is acquired by up to 8 precalibrated and synchronized CCD cameras. The main characteristics of the system are: - Camera field of view: 45 °, - Number of cameras: 2 to 8, - Acquisition frequency: 25, 50, 100 or 200 Hz, - CCD format: 256 × 256, - Number of markers: up to 64, - 3D accuracy: 2 mm, - Main dimensions: 45 cm × 45 cm × 30 cm, - Mass: 23 kg, - Power consumption: less than 200 W. The Kinelite will first fly aboard the NASA Spacelab; it will be used, during the NEUROLAB mission (4/98), to support the "Frames of References and Internal Models" (Principal Investigator: Pr. A.BERTHOZ, Co Investigators: J. Mc INTYRE, F. LACQUANITI).

X-ray imaging using digital cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winch, Nicola M.; Edgar, Andrew

2012-03-01

The possibility of using the combination of a computed radiography (storage phosphor) cassette and a semiprofessional grade digital camera for medical or dental radiography is investigated. We compare the performance of (i) a Canon 5D Mk II single lens reflex camera with f1.4 lens and full-frame CMOS array sensor and (ii) a cooled CCD-based camera with a 1/3 frame sensor and the same lens system. Both systems are tested with 240 x 180 mm cassettes which are based on either powdered europium-doped barium fluoride bromide or needle structure europium-doped cesium bromide. The modulation transfer function for both systems has been determined and falls to a value of 0.2 at around 2 lp/mm, and is limited by light scattering of the emitted light from the storage phosphor rather than the optics or sensor pixelation. The modulation transfer function for the CsBr:Eu2+ plate is bimodal, with a high frequency wing which is attributed to the light-guiding behaviour of the needle structure. The detective quantum efficiency has been determined using a radioisotope source and is comparatively low at 0.017 for the CMOS camera and 0.006 for the CCD camera, attributed to the poor light harvesting by the lens. The primary advantages of the method are portability, robustness, digital imaging and low cost; the limitations are the low detective quantum efficiency and hence signal-to-noise ratio for medical doses, and restricted range of plate sizes. Representative images taken with medical doses are shown and illustrate the potential use for portable basic radiography.

Design and build a compact Raman sensor for identification of chemical composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Christopher S.; Abedin, M. Nurul; Ismail, Syed; Sharma, Shiv K.; Misra, Anupam K.; Sandford, Stephen P.; Elsayed-Ali, Hani

2008-04-01

A compact remote Raman sensor system was developed at NASA Langley Research Center. This sensor is an improvement over the previously reported system, which consisted of a 532 nm pulsed laser, a 4-inch telescope, a spectrograph, and an intensified CCD camera. One of the attractive features of the previous system was its portability, thereby making it suitable for applications such as planetary surface explorations, homeland security and defense applications where a compact portable instrument is important. The new system was made more compact by replacing bulky components with smaller and lighter components. The new compact system uses a smaller spectrograph measuring 9 x 4 x 4 in. and a smaller intensified CCD camera measuring 5 in. long and 2 in. in diameter. The previous system was used to obtain the Raman spectra of several materials that are important to defense and security applications. Furthermore, the new compact Raman sensor system is used to obtain the Raman spectra of a diverse set of materials to demonstrate the sensor system's potential use in the identification of unknown materials.

Design and Build a Compact Raman Sensor for Identification of Chemical Composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Christopher S.; Abedin, M. Nurul; Ismail, Syed; Sharma, Shiv K.; Misra, Anupam K.; Sandford, Stephen P.; Elsayed-Ali, Hani

2008-01-01

A compact remote Raman sensor system was developed at NASA Langley Research Center. This sensor is an improvement over the previously reported system, which consisted of a 532 nm pulsed laser, a 4-inch telescope, a spectrograph, and an intensified charge-coupled devices (CCD) camera. One of the attractive features of the previous system was its portability, thereby making it suitable for applications such as planetary surface explorations, homeland security and defense applications where a compact portable instrument is important. The new system was made more compact by replacing bulky components with smaller and lighter components. The new compact system uses a smaller spectrograph measuring 9 x 4 x 4 in. and a smaller intensified CCD camera measuring 5 in. long and 2 in. in diameter. The previous system was used to obtain the Raman spectra of several materials that are important to defense and security applications. Furthermore, the new compact Raman sensor system is used to obtain the Raman spectra of a diverse set of materials to demonstrate the sensor system's potential use in the identification of unknown materials.

Measurement of marine picoplankton cell size by using a cooled, charge-coupled device camera with image-analyzed fluorescence microscopy.

PubMed Central

Viles, C L; Sieracki, M E

1992-01-01

Accurate measurement of the biomass and size distribution of picoplankton cells (0.2 to 2.0 microns) is paramount in characterizing their contribution to the oceanic food web and global biogeochemical cycling. Image-analyzed fluorescence microscopy, usually based on video camera technology, allows detailed measurements of individual cells to be taken. The application of an imaging system employing a cooled, slow-scan charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to automated counting and sizing of individual picoplankton cells from natural marine samples is described. A slow-scan CCD-based camera was compared to a video camera and was superior for detecting and sizing very small, dim particles such as fluorochrome-stained bacteria. Several edge detection methods for accurately measuring picoplankton cells were evaluated. Standard fluorescent microspheres and a Sargasso Sea surface water picoplankton population were used in the evaluation. Global thresholding was inappropriate for these samples. Methods used previously in image analysis of nanoplankton cells (2 to 20 microns) also did not work well with the smaller picoplankton cells. A method combining an edge detector and an adaptive edge strength operator worked best for rapidly generating accurate cell sizes. A complete sample analysis of more than 1,000 cells averages about 50 min and yields size, shape, and fluorescence data for each cell. With this system, the entire size range of picoplankton can be counted and measured. Images PMID:1610183

Fast auto-acquisition tomography tilt series by using HD video camera in ultra-high voltage electron microscope.

PubMed

Nishi, Ryuji; Cao, Meng; Kanaji, Atsuko; Nishida, Tomoki; Yoshida, Kiyokazu; Isakozawa, Shigeto

2014-11-01

The ultra-high voltage electron microscope (UHVEM) H-3000 with the world highest acceleration voltage of 3 MV can observe remarkable three dimensional microstructures of microns-thick samples[1]. Acquiring a tilt series of electron tomography is laborious work and thus an automatic technique is highly desired. We proposed the Auto-Focus system using image Sharpness (AFS)[2,3] for UHVEM tomography tilt series acquisition. In the method, five images with different defocus values are firstly acquired and the image sharpness are calculated. The sharpness are then fitted to a quasi-Gaussian function to decide the best focus value[3]. Defocused images acquired by the slow scan CCD (SS-CCD) camera (Hitachi F486BK) are of high quality but one minute is taken for acquisition of five defocused images.In this study, we introduce a high-definition video camera (HD video camera; Hamamatsu Photonics K. K. C9721S) for fast acquisition of images[4]. It is an analog camera but the camera image is captured by a PC and the effective image resolution is 1280×1023 pixels. This resolution is lower than that of the SS-CCD camera of 4096×4096 pixels. However, the HD video camera captures one image for only 1/30 second. In exchange for the faster acquisition the S/N of images are low. To improve the S/N, 22 captured frames are integrated so that each image sharpness is enough to become lower fitting error. As countermeasure against low resolution, we selected a large defocus step, which is typically five times of the manual defocus step, to discriminate different defocused images.By using HD video camera for autofocus process, the time consumption for each autofocus procedure was reduced to about six seconds. It took one second for correction of an image position and the total correction time was seven seconds, which was shorter by one order than that using SS-CCD camera. When we used SS-CCD camera for final image capture, it took 30 seconds to record one tilt image. We can obtain a tilt series of 61 images within 30 minutes. Accuracy and repeatability were good enough to practical use (Figure 1). We successfully reduced the total acquisition time of a tomography tilt series in half than before.jmicro;63/suppl_1/i25/DFU066F1F1DFU066F1Fig. 1.Objective lens current change with a tilt angle during acquisition of tomography series (Sample: a rat hepatocyte, thickness: 2 m, magnification: 4k, acc. voltage: 2 MV). Tilt angle range is ±60 degree with 2 degree step angle. Two series were acquired in the same area. Both data were almost same and the deviation was smaller than the minimum step by manual, so auto-focus worked well. We also developed a computer-aided three dimensional (3D) visualization and analysis software for electron tomography "HawkC" which can sectionalize the 3D data semi-automatically[5,6]. If this auto-acquisition system is used with IMOD reconstruction software[7] and HawkC software, we will be able to do on-line UHVEM tomography. The system would help pathology examination in the future.This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, under a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant No. 23560024, 23560786), and SENTAN, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

White light phase shifting interferometry and color fringe analysis for the detection of contaminants in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubey, Vishesh; Singh, Veena; Ahmad, Azeem; Singh, Gyanendra; Mehta, Dalip Singh

2016-03-01

We report white light phase shifting interferometry in conjunction with color fringe analysis for the detection of contaminants in water such as Escherichia coli (E.coli), Campylobacter coli and Bacillus cereus. The experimental setup is based on a common path interferometer using Mirau interferometric objective lens. White light interferograms are recorded using a 3-chip color CCD camera based on prism technology. The 3-chip color camera have lesser color cross talk and better spatial resolution in comparison to single chip CCD camera. A piezo-electric transducer (PZT) phase shifter is fixed with the Mirau objective and they are attached with a conventional microscope. Five phase shifted white light interferograms are recorded by the 3-chip color CCD camera and each phase shifted interferogram is decomposed into the red, green and blue constituent colors, thus making three sets of five phase shifted intererograms for three different colors from a single set of white light interferogram. This makes the system less time consuming and have lesser effect due to surrounding environment. Initially 3D phase maps of the bacteria are reconstructed for red, green and blue wavelengths from these interferograms using MATLAB, from these phase maps we determines the refractive index (RI) of the bacteria. Experimental results of 3D shape measurement and RI at multiple wavelengths will be presented. These results might find applications for detection of contaminants in water without using any chemical processing and fluorescent dyes.

Turbulent Mixing and Combustion for High-Speed Air-Breathing Propulsion Application

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-12

deficit (the velocity of the wake relative to the free-stream velocity), decays rapidly with downstream distance, so that the streamwise velocity is...switched laser with double-pulse option) and a new imaging system (high-resolution: 4008x2672 pix2, low- noise (cooled) Cooke PCO-4000 CCD camera). The...was designed in-house for high-speed low- noise image acquisition. The KFS CCD image sensor was designed by Mark Wadsworth of JPL and has a resolution

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging with a mobile phone (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghassemi, Pejhman; Wang, Bohan; Wang, Jianting; Wang, Quanzeng; Chen, Yu; Pfefer, T. Joshua

2017-03-01

Mobile phone cameras employ sensors with near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity, yet this capability has not been exploited for biomedical purposes. Removing the IR-blocking filter from a phone-based camera opens the door to a wide range of techniques and applications for inexpensive, point-of-care biophotonic imaging and sensing. This study provides proof of principle for one of these modalities - phone-based NIR fluorescence imaging. An imaging system was assembled using a 780 nm light source along with excitation and emission filters with 800 nm and 825 nm cut-off wavelengths, respectively. Indocyanine green (ICG) was used as an NIR fluorescence contrast agent in an ex vivo rodent model, a resolution test target and a 3D-printed, tissue-simulating vascular phantom. Raw and processed images for red, green and blue pixel channels were analyzed for quantitative evaluation of fundamental performance characteristics including spectral sensitivity, detection linearity and spatial resolution. Mobile phone results were compared with a scientific CCD. The spatial resolution of CCD system was consistently superior to the phone, and green phone camera pixels showed better resolution than blue or green channels. The CCD exhibited similar sensitivity as processed red and blue pixels channels, yet a greater degree of detection linearity. Raw phone pixel data showed lower sensitivity but greater linearity than processed data. Overall, both qualitative and quantitative results provided strong evidence of the potential of phone-based NIR imaging, which may lead to a wide range of applications from cancer detection to glucose sensing.

CCD-camera-based diffuse optical tomography to study ischemic stroke in preclinical rat models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zi-Jing; Niu, Haijing; Liu, Yueming; Su, Jianzhong; Liu, Hanli

2011-02-01

Stroke, due to ischemia or hemorrhage, is the neurological deficit of cerebrovasculature and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 80 percent of stroke patients are ischemic stroke due to blockage of artery in the brain by thrombosis or arterial embolism. Hence, development of an imaging technique to image or monitor the cerebral ischemia and effect of anti-stoke therapy is more than necessary. Near infrared (NIR) optical tomographic technique has a great potential to be utilized as a non-invasive image tool (due to its low cost and portability) to image the embedded abnormal tissue, such as a dysfunctional area caused by ischemia. Moreover, NIR tomographic techniques have been successively demonstrated in the studies of cerebro-vascular hemodynamics and brain injury. As compared to a fiberbased diffuse optical tomographic system, a CCD-camera-based system is more suitable for pre-clinical animal studies due to its simpler setup and lower cost. In this study, we have utilized the CCD-camera-based technique to image the embedded inclusions based on tissue-phantom experimental data. Then, we are able to obtain good reconstructed images by two recently developed algorithms: (1) depth compensation algorithm (DCA) and (2) globally convergent method (GCM). In this study, we will demonstrate the volumetric tomographic reconstructed results taken from tissuephantom; the latter has a great potential to determine and monitor the effect of anti-stroke therapies.

A CCD Spectrometer for One Dollar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaver, J.; Robert, D.

2011-09-01

We describe preliminary tests on a very low-cost system for obtaining stellar spectra for instructional use in an introductory astronomy laboratory. CCD imaging with small telescopes is now commonplace and relatively inexpensive. Giving students direct experience taking stellar spectra, however, is much more difficult, and the equipment can easily be out of reach for smaller institutions, especially if one wants to give the experience to large numbers of students. We have performed preliminary tests on an extremely low-cost (about $1.00) objective grating that can be coupled with an existing CCD camera or commercial digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera and a small telescope typical of introductory astronomy labs. With this equipment we believe it is possible for introductory astronomy students to take stellar spectra that are of high enough quality to distinguish between many MK spectral classes, or to determine standard B and V magnitudes. We present observational tests of this objective grating used on an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain with a low-end, consumer DSLR camera. Some low-cost strategies for reducing the raw data are compared, with an eye toward projects ranging from individual undergraduate research projects to use by many students in a non-majors introductory astronomy lab. Toward this end we compare various trade offs between complexity of the observing and data reduction processes and the usefulness of the final results. We also describe some undergraduate astronomy education projects that this system could potentially be used for. Some of these projects could involve data-sharing collaborations between students at different institutions.

TH-CD-201-10: Highly Efficient Synchronized High-Speed Scintillation Camera System for Measuring Proton Range, SOBP and Dose Distributions in a 2D-Plane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goddu, S; Sun, B; Grantham, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: Proton therapy (PT) delivery is complex and extremely dynamic. Therefore, quality assurance testing is vital, but highly time-consuming. We have developed a High-Speed Scintillation-Camera-System (HS-SCS) for simultaneously measuring multiple beam characteristics. Methods: High-speed camera was placed in a light-tight housing and dual-layer neutron shield. HS-SCS is synchronized with a synchrocyclotron to capture individual proton-beam-pulses (PBPs) at ∼504 frames/sec. The PBPs from synchrocyclotron trigger the HS-SCS to open its shutter for programmed exposure-time. Light emissions within 30×30×5cm3 plastic-scintillator (BC-408) were captured by a CCD-camera as individual images revealing dose-deposition in a 2D-plane with a resolution of 0.7mm for range andmore » SOBP measurements and 1.67mm for profiles. The CCD response as well as signal to noise ratio (SNR) was characterized for varying exposure times, gains for different light intensities using a TV-Optoliner system. Software tools were developed to analyze ∼5000 images to extract different beam parameters. Quenching correction-factors were established by comparing scintillation Bragg-Peaks with water scanned ionization-chamber measurements. Quenching corrected Bragg-peaks were integrated to ascertain proton-beam range (PBR), width of Spared-Out-Bragg-Peak (MOD) and distal.« less

Improved Scanners for Microscopic Hyperspectral Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Chengye

2009-01-01

Improved scanners to be incorporated into hyperspectral microscope-based imaging systems have been invented. Heretofore, in microscopic imaging, including spectral imaging, it has been customary to either move the specimen relative to the optical assembly that includes the microscope or else move the entire assembly relative to the specimen. It becomes extremely difficult to control such scanning when submicron translation increments are required, because the high magnification of the microscope enlarges all movements in the specimen image on the focal plane. To overcome this difficulty, in a system based on this invention, no attempt would be made to move either the specimen or the optical assembly. Instead, an objective lens would be moved within the assembly so as to cause translation of the image at the focal plane: the effect would be equivalent to scanning in the focal plane. The upper part of the figure depicts a generic proposed microscope-based hyperspectral imaging system incorporating the invention. The optical assembly of this system would include an objective lens (normally, a microscope objective lens) and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera. The objective lens would be mounted on a servomotor-driven translation stage, which would be capable of moving the lens in precisely controlled increments, relative to the camera, parallel to the focal-plane scan axis. The output of the CCD camera would be digitized and fed to a frame grabber in a computer. The computer would store the frame-grabber output for subsequent viewing and/or processing of images. The computer would contain a position-control interface board, through which it would control the servomotor. There are several versions of the invention. An essential feature common to all versions is that the stationary optical subassembly containing the camera would also contain a spatial window, at the focal plane of the objective lens, that would pass only a selected portion of the image. In one version, the window would be a slit, the CCD would contain a one-dimensional array of pixels, and the objective lens would be moved along an axis perpendicular to the slit to spatially scan the image of the specimen in pushbroom fashion. The image built up by scanning in this case would be an ordinary (non-spectral) image. In another version, the optics of which are depicted in the lower part of the figure, the spatial window would be a slit, the CCD would contain a two-dimensional array of pixels, the slit image would be refocused onto the CCD by a relay-lens pair consisting of a collimating and a focusing lens, and a prism-gratingprism optical spectrometer would be placed between the collimating and focusing lenses. Consequently, the image on the CCD would be spatially resolved along the slit axis and spectrally resolved along the axis perpendicular to the slit. As in the first-mentioned version, the objective lens would be moved along an axis perpendicular to the slit to spatially scan the image of the specimen in pushbroom fashion.

On the development of new SPMN diurnal video systems for daylight fireball monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madiedo, J. M.; Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.

2008-09-01

Daylight fireball video monitoring High-sensitivity video devices are commonly used for the study of the activity of meteor streams during the night. These provide useful data for the determination, for instance, of radiant, orbital and photometric parameters ([1] to [7]). With this aim, during 2006 three automated video stations supported by Universidad de Huelva were set up in Andalusia within the framework of the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN). These are endowed with 8-9 high sensitivity wide-field video cameras that achieve a meteor limiting magnitude of about +3. These stations have increased the coverage performed by the low-scan allsky CCD systems operated by the SPMN and, besides, achieve a time accuracy of about 0.01s for determining the appearance of meteor and fireball events. Despite of these nocturnal monitoring efforts, we realised the need of setting up stations for daylight fireball detection. Such effort was also motivated by the appearance of the two recent meteorite-dropping events of Villalbeto de la Peña [8,9] and Puerto Lápice [10]. Although the Villalbeto de la Peña event was casually videotaped, and photographed, no direct pictures or videos were obtained for the Puerto Lápice event. Consequently, in order to perform a continuous recording of daylight fireball events, we setup new automated systems based on CCD video cameras. However, the development of these video stations implies several issues with respect to nocturnal systems that must be properly solved in order to get an optimal operation. The first of these video stations, also supported by University of Huelva, has been setup in Sevilla (Andalusia) during May 2007. But, of course, fireball association is unequivocal only in those cases when two or more stations recorded the fireball, and when consequently the geocentric radiant is accurately determined. With this aim, a second diurnal video station is being setup in Andalusia in the facilities of Centro Internacional de Estudios y Convenciones Ecológicas y Medioambientales (CIECEM, University of Huelva), in the environment of Doñana Natural Park (Huelva province). In this way, both stations, which are separated by a distance of 75 km, will work as a double video station system in order to provide trajectory and orbit information of mayor bolides and, thus, increase the chance of meteorite recovery in the Iberian Peninsula. The new diurnal SPMN video stations are endowed with different models of Mintron cameras (Mintron Enterprise Co., LTD). These are high-sensitivity devices that employ a colour 1/2" Sony interline transfer CCD image sensor. Aspherical lenses are attached to the video cameras in order to maximize image quality. However, the use of fast lenses is not a priority here: while most of our nocturnal cameras use f0.8 or f1.0 lenses in order to detect meteors as faint as magnitude +3, diurnal systems employ in most cases f1.4 to f2.0 lenses. Their focal length ranges from 3.8 to 12 mm to cover different atmospheric volumes. The cameras are arranged in such a way that the whole sky is monitored from every observing station. Figure 1. A daylight event recorded from Sevilla on May 26, 2008 at 4h30m05.4 +-0.1s UT. The way our diurnal video cameras work is similar to the operation of our nocturnal systems [1]. Thus, diurnal stations are automatically switched on and off at sunrise and sunset, respectively. The images taken at 25 fps and with a resolution of 720x576 pixels are continuously sent to PC computers through a video capture device. The computers run a software (UFOCapture, by SonotaCo, Japan) that automatically registers meteor trails and stores the corresponding video frames on hard disk. Besides, before the signal from the cameras reaches the computers, a video time inserter that employs a GPS device (KIWI-OSD, by PFD Systems) inserts time information on every video frame. This allows us to measure time in a precise way (about 0.01 sec.) along the whole fireball path. EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 3, EPSC2008-A-00319, 2008 European Planetary Science Congress, Author(s) 2008 However, one of the issues with respect to nocturnal observing stations is the high number of false detections as a consequence of several factors: higher activity of birds and insects, reflection of sunlight on planes and helicopters, etc. Sometimes some of these false events follow a pattern which is very similar to fireball trails, which makes absolutely necessary the use of a second station in order to discriminate between them. Other key issue is related to the passage of the Sun before the field of view of some of the cameras. In fact, special care is necessary with this to avoid any damage to the CCD sensor. Besides, depending on atmospheric conditions (dust or moisture, for instance), the Sun may saturate most of the video frame. To solve this, our automated system determines which camera is pointing towards the Sun at a given moment and disconnects it. As the cameras are endowed with autoiris lenses, its disconnection means that the optics is fully closed and, so, the CCD sensor is protected. This, of course, means that when this happens the atmospheric volume covered by the corresponding camera is not monitored. It must be also taken into account that, in general, operation temperatures are higher for diurnal cameras. This results in higher thermal noise and, so, poses some difficulties to the detection software. To minimize this effect, it is necessary to employ CCD video cameras with proper signal to noise ratio. Refrigeration of the CCD sensor with, for instance, a Peltier system, can also be considered. The astrometric reduction procedure is also somewhat different for daytime events: it requires that reference objects are located within the field of view of every camera in order to calibrate the corresponding images. This is done by allowing every camera to capture distant buildings that, by means of said calibration, would allow us to obtain the equatorial coordinates of the fireball along its path by measuring its corresponding X and Y positions on every video frame. Such calibration can be performed from stars positions measured from nocturnal images taken with the same cameras. Once made, if the cameras are not moved it is possible to estimate the equatorial coordinates of any future fireball event. We don't use any software for automatic astrometry of the images. This crucial step is made via direct measurements of the pixel position as in all our previous work. Then, from these astrometric measurements, our software estimates the atmospheric trajectory and radiant for each fireball ([10] to [13]). During 2007 and 2008 the SPMN has also setup other diurnal stations based on 1/3' progressive-scan CMOS sensors attached to modified wide-field lenses covering a 120x80 degrees FOV. They are placed in Andalusia: El Arenosillo (Huelva), La Mayora (Málaga) and Murtas (Granada). They have also night sensitivity thanks to a infrared cut filter (ICR) which enables the camera to perform well in both high and low light condition in colour as well as provide IR sensitive Black/White video at night. Conclusions First detections of daylight fireballs by CCD video camera are being achieved in the SPMN framework. Future expansion and set up of new observing stations is currently being planned. The future establishment of additional diurnal SPMN stations will allow an increase in the number of daytime fireballs detected. This will also increase our chance of meteorite recovery.

The CTIO Acquisition CCD-TV camera design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Ricardo E.

1990-07-01

A CCD-based Acquisition TV Camera has been developed at CTIO to replace the existing ISIT units. In a 60 second exposure, the new Camera shows a sixfold improvement in sensitivity over an ISIT used with a Leaky Memory. Integration times can be varied over a 0.5 to 64 second range. The CCD, contained in an evacuated enclosure, is operated at -45 C. Only the image section, an area of 8.5 mm x 6.4 mm, gets exposed to light. Pixel size is 22 microns and either no binning or 2 x 2 binning can be selected. The typical readout rates used vary between 3.5 and 9 microseconds/pixel. Images are stored in a PC/XT/AT, which generates RS-170 video. The contrast in the RS-170 frames is automatically enhanced by the software.

Digital photography for the light microscope: results with a gated, video-rate CCD camera and NIH-image software.

PubMed

Shaw, S L; Salmon, E D; Quatrano, R S

1995-12-01

In this report, we describe a relatively inexpensive method for acquiring, storing and processing light microscope images that combines the advantages of video technology with the powerful medium now termed digital photography. Digital photography refers to the recording of images as digital files that are stored, manipulated and displayed using a computer. This report details the use of a gated video-rate charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a frame grabber board for capturing 256 gray-level digital images from the light microscope. This camera gives high-resolution bright-field, phase contrast and differential interference contrast (DIC) images but, also, with gated on-chip integration, has the capability to record low-light level fluorescent images. The basic components of the digital photography system are described, and examples are presented of fluorescence and bright-field micrographs. Digital processing of images to remove noise, to enhance contrast and to prepare figures for printing is discussed.

Manned observations technology development, FY 1992 report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israel, Steven

1992-01-01

This project evaluated the suitability of the NASA/JSC developed electronic still camera (ESC) digital image data for Earth observations from the Space Shuttle, as a first step to aid planning for Space Station Freedom. Specifically, image resolution achieved from the Space Shuttle using the current ESC system, which is configured with a Loral 15 mm x 15 mm (1024 x 1024 pixel array) CCD chip on the focal plane of a Nikon F4 camera, was compared to that of current handheld 70 mm Hasselblad 500 EL/M film cameras.

Extreme Faint Flux Imaging with an EMCCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daigle, Olivier; Carignan, Claude; Gach, Jean-Luc; Guillaume, Christian; Lessard, Simon; Fortin, Charles-Anthony; Blais-Ouellette, Sébastien

2009-08-01

An EMCCD camera, designed from the ground up for extreme faint flux imaging, is presented. CCCP, the CCD Controller for Counting Photons, has been integrated with a CCD97 EMCCD from e2v technologies into a scientific camera at the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique Expérimentale (LAE), Université de Montréal. This new camera achieves subelectron readout noise and very low clock-induced charge (CIC) levels, which are mandatory for extreme faint flux imaging. It has been characterized in laboratory and used on the Observatoire du Mont Mégantic 1.6 m telescope. The performance of the camera is discussed and experimental data with the first scientific data are presented.

Typical effects of laser dazzling CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Jianmin; Shao, Bibo; Cheng, Deyan; Ye, Xisheng; Feng, Guobin

2015-05-01

In this article, an overview of laser dazzling effect to buried channel CCD camera is given. The CCDs are sorted into staring and scanning types. The former includes the frame transfer and interline transfer types. The latter includes linear and time delay integration types. All CCDs must perform four primary tasks in generating an image, which are called charge generation, charge collection, charge transfer and charge measurement. In camera, the lenses are needed to input the optical signal to the CCD sensors, in which the techniques for erasing stray light are used. And the electron circuits are needed to process the output signal of CCD, in which many electronic techniques are used. The dazzling effects are the conjunct result of light distribution distortion and charge distribution distortion, which respectively derive from the lens and the sensor. Strictly speaking, in lens, the light distribution is not distorted. In general, the lens are so well designed and fabricated that its stray light can be neglected. But the laser is of much enough intensity to make its stray light obvious. In CCD image sensors, laser can induce a so large electrons generation. Charges transfer inefficiency and charges blooming will cause the distortion of the charge distribution. Commonly, the largest signal outputted from CCD sensor is restricted by capability of the collection well of CCD, and can't go beyond the dynamic range for the subsequent electron circuits maintaining normal work. So the signal is not distorted in the post-processing circuits. But some techniques in the circuit can make some dazzling effects present different phenomenon in final image.

Observation and analysis of microcirculation using high-spatial-resolution image detectors and synchrotron radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umetani, Keiji; Yagi, Naoto; Suzuki, Yoshio; Ogasawara, Yasuo; Kajiya, Fumihiko; Matsumoto, Takeshi; Tachibana, Hiroyuki; Goto, Masami; Yamashita, Takenori; Imai, Shigeki; Kajihara, Yasumasa

2000-04-01

A microangiography system using monochromatized synchrotron radiation has been investigated as a diagnostic tool for circulatory disorders and early stage malignant tumors. The monochromatized X-rays with energies just above the contrast agent K-absorption edge energy can produce the highest contrast image of the contrast agent in small blood vessels. At SPring-8, digital microradiography with 6 - 24 micrometer pixel sizes has been carried out using two types of detectors designed for X-ray indirect and direct detection. The indirect-sensing detectors are fluorescent-screen optical-lens coupling systems using a high-sensitivity pickup-tube camera and a CCD camera. An X-ray image on the fluorescent screen is focused on the photoconductive layer of the pickup tube and the photosensitive area of the CCD by a small F number lens. The direct-sensing detector consists of an X-ray direct- sensing pickup tube with a beryllium faceplate for X-ray incidence to the photoconductive layer. Absorbed X-rays in the photoconductive layer are directly converted to photoelectrons and then signal charges are readout by electron beam scanning. The direct-sensing detector was expected to have higher spatial resolution in comparison with the indict-sensing detectors. Performance of the X-ray image detectors was examined at the bending magnet beamline BL20B2 using monochromatized X-ray at SPring-8. Image signals from the camera are converted into digital format by an analog-to- digital converter and stored in a frame memory with image format of 1024 X 1024 pixels. In preliminary experiments, tumor vessel specimens using barium contrast agent were prepared for taking static images. The growth pattern of tumor-induced vessels was clearly visualized. Heart muscle specimens were prepared for imaging of 3-dimensional microtomography using the fluorescent-screen CCD camera system. The complex structure of small blood vessels with diameters of 30 - 40 micrometer was visualized as a 3- dimensional CT image.

Indirectly Funded Research and Exploratory Development at the Applied Physics Laboratory, Fiscal Year 1978.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

used to reduce costs ). The orbital data from the prototype ion composi- tion telescope will not only be of great scientific interest -pro- viding for...active device whose transfer function may be almost arbitrarily defined, and cost and production trends permit contemplation of networks containing...developing solid-state television camera systems based on CCD imagers. RICA hopes to produce a $500 color camera for consumer use. Fairchild and Texas

Evaluation of a novel laparoscopic camera for characterization of renal ischemia in a porcine model using digital light processing (DLP) hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olweny, Ephrem O.; Tan, Yung K.; Faddegon, Stephen; Jackson, Neil; Wehner, Eleanor F.; Best, Sara L.; Park, Samuel K.; Thapa, Abhas; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A.; Zuzak, Karel J.

2012-03-01

Digital light processing hyperspectral imaging (DLP® HSI) was adapted for use during laparoscopic surgery by coupling a conventional laparoscopic light guide with a DLP-based Agile Light source (OL 490, Optronic Laboratories, Orlando, FL), incorporating a 0° laparoscope, and a customized digital CCD camera (DVC, Austin, TX). The system was used to characterize renal ischemia in a porcine model.

High-speed imaging using 3CCD camera and multi-color LED flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hijazi, Ala; Friedl, Alexander; Cierpka, Christian; Kähler, Christian; Madhavan, Vis

2017-11-01

This paper demonstrates the possibility of capturing full-resolution, high-speed image sequences using a regular 3CCD color camera in conjunction with high-power light emitting diodes of three different colors. This is achieved using a novel approach, referred to as spectral-shuttering, where a high-speed image sequence is captured using short duration light pulses of different colors that are sent consecutively in very close succession. The work presented in this paper demonstrates the feasibility of configuring a high-speed camera system using low cost and readily available off-the-shelf components. This camera can be used for recording six-frame sequences at frame rates up to 20 kHz or three-frame sequences at even higher frame rates. Both color crosstalk and spatial matching between the different channels of the camera are found to be within acceptable limits. A small amount of magnification difference between the different channels is found and a simple calibration procedure for correcting the images is introduced. The images captured using the approach described here are of good quality to be used for obtaining full-field quantitative information using techniques such as digital image correlation and particle image velocimetry. A sequence of six high-speed images of a bubble splash recorded at 400 Hz is presented as a demonstration.

3D digital image correlation using a single 3CCD colour camera and dichroic filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, F. Q.; Shao, X. X.; Quan, C.

2018-04-01

In recent years, three-dimensional digital image correlation methods using a single colour camera have been reported. In this study, we propose a simplified system by employing a dichroic filter (DF) to replace the beam splitter and colour filters. The DF can be used to combine two views from different perspectives reflected by two planar mirrors and eliminate their interference. A 3CCD colour camera is then used to capture two different views simultaneously via its blue and red channels. Moreover, the measurement accuracy of the proposed method is higher since the effect of refraction is reduced. Experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. It is shown that the interference between the blue and red views is insignificant. In addition, the measurement accuracy of the proposed method is validated on the rigid body displacement. The experimental results demonstrate that the measurement accuracy of the proposed method is higher compared with the reported methods using a single colour camera. Finally, the proposed method is employed to measure the in- and out-of-plane displacements of a loaded plastic board. The re-projection errors of the proposed method are smaller than those of the reported methods using a single colour camera.

Sensors for 3D Imaging: Metric Evaluation and Calibration of a CCD/CMOS Time-of-Flight Camera.

PubMed

Chiabrando, Filiberto; Chiabrando, Roberto; Piatti, Dario; Rinaudo, Fulvio

2009-01-01

3D imaging with Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras is a promising recent technique which allows 3D point clouds to be acquired at video frame rates. However, the distance measurements of these devices are often affected by some systematic errors which decrease the quality of the acquired data. In order to evaluate these errors, some experimental tests on a CCD/CMOS ToF camera sensor, the SwissRanger (SR)-4000 camera, were performed and reported in this paper. In particular, two main aspects are treated: the calibration of the distance measurements of the SR-4000 camera, which deals with evaluation of the camera warm up time period, the distance measurement error evaluation and a study of the influence on distance measurements of the camera orientation with respect to the observed object; the second aspect concerns the photogrammetric calibration of the amplitude images delivered by the camera using a purpose-built multi-resolution field made of high contrast targets.

Binary pressure-sensitive paint measurements using miniaturised, colour, machine vision cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Mark Kenneth

2018-05-01

Recent advances in machine vision technology and capability have led to machine vision cameras becoming applicable for scientific imaging. This study aims to demonstrate the applicability of machine vision colour cameras for the measurement of dual-component pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). The presence of a second luminophore component in the PSP mixture significantly reduces its inherent temperature sensitivity, increasing its applicability at low speeds. All of the devices tested are smaller than the cooled CCD cameras traditionally used and most are of significantly lower cost, thereby increasing the accessibility of such technology and techniques. Comparisons between three machine vision cameras, a three CCD camera, and a commercially available specialist PSP camera are made on a range of parameters, and a detailed PSP calibration is conducted in a static calibration chamber. The findings demonstrate that colour machine vision cameras can be used for quantitative, dual-component, pressure measurements. These results give rise to the possibility of performing on-board dual-component PSP measurements in wind tunnels or on real flight/road vehicles.

Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) Slit-Jaw Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkerson, P.; Champey, P. R.; Winebarger, A. R.; Kobayashi, K.; Savage, S. L.

2017-12-01

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer is a NASA sounding rocket payload providing a 0.6 - 2.5 nm spectrum with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution. The instrument is comprised of a novel optical design, featuring a Wolter1 grazing incidence telescope, which produces a focused solar image on a slit plate, an identical pair of stigmatic optics, a planar diffraction grating and a low-noise detector. When MaGIXS flies on a suborbital launch in 2019, a slit-jaw camera system will reimage the focal plane of the telescope providing a reference for pointing the telescope on the solar disk and aligning the data to supporting observations from satellites and other rockets. The telescope focuses the X-ray and EUV image of the sun onto a plate covered with a phosphor coating that absorbs EUV photons, which then fluoresces in visible light. This 10-week REU project was aimed at optimizing an off-axis mounted camera with 600-line resolution NTSC video for extremely low light imaging of the slit plate. Radiometric calculations indicate an intensity of less than 1 lux at the slit jaw plane, which set the requirement for camera sensitivity. We selected a Watec 910DB EIA charge-coupled device (CCD) monochrome camera, which has a manufacturer quoted sensitivity of 0.0001 lux at F1.2. A high magnification and low distortion lens was then identified to image the slit jaw plane from a distance of approximately 10 cm. With the selected CCD camera, tests show that at extreme low-light levels, we achieve a higher resolution than expected, with only a moderate drop in frame rate. Based on sounding rocket flight heritage, the launch vehicle attitude control system is known to stabilize the instrument pointing such that jitter does not degrade video quality for context imaging. Future steps towards implementation of the imaging system will include ruggedizing the flight camera housing and mounting the selected camera and lens combination to the instrument structure.

The Speckle Toolbox: A Powerful Data Reduction Tool for CCD Astrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harshaw, Richard; Rowe, David; Genet, Russell

2017-01-01

Recent advances in high-speed low-noise CCD and CMOS cameras, coupled with breakthroughs in data reduction software that runs on desktop PCs, has opened the domain of speckle interferometry and high-accuracy CCD measurements of double stars to amateurs, allowing them to do useful science of high quality. This paper describes how to use a speckle interferometry reduction program, the Speckle Tool Box (STB), to achieve this level of result. For over a year the author (Harshaw) has been using STB (and its predecessor, Plate Solve 3) to obtain measurements of double stars based on CCD camera technology for pairs that are either too wide (the stars not sharing the same isoplanatic patch, roughly 5 arc-seconds in diameter) or too faint to image in the coherence time required for speckle (usually under 40ms). This same approach - using speckle reduction software to measure CCD pairs with greater accuracy than possible with lucky imaging - has been used, it turns out, for several years by the U. S. Naval Observatory.

A Laboratory Experiment on Coupled Non-Identical Pendulums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Ang; Zeng, Jingyi; Yang, Hujiang; Xiao, Jinghua

2011-01-01

In this paper, coupled pendulums with different lengths are studied. Through steel magnets, each pendulum is coupled with others, and a stepping motor is used to drive the whole system. To record the data automatically, we designed a data acquisition system with a CCD camera connected to a computer. The coupled system shows in-phase, locked-phase…

Active imaging system with Faraday filter

DOEpatents

Snyder, James J.

1993-01-01

An active imaging system has a low to medium powered laser transmitter and receiver wherein the receiver includes a Faraday filter with an ultranarrow optical bandpass and a bare (nonintensified) CCD camera. The laser is locked in the vicinity of the passband of the Faraday filter. The system has high sensitivity to the laser illumination while eliminating solar background.

Active imaging system with Faraday filter

DOEpatents

Snyder, J.J.

1993-04-13

An active imaging system has a low to medium powered laser transmitter and receiver wherein the receiver includes a Faraday filter with an ultranarrow optical bandpass and a bare (nonintensified) CCD camera. The laser is locked in the vicinity of the passband of the Faraday filter. The system has high sensitivity to the laser illumination while eliminating solar background.

Diffraction-based optical sensor detection system for capture-restricted environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khandekar, Rahul M.; Nikulin, Vladimir V.

2008-04-01

The use of digital cameras and camcorders in prohibited areas presents a growing problem. Piracy in the movie theaters results in huge revenue loss to the motion picture industry every year, but still image and video capture may present even a bigger threat if performed in high-security locations. While several attempts are being made to address this issue, an effective solution is yet to be found. We propose to approach this problem using a very commonly observed optical phenomenon. Cameras and camcorders use CCD and CMOS sensors, which include a number of photosensitive elements/pixels arranged in a certain fashion. Those are photosites in CCD sensors and semiconductor elements in CMOS sensors. They are known to reflect a small fraction of incident light, but could also act as a diffraction grating, resulting in the optical response that could be utilized to identify the presence of such a sensor. A laser-based detection system is proposed that accounts for the elements in the optical train of the camera, as well as the eye-safety of the people who could be exposed to optical beam radiation. This paper presents preliminary experimental data, as well as the proof-of-concept simulation results.

SU-C-207A-03: Development of Proton CT Imaging System Using Thick Scintillator and CCD Camera

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, S; Uesaka, M; Nishio, T

2016-06-15

Purpose: In the treatment planning of proton therapy, Water Equivalent Length (WEL), which is the parameter for the calculation of dose and the range of proton, is derived by X-ray CT (xCT) image and xCT-WEL conversion. However, about a few percent error in the accuracy of proton range calculation through this conversion has been reported. The purpose of this study is to construct a proton CT (pCT) imaging system for an evaluation of the error. Methods: The pCT imaging system was constructed with a thick scintillator and a cooled CCD camera, which acquires the two-dimensional image of integrated value ofmore » the scintillation light toward the beam direction. The pCT image is reconstructed by FBP method using a correction between the light intensity and residual range of proton beam. An experiment for the demonstration of this system was performed with 70-MeV proton beam provided by NIRS cyclotron. The pCT image of several objects reconstructed from the experimental data was evaluated quantitatively. Results: Three-dimensional pCT images of several objects were reconstructed experimentally. A finestructure of approximately 1 mm was clearly observed. The position resolution of pCT image was almost the same as that of xCT image. And the error of proton CT pixel value was up to 4%. The deterioration of image quality was caused mainly by the effect of multiple Coulomb scattering. Conclusion: We designed and constructed the pCT imaging system using a thick scintillator and a CCD camera. And the system was evaluated with the experiment by use of 70-MeV proton beam. Three-dimensional pCT images of several objects were acquired by the system. This work was supported by JST SENTAN Grant Number 13A1101 and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 15H04912.« less

The LSST Camera 500 watt -130 degC Mixed Refrigerant Cooling System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowden, Gordon B.; Langton, Brian J.; /SLAC

2014-05-28

The LSST Camera has a higher cryogenic heat load than previous CCD telescope cameras due to its large size (634 mm diameter focal plane, 3.2 Giga pixels) and its close coupled front-end electronics operating at low temperature inside the cryostat. Various refrigeration technologies are considered for this telescope/camera environment. MMR-Technology’s Mixed Refrigerant technology was chosen. A collaboration with that company was started in 2009. The system, based on a cluster of Joule-Thomson refrigerators running a special blend of mixed refrigerants is described. Both the advantages and problems of applying this technology to telescope camera refrigeration are discussed. Test results frommore » a prototype refrigerator running in a realistic telescope configuration are reported. Current and future stages of the development program are described. (auth)« less

Opto-mechanical design of the G-CLEF flexure control camera system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Jae Sok; Park, Chan; Kim, Jihun; Kim, Kang-Min; Chun, Moo-Young; Yu, Young Sam; Lee, Sungho; Nah, Jakyoung; Park, Sung-Joon; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; McMuldroch, Stuart; Norton, Timothy; Podgorski, William; Evans, Ian; Mueller, Mark; Uomoto, Alan; Crane, Jeffrey; Hare, Tyson

2016-08-01

The GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) is the very first light instrument of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). The G-CLEF is a fiber feed, optical band echelle spectrograph that is capable of extremely precise radial velocity measurement. KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) is responsible for Flexure Control Camera (FCC) included in the G-CLEF Front End Assembly (GCFEA). The FCC is a kind of guide camera, which monitors the field images focused on a fiber mirror to control the flexure and the focus errors within the GCFEA. The FCC consists of five optical components: a collimator including triple lenses for producing a pupil, neutral density filters allowing us to use much brighter star as a target or a guide, a tent prism as a focus analyzer for measuring the focus offset at the fiber mirror, a reimaging camera with three pair of lenses for focusing the beam on a CCD focal plane, and a CCD detector for capturing the image on the fiber mirror. In this article, we present the optical and mechanical FCC designs which have been modified after the PDR in April 2015.

A Real-Time Optical 3D Tracker for Head-Mounted Display Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-01

paper. OPTOTRAK [Nor88] uses one camera with two dual-axis CCD infrared position sensors. Each position sen- sor has a dedicated processor board to...enhance the use- [Nor88] Northern Digital. Trade literature on Optotrak fulness of head-mounted display systems. - Northern Digital’s Three Dimensional

Development of the focal plane PNCCD camera system for the X-ray space telescope eROSITA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meidinger, Norbert; Andritschke, Robert; Ebermayer, Stefanie; Elbs, Johannes; Hälker, Olaf; Hartmann, Robert; Herrmann, Sven; Kimmel, Nils; Schächner, Gabriele; Schopper, Florian; Soltau, Heike; Strüder, Lothar; Weidenspointner, Georg

2010-12-01

A so-called PNCCD, a special type of CCD, was developed twenty years ago as focal plane detector for the XMM-Newton X-ray astronomy mission of the European Space Agency ESA. Based on this detector concept and taking into account the experience of almost ten years of operation in space, a new X-ray CCD type was designed by the ‘MPI semiconductor laboratory’ for an upcoming X-ray space telescope, called eROSITA (extended Roentgen survey with an imaging telescope array). This space telescope will be equipped with seven X-ray mirror systems of Wolter-I type and seven CCD cameras, placed in their foci. The instrumentation permits the exploration of the X-ray universe in the energy band from 0.3 up to 10 keV by spectroscopic measurements with a time resolution of 50 ms for a full image comprising 384×384 pixels. Main scientific goals are an all-sky survey and investigation of the mysterious ‘Dark Energy’. The eROSITA space telescope, which is developed under the responsibility of the ‘Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial physics’, is a scientific payload on the new Russian satellite ‘Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma’ (SRG). The mission is already approved by the responsible Russian and German space agencies. After launch in 2012 the destination of the satellite is Lagrange point L2. The planned observational program takes about seven years. We describe the design of the eROSITA camera system and present important test results achieved recently with the eROSITA prototype PNCCD detector. This includes a comparison of the eROSITA detector with the XMM-Newton detector.

Compact Video Microscope Imaging System Implemented in Colloid Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McDowell, Mark

2002-01-01

Long description Photographs showing fiber-optic light source, microscope and charge-coupled discharge (CCD) camera head connected to camera body, CCD camera body feeding data to image acquisition board in PC, and Cartesian robot controlled via PC board. The Compact Microscope Imaging System (CMIS) is a diagnostic tool with intelligent controls for use in space, industrial, medical, and security applications. CMIS can be used in situ with a minimum amount of user intervention. This system can scan, find areas of interest in, focus on, and acquire images automatically. Many multiple-cell experiments require microscopy for in situ observations; this is feasible only with compact microscope systems. CMIS is a miniature machine vision system that combines intelligent image processing with remote control. The software also has a user-friendly interface, which can be used independently of the hardware for further post-experiment analysis. CMIS has been successfully developed in the SML Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center and adapted for use for colloid studies and is available for telescience experiments. The main innovations this year are an improved interface, optimized algorithms, and the ability to control conventional full-sized microscopes in addition to compact microscopes. The CMIS software-hardware interface is being integrated into our SML Analysis package, which will be a robust general-purpose image-processing package that can handle over 100 space and industrial applications.

System for photometric calibration of optoelectronic imaging devices especially streak cameras

DOEpatents

Boni, Robert; Jaanimagi, Paul

2003-11-04

A system for the photometric calibration of streak cameras and similar imaging devices provides a precise knowledge of the camera's flat-field response as well as a mapping of the geometric distortions. The system provides the flat-field response, representing the spatial variations in the sensitivity of the recorded output, with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than can be achieved in a single submicrosecond streak record. The measurement of the flat-field response is carried out by illuminating the input slit of the streak camera with a signal that is uniform in space and constant in time. This signal is generated by passing a continuous wave source through an optical homogenizer made up of a light pipe or pipes in which the illumination typically makes several bounces before exiting as a spatially uniform source field. The rectangular cross-section of the homogenizer is matched to the usable photocathode area of the streak tube. The flat-field data set is obtained by using a slow streak ramp that may have a period from one millisecond (ms) to ten seconds (s), but may be nominally one second in duration. The system also provides a mapping of the geometric distortions, by spatially and temporarily modulating the output of the homogenizer and obtaining a data set using the slow streak ramps. All data sets are acquired using a CCD camera and stored on a computer, which is used to calculate all relevant corrections to the signal data sets. The signal and flat-field data sets are both corrected for geometric distortions prior to applying the flat-field correction. Absolute photometric calibration is obtained by measuring the output fluence of the homogenizer with a "standard-traceable" meter and relating that to the CCD pixel values for a self-corrected flat-field data set.

A novel device for head gesture measurement system in combination with eye-controlled human machine interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Chern-Sheng; Ho, Chien-Wa; Chang, Kai-Chieh; Hung, San-Shan; Shei, Hung-Jung; Yeh, Mau-Shiun

2006-06-01

This study describes the design and combination of an eye-controlled and a head-controlled human-machine interface system. This system is a highly effective human-machine interface, detecting head movement by changing positions and numbers of light sources on the head. When the users utilize the head-mounted display to browse a computer screen, the system will catch the images of the user's eyes with CCD cameras, which can also measure the angle and position of the light sources. In the eye-tracking system, the program in the computer will locate each center point of the pupils in the images, and record the information on moving traces and pupil diameters. In the head gesture measurement system, the user wears a double-source eyeglass frame, so the system catches images of the user's head by using a CCD camera in front of the user. The computer program will locate the center point of the head, transferring it to the screen coordinates, and then the user can control the cursor by head motions. We combine the eye-controlled and head-controlled human-machine interface system for the virtual reality applications.

Optical diagnostics of the arc plasma using fast intensified CCD-spectrograph system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavelescu, Gabriela; Guillot, Stephane; Braic, Mariana T.; Hong, Dunpin; Pavelescu, D.; Fleurier, Claude; Braic, Viorel; Gherendi, F.; Dumitrescu, G.; Anghelita, P.; Bauchire, J. M.

2004-10-01

Spectroscopic diagnostics, using intensified high speed CCD camera, was applied to study the arc dynamics in low voltage circuit breakers, in vacuum and in air. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy of the vacuum arc plasma, generated during electrode separation, provided information about the interruption process. The investigations were focused on the partial unsuccessful interruption around current zero. Absorption spectroscopy, in a peculiar setup, was used in order to determine the metallic atoms densities in the interelectrode space of a low voltage circuit breaker, working in ambient air.

A Real-Time Imaging System for Stereo Atomic Microscopy at SPring-8's BL25SU

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsushita, Tomohiro; Guo, Fang Zhun; Muro, Takayuki

2007-01-19

We have developed a real-time photoelectron angular distribution (PEAD) and Auger-electron angular distribution (AEAD) imaging system at SPring-8 BL25SU, Japan. In addition, a real-time imaging system for circular dichroism (CD) studies of PEAD/AEAD has been newly developed. Two PEAD images recorded with left- and right-circularly polarized light can be regarded as a stereo image of the atomic arrangement. A two-dimensional display type mirror analyzer (DIANA) has been installed at the beamline, making it possible to record PEAD/AEAD patterns with an acceptance angle of {+-}60 deg. in real-time. The twin-helical undulators at BL25SU enable helicity switching of the circularly polarized lightmore » at 10Hz, 1Hz or 0.1Hz. In order to realize real-time measurements of the CD of the PEAD/AEAD, the CCD camera must be synchronized to the switching frequency. The VME computer that controls the ID is connected to the measurement computer with two BNC cables, and the helicity information is sent using TTL signals. For maximum flexibility, rather than using a hardware shutter synchronizing with the TTL signal we have developed software to synchronize the CCD shutter with the TTL signal. We have succeeded in synchronizing the CCD camera in both the 1Hz and 0.1Hz modes.« less

Environmental performance evaluation of an advanced-design solid-state television camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The development of an advanced-design black-and-white solid-state television camera which can survive exposure to space environmental conditions was undertaken. A 380 x 488 element buried-channel CCD is utilized as the image sensor to ensure compatibility with 525-line transmission and display equipment. Specific camera design approaches selected for study and analysis included: (1) component and circuit sensitivity to temperature; (2) circuit board thermal and mechanical design; and (3) CCD temperature control. Preferred approaches were determined and integrated into the final design for two deliverable solid-state TV cameras. One of these cameras was subjected to environmental tests to determine stress limits for exposure to vibration, shock, acceleration, and temperature-vacuum conditions. These tests indicate performance at the design goal limits can be achieved for most of the specified conditions.

A Normal Incidence X-ray Telescope (NIXT) sounding rocket payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1989-01-01

Work on the High Resolution X-ray (HRX) Detector Program is described. In the laboratory and flight programs, multiple copies of a general purpose set of electronics which control the camera, signal processing and data acquisition, were constructed. A typical system consists of a phosphor convertor, image intensifier, a fiber optics coupler, a charge coupled device (CCD) readout, and a set of camera, signal processing and memory electronics. An initial rocket detector prototype camera was tested in flight and performed perfectly. An advanced prototype detector system was incorporated on another rocket flight, in which a high resolution heterojunction vidicon tube was used as the readout device for the H(alpha) telescope. The camera electronics for this tube were built in-house and included in the flight electronics. Performance of this detector system was 100 percent satisfactory. The laboratory X-ray system for operation on the ground is also described.

Development of a real-time digital radiography system using a scintillator-type flat-panel detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Shigeyuki; Suzuki, Katsumi; Ishikawa, Ken; Okajima, Kenichi

2001-06-01

In order to study the advantage and remaining problems of FPD (flat panel detector) for clinical use by the real-time DR (digital radiography) system, we developed a prototype system using a scintillator type FPD and which was compared with previous I.I.-CCD type real-time DR. We replaced the X- ray detector of DR-2000X from I.I.-4M (4 million pixels)-CCD camera to the scintillator type dynamic FPD(7' X 9', 127 micrometers ), which can take both radiographic and fluoroscopic images. We obtained the images of head and stomach phantoms, and discussed about the image quality with medical doctors.

Intra-cavity upconversion to 631 nm of images illuminated by an eye-safe ASE source at 1550 nm.

PubMed

Torregrosa, A J; Maestre, H; Capmany, J

2015-11-15

We report an image wavelength upconversion system. The system mixes an incoming image at around 1550 nm (eye-safe region) illuminated by an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) fiber source with a Gaussian beam at 1064 nm generated in a continuous-wave diode-pumped Nd(3+):GdVO(4) laser. Mixing takes place in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal placed intra-cavity. The upconverted image obtained by sum-frequency mixing falls around the 631 nm red spectral region, well within the spectral response of standard silicon focal plane array bi-dimensional sensors, commonly used in charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) video cameras, and of most image intensifiers. The use of ASE illumination benefits from a noticeable increase in the field of view (FOV) that can be upconverted with regard to using coherent laser illumination. The upconverted power allows us to capture real-time video in a standard nonintensified CCD camera.

Utilizing the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SwUIS) on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schindhelm, Eric; Stern, S. Alan; Ennico-Smith, Kimberly

2013-09-01

We present the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SwUIS), a compact, low-cost instrument designed for remote sensing observations from a manned platform in space. It has two chief configurations; a high spatial resolution mode with a 7-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope, and a large field-of-view camera mode using a lens assembly. It can operate with either an intensified CCD or an electron multiplying CCD camera. Interchangeable filters and lenses enable broadband and narrowband imaging at UV/visible/near-infrared wavelengths, over a range of spatial resolution. SwUIS has flown previously on Space Shuttle flights STS-85 and STS-93, where it recorded multiple UV images of planets, comets, and vulcanoids. We describe the instrument and its capabilities in detail. The SWUIS's broad wavelength coverage and versatile range of hardware configurations make it an attractive option for use as a facility instrument for Earth science and astronomical imaging investigations aboard the International Space Station.

Puesta en marcha de un microdensitómetro automático basado en CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderón, J. H.; Bustos Fierro, I. H.

We present the commisioning of a CCD-based microdensitometer intended to perform astrometric measurements of photographic plates. The work done consisted in the installation of a CCD camera, the modification of the motion system, the construction of a new illumination device, the adaptation of the electronics, and the development of software. The instrument is intended to be used for the astrometric measurement mainly of plates of the Astrographic Catalog and Carte du Ciel collections from Córdoba Observatory. In this phase of the project we counted with the collaboration of the Instituto Provincial de Enseñanza Media No 59, 25 de Mayo, Cruz Alta (Province of Córdoba). The origin and importance of such collaboration is commented.

Experimental setup for camera-based measurements of electrically and optically stimulated luminescence of silicon solar cells and wafers.

PubMed

Hinken, David; Schinke, Carsten; Herlufsen, Sandra; Schmidt, Arne; Bothe, Karsten; Brendel, Rolf

2011-03-01

We report in detail on the luminescence imaging setup developed within the last years in our laboratory. In this setup, the luminescence emission of silicon solar cells or silicon wafers is analyzed quantitatively. Charge carriers are excited electrically (electroluminescence) using a power supply for carrier injection or optically (photoluminescence) using a laser as illumination source. The luminescence emission arising from the radiative recombination of the stimulated charge carriers is measured spatially resolved using a camera. We give details of the various components including cameras, optical filters for electro- and photo-luminescence, the semiconductor laser and the four-quadrant power supply. We compare a silicon charged-coupled device (CCD) camera with a back-illuminated silicon CCD camera comprising an electron multiplier gain and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor indium gallium arsenide camera. For the detection of the luminescence emission of silicon we analyze the dominant noise sources along with the signal-to-noise ratio of all three cameras at different operation conditions.

Architecture of PAU survey camera readout electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castilla, Javier; Cardiel-Sas, Laia; De Vicente, Juan; Illa, Joseph; Jimenez, Jorge; Maiorino, Marino; Martinez, Gustavo

2012-07-01

PAUCam is a new camera for studying the physics of the accelerating universe. The camera will consist of eighteen 2Kx4K HPK CCDs: sixteen for science and two for guiding. The camera will be installed at the prime focus of the WHT (William Herschel Telescope). In this contribution, the architecture of the readout electronics system is presented. Back- End and Front-End electronics are described. Back-End consists of clock, bias and video processing boards, mounted on Monsoon crates. The Front-End is based on patch panel boards. These boards are plugged outside the camera feed-through panel for signal distribution. Inside the camera, individual preamplifier boards plus kapton cable completes the path to connect to each CCD. The overall signal distribution and grounding scheme is shown in this paper.

Automation of the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buie, M. W.

2001-11-01

In the past year I have converted the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m telescope from a classically scheduled and operated telescope to an automated facility. The new setup uses an existing CCD camera and the existing telescope control system. The key steps in the conversion were writing a new CCD control and data acquisition module plus writing communication and queue control software. The previous CCD control program was written for DOS and much of the code was reused for this project. The entire control system runs under Linux and consists of four daemons: MOVE, PCCD, CMDR, and PCTL. The MOVE daemon is a process that communciates with the telescope control system via an RS232 port, keeping track of its state and forwarding commands from other processes to the telescope. The PCCD daemon controls the CCD camera and collects data. The CMDR daemon maintains a FIFO queue of commands to be executed during the night. The PCTL daemon receives notification from any other deamon of execution failures and sends an error code to the on-duty observer via a numeric pager. This system runs through the night much as you would traditionally operate a telescope. However, this system permits queuing up all the commands for a night and they execute one after another in sequence. Additional commands are needed to replace the normal human interaction during observing (ie., target acquisition, field registration, focusing). Also, numerous temporal synchronization commands are required so that observations happen at the right time. The system was used for this year's photometric monitoring of Pluto and Triton and is in general use for 2/3 of time on the telescope. Pluto observations were collected on 30 nights out of a potential pool of 90 nights. Detailed system design and capabilites plus sample observations will be presented. Also, a live demonstration will be provided if the weather is good. This work was supported by NASA Grant NAG5-4210 and the NSF REU Program grant to NAU.

A compact high-speed pnCCD camera for optical and x-ray applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihle, Sebastian; Ordavo, Ivan; Bechteler, Alois; Hartmann, Robert; Holl, Peter; Liebel, Andreas; Meidinger, Norbert; Soltau, Heike; Strüder, Lothar; Weber, Udo

2012-07-01

We developed a camera with a 264 × 264 pixel pnCCD of 48 μm size (thickness 450 μm) for X-ray and optical applications. It has a high quantum efficiency and can be operated up to 400 / 1000 Hz (noise≍ 2:5 ° ENC / ≍4:0 ° ENC). High-speed astronomical observations can be performed with low light levels. Results of test measurements will be presented. The camera is well suitable for ground based preparation measurements for future X-ray missions. For X-ray single photons, the spatial position can be determined with significant sub-pixel resolution.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-04-03

The USML-1 Glovebox (GBX) is a multi-user facility supporting 16 experiments in fluid dynamics, combustion sciences, crystal growth, and technology demonstration. The GBX has an enclosed working space which minimizes the contamination risks to both Spacelab and experiment samples. The GBX supports four charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras (two of which may be operated simultaneously) with three black-and-white and three color camera CCD heads available. The GBX also has a backlight panel, a 35 mm camera, and a stereomicroscope that offers high-magnification viewing of experiment samples. Video data can also be downlinked in real-time. The GBX also provides electrical power for experiment hardware, a time-temperature display, and cleaning supplies.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-08-29

The USML-1 Glovebox (GBX) is a multi-user facility supporting 16 experiments in fluid dynamics, combustion sciences, crystal growth, and technology demonstration. The GBX has an enclosed working space which minimizes the contamination risks to both Spacelab and experiment samples. The GBX supports four charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras (two of which may be operated simultaneously) with three black-and-white and three color camera CCD heads available. The GBX also has a backlight panel, a 35 mm camera, and a stereomicroscope that offers high-magnification viewing of experiment samples. Video data can also be downlinked in real-time. The GBX also provides electrical power for experiment hardware, a time-temperature display, and cleaning supplies.

MUSIC - Multifunctional stereo imaging camera system for wide angle and high resolution stereo and color observations on the Mars-94 mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oertel, D.; Jahn, H.; Sandau, R.; Walter, I.; Driescher, H.

1990-10-01

Objectives of the multifunctional stereo imaging camera (MUSIC) system to be deployed on the Soviet Mars-94 mission are outlined. A high-resolution stereo camera (HRSC) and wide-angle opto-electronic stereo scanner (WAOSS) are combined in terms of hardware, software, technology aspects, and solutions. Both HRSC and WAOSS are push-button instruments containing a single optical system and focal plates with several parallel CCD line sensors. Emphasis is placed on the MUSIC system's stereo capability, its design, mass memory, and data compression. A 1-Gbit memory is divided into two parts: 80 percent for HRSC and 20 percent for WAOSS, while the selected on-line compression strategy is based on macropixel coding and real-time transform coding.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Observed light curve of (3200) Phaethon (Ansdell+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansdell, M.; Meech, K. J.; Hainaut, O.; Buie, M. W.; Kaluna, H.; Bauer, J.; Dundon, L.

2017-04-01

We obtained time series photometry over 15 nights from 1994 to 2013. All but three nights used the Tektronix 2048x2048 pixel CCD camera on the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope on Mauna Kea. Two nights used the PRISM 2048x2048 pixel CCD camera on the Perkins 72 inch telescope at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, while one night used the Optic 2048x4096 CCD camera also on the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope. All observations used the standard Kron-Cousins R filter with the telescope guiding on (3200) Phaethon at non-sidereal rates. Raw images were processed with standard IRAF routines for bias subtraction, flat-fielding, and cosmic ray removal (Tody, 1986SPIE..627..733T). We constructed reference flat fields by median combining dithered images of either twilight or the object field (in both cases, flattening reduced gradients to <1% across the CCD). We performed photometry using the IRAF phot routine with circular apertures typically 5'' in radius, although aperture sizes changed depending on the night and/or exposure as they were chosen to consistently include 99.5% of the object's light. (1 data file).

Multiple Sensor Camera for Enhanced Video Capturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagahara, Hajime; Kanki, Yoshinori; Iwai, Yoshio; Yachida, Masahiko

A resolution of camera has been drastically improved under a current request for high-quality digital images. For example, digital still camera has several mega pixels. Although a video camera has the higher frame-rate, the resolution of a video camera is lower than that of still camera. Thus, the high-resolution is incompatible with the high frame rate of ordinary cameras in market. It is difficult to solve this problem by a single sensor, since it comes from physical limitation of the pixel transfer rate. In this paper, we propose a multi-sensor camera for capturing a resolution and frame-rate enhanced video. Common multi-CCDs camera, such as 3CCD color camera, has same CCD for capturing different spectral information. Our approach is to use different spatio-temporal resolution sensors in a single camera cabinet for capturing higher resolution and frame-rate information separately. We build a prototype camera which can capture high-resolution (2588×1958 pixels, 3.75 fps) and high frame-rate (500×500, 90 fps) videos. We also proposed the calibration method for the camera. As one of the application of the camera, we demonstrate an enhanced video (2128×1952 pixels, 90 fps) generated from the captured videos for showing the utility of the camera.

Development of a driving method suitable for ultrahigh-speed shooting in a 2M-fps 300k-pixel single-chip color camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yonai, J.; Arai, T.; Hayashida, T.; Ohtake, H.; Namiki, J.; Yoshida, T.; Etoh, T. Goji

2012-03-01

We have developed an ultrahigh-speed CCD camera that can capture instantaneous phenomena not visible to the human eye and impossible to capture with a regular video camera. The ultrahigh-speed CCD was specially constructed so that the CCD memory between the photodiode and the vertical transfer path of each pixel can store 144 frames each. For every one-frame shot, the electric charges generated from the photodiodes are transferred in one step to the memory of all the parallel pixels, making ultrahigh-speed shooting possible. Earlier, we experimentally manufactured a 1M-fps ultrahigh-speed camera and tested it for broadcasting applications. Through those tests, we learned that there are cases that require shooting speeds (frame rate) of more than 1M fps; hence we aimed to develop a new ultrahigh-speed camera that will enable much faster shooting speeds than what is currently possible. Since shooting at speeds of more than 200,000 fps results in decreased image quality and abrupt heating of the image sensor and drive circuit board, faster speeds cannot be achieved merely by increasing the drive frequency. We therefore had to improve the image sensor wiring layout and the driving method to develop a new 2M-fps, 300k-pixel ultrahigh-speed single-chip color camera for broadcasting purposes.

Ice-Borehole Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behar, Alberto; Carsey, Frank; Lane, Arthur; Engelhardt, Herman

2006-01-01

An instrumentation system has been developed for studying interactions between a glacier or ice sheet and the underlying rock and/or soil. Prior borehole imaging systems have been used in well-drilling and mineral-exploration applications and for studying relatively thin valley glaciers, but have not been used for studying thick ice sheets like those of Antarctica. The system includes a cylindrical imaging probe that is lowered into a hole that has been bored through the ice to the ice/bedrock interface by use of an established hot-water-jet technique. The images acquired by the cameras yield information on the movement of the ice relative to the bedrock and on visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At the time of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-data-transmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At the time of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-datatransmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the visible features of the lower structure of the ice sheet, including ice layers formed at different times, bubbles, and mineralogical inclusions. At thime of reporting the information for this article, the system was just deployed in two boreholes on the Amery ice shelf in East Antarctica and after successful 2000 2001 deployments in 4 boreholes at Ice Stream C, West Antarctica, and in 2002 at Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska. The probe is designed to operate at temperatures from 40 to +40 C and to withstand the cold, wet, high-pressure [130-atm (13.20-MPa)] environment at the bottom of a water-filled borehole in ice as deep as 1.6 km. A current version is being outfitted to service 2.4-km-deep boreholes at the Rutford Ice Stream in West Antarctica. The probe (see figure) contains a sidelooking charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera that generates both a real-time analog video signal and a sequence of still-image data, and contains a digital videotape recorder. The probe also contains a downward-looking CCD analog video camera, plus halogen lamps to illuminate the fields of view of both cameras. The analog video outputs of the cameras are converted to optical signals that are transmitted to a surface station via optical fibers in a cable. Electric power is supplied to the probe through wires in the cable at a potential of 170 VDC. A DC-to-DC converter steps the supply down to 12 VDC for the lights, cameras, and image-datatransmission circuitry. Heat generated by dissipation of electric power in the probe is removed simply by conduction through the probe housing to the adjacent water and ice.

Automated Meteor Detection by All-Sky Digital Camera Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suk, Tomáš; Šimberová, Stanislava

2017-12-01

We have developed a set of methods to detect meteor light traces captured by all-sky CCD cameras. Operating at small automatic observatories (stations), these cameras create a network spread over a large territory. Image data coming from these stations are merged in one central node. Since a vast amount of data is collected by the stations in a single night, robotic storage and analysis are essential to processing. The proposed methodology is adapted to data from a network of automatic stations equipped with digital fish-eye cameras and includes data capturing, preparation, pre-processing, analysis, and finally recognition of objects in time sequences. In our experiments we utilized real observed data from two stations.

QUANTITATIVE DETECTION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPORTANT DYES USING DIODE LASER/FIBER-OPTIC RAMAN

EPA Science Inventory

A compact diode laser/fiber-optic Raman spectrometer is used for quantitative detection of environmentally important dyes. This system is based on diode laser excitation at 782 mm, fiber optic probe technology, an imaging spectrometer, and state-of-the-art scientific CCD camera. ...

Imaging strategies for the study of gas turbine spark ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gord, James R.; Tyler, Charles; Grinstead, Keith D., Jr.; Fiechtner, Gregory J.; Cochran, Michael J.; Frus, John R.

1999-10-01

Spark-ignition systems play a critical role in the performance of essentially all gas turbine engines. These devices are responsible for initiating the combustion process that sustains engine operation. Demanding applications such as cold start and high-altitude relight require continued enhancement of ignition systems. To characterize advanced ignition systems, we have developed a number of laser-based diagnostic techniques configured for ultrafast imaging of spark parameters including emission, density, temperature, and species concentration. These diagnostics have been designed to exploit an ultrafast- framing charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera and high- repetition-rate laser sources including mode-locked Ti:sapphire oscillators and regenerative amplifiers. Spontaneous-emission and laser-shlieren measurements have been accomplished with this instrumentation and the result applied to the study of a novel Unison Industries spark igniter that shows great promise for improved cold-start and high-altitude-relight capability as compared to that of igniters currently in use throughout military and commercial fleets. Phase-locked and ultrafast real-time imaging strategies are explored, and details of the imaging instrumentation, particularly the CCD camera and laser sources, are discussed.

Optical Verification Laboratory Demonstration System for High Security Identification Cards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Javidi, Bahram

1997-01-01

Document fraud including unauthorized duplication of identification cards and credit cards is a serious problem facing the government, banks, businesses, and consumers. In addition, counterfeit products such as computer chips, and compact discs, are arriving on our shores in great numbers. With the rapid advances in computers, CCD technology, image processing hardware and software, printers, scanners, and copiers, it is becoming increasingly easy to reproduce pictures, logos, symbols, paper currency, or patterns. These problems have stimulated an interest in research, development and publications in security technology. Some ID cards, credit cards and passports currently use holograms as a security measure to thwart copying. The holograms are inspected by the human eye. In theory, the hologram cannot be reproduced by an unauthorized person using commercially-available optical components; in practice, however, technology has advanced to the point where the holographic image can be acquired from a credit card-photographed or captured with by a CCD camera-and a new hologram synthesized using commercially-available optical components or hologram-producing equipment. Therefore, a pattern that can be read by a conventional light source and a CCD camera can be reproduced. An optical security and anti-copying device that provides significant security improvements over existing security technology was demonstrated. The system can be applied for security verification of credit cards, passports, and other IDs so that they cannot easily be reproduced. We have used a new scheme of complex phase/amplitude patterns that cannot be seen and cannot be copied by an intensity-sensitive detector such as a CCD camera. A random phase mask is bonded to a primary identification pattern which could also be phase encoded. The pattern could be a fingerprint, a picture of a face, or a signature. The proposed optical processing device is designed to identify both the random phase mask and the primary pattern [1-3]. We have demonstrated experimentally an optical processor for security verification of objects, products, and persons. This demonstration is very important to encourage industries to consider the proposed system for research and development.

Electronic Fingerprinting for Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

Veritec's VeriSystem is a complete identification and tracking system for component traceability, improved manufacturing and processing, and automated shop floor applications. The system includes the Vericode Symbol, a more accurate and versatile alternative to the traditional bar code, that is scanned by charge coupled device (CCD) cameras. The system was developed by Veritec, Rockwell International and Marshall Space Flight Center to identify and track Space Shuttle parts.

Effect of camera resolution and bandwidth on facial affect recognition.

PubMed

Cruz, Mario; Cruz, Robyn Flaum; Krupinski, Elizabeth A; Lopez, Ana Maria; McNeeley, Richard M; Weinstein, Ronald S

2004-01-01

This preliminary study explored the effect of camera resolution and bandwidth on facial affect recognition, an important process and clinical variable in mental health service delivery. Sixty medical students and mental health-care professionals were recruited and randomized to four different combinations of commonly used teleconferencing camera resolutions and bandwidths: (1) one chip charged coupling device (CCD) camera, commonly used for VHSgrade taping and in teleconferencing systems costing less than $4,000 with a resolution of 280 lines, and 128 kilobytes per second bandwidth (kbps); (2) VHS and 768 kbps; (3) three-chip CCD camera, commonly used for Betacam (Beta) grade taping and in teleconferencing systems costing more than $4,000 with a resolution of 480 lines, and 128 kbps; and (4) Betacam and 768 kbps. The subjects were asked to identify four facial affects dynamically presented on videotape by an actor and actress presented via a video monitor at 30 frames per second. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant interaction effect for camera resolution and bandwidth (p = 0.02) and a significant main effect for camera resolution (p = 0.006), but no main effect for bandwidth was detected. Post hoc testing of interaction means, using the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test and the critical difference (CD) at the 0.05 alpha level = 1.71, revealed subjects in the VHS/768 kbps (M = 7.133) and VHS/128 kbps (M = 6.533) were significantly better at recognizing the displayed facial affects than those in the Betacam/768 kbps (M = 4.733) or Betacam/128 kbps (M = 6.333) conditions. Camera resolution and bandwidth combinations differ in their capacity to influence facial affect recognition. For service providers, this study's results support the use of VHS cameras with either 768 kbps or 128 kbps bandwidths for facial affect recognition compared to Betacam cameras. The authors argue that the results of this study are a consequence of the VHS camera resolution/bandwidth combinations' ability to improve signal detection (i.e., facial affect recognition) by subjects in comparison to Betacam camera resolution/bandwidth combinations.

Blinded evaluation of the effects of high definition and magnification on perceived image quality in laryngeal imaging.

PubMed

Otto, Kristen J; Hapner, Edie R; Baker, Michael; Johns, Michael M

2006-02-01

Advances in commercial video technology have improved office-based laryngeal imaging. This study investigates the perceived image quality of a true high-definition (HD) video camera and the effect of magnification on laryngeal videostroboscopy. We performed a prospective, dual-armed, single-blinded analysis of a standard laryngeal videostroboscopic examination comparing 3 separate add-on camera systems: a 1-chip charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, a 3-chip CCD camera, and a true 720p (progressive scan) HD camera. Displayed images were controlled for magnification and image size (20-inch [50-cm] display, red-green-blue, and S-video cable for 1-chip and 3-chip cameras; digital visual interface cable and HD monitor for HD camera). Ten blinded observers were then asked to rate the following 5 items on a 0-to-100 visual analog scale: resolution, color, ability to see vocal fold vibration, sense of depth perception, and clarity of blood vessels. Eight unblinded observers were then asked to rate the difference in perceived resolution and clarity of laryngeal examination images when displayed on a 10-inch (25-cm) monitor versus a 42-inch (105-cm) monitor. A visual analog scale was used. These monitors were controlled for actual resolution capacity. For each item evaluated, randomized block design analysis demonstrated that the 3-chip camera scored significantly better than the 1-chip camera (p < .05). For the categories of color and blood vessel discrimination, the 3-chip camera scored significantly better than the HD camera (p < .05). For magnification alone, observers rated the 42-inch monitor statistically better than the 10-inch monitor. The expense of new medical technology must be judged against its added value. This study suggests that HD laryngeal imaging may not add significant value over currently available video systems, in perceived image quality, when a small monitor is used. Although differences in clarity between standard and HD cameras may not be readily apparent on small displays, a large display size coupled with HD technology may impart improved diagnosis of subtle vocal fold lesions and vibratory anomalies.

A CCD search for geosynchronous debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrels, Tom; Vilas, Faith

1986-01-01

Using the Spacewatch Camera, a search was conducted for objects in geosynchronous earth orbit. The system is equipped with a CCD camera cooled with dry ice; the image scale is 1.344 arcsec/pixel. The telescope drive was off so that during integrations the stars were trailed while geostationary objects appeared as round images. The technique should detect geostationary objects to a limiting apparent visual magnitude of 19. A sky area of 8.8 square degrees was searched for geostationary objects while geosynchronous debris passing through was 16.4 square degrees. Ten objects were found of which seven are probably geostationary satellites having apparent visual magnitudes brighter than 13.1. Three objects having magnitudes equal to or fainter than 13.7 showed motion in the north-south direction. The absence of fainter stationary objects suggests that a gap in debris size exists between satellites and particles having diameters in the millimeter range.

Method to implement the CCD timing generator based on FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Binhua; Song, Qian; He, Chun; Jin, Jianhui; He, Lin

2010-07-01

With the advance of the PFPA technology, the design methodology of digital systems is changing. In recent years we develop a method to implement the CCD timing generator based on FPGA and VHDL. This paper presents the principles and implementation skills of the method. Taking a developed camera as an example, we introduce the structure, input and output clocks/signals of a timing generator implemented in the camera. The generator is composed of a top module and a bottom module. The bottom one is made up of 4 sub-modules which correspond to 4 different operation modes. The modules are implemented by 5 VHDL programs. Frame charts of the architecture of these programs are shown in the paper. We also describe implementation steps of the timing generator in Quartus II, and the interconnections between the generator and a Nios soft core processor which is the controller of this generator. Some test results are presented in the end.

Combining shearography and interferometric fringe projection in a single device for complete control of industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blain, Pascal; Michel, Fabrice; Piron, Pierre; Renotte, Yvon; Habraken, Serge

2013-08-01

Noncontact optical measurement methods are essential tools in many industrial and research domains. A family of new noncontact optical measurement methods based on the polarization states splitting technique and monochromatic light projection as a way to overcome ambient lighting for in-situ measurement has been developed. Recent works on a birefringent element, a Savart plate, allow one to build a more flexible and robust interferometer. This interferometer is a multipurpose metrological device. On one hand the interferometer can be set in front of a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. This optical measurement system is called a shearography interferometer and allows one to measure microdisplacements between two states of the studied object under coherent lighting. On the other hand, by producing and shifting multiple sinusoidal Young's interference patterns with this interferometer, and using a CCD camera, it is possible to build a three-dimensional structured light profilometer.

A real-time monitoring system for night glare protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jun; Ni, Xuxiang

2010-11-01

When capturing a dark scene with a high bright object, the monitoring camera will be saturated in some regions and the details will be lost in and near these saturated regions because of the glare vision. This work aims at developing a real-time night monitoring system. The system can decrease the influence of the glare vision and gain more details from the ordinary camera when exposing a high-contrast scene like a car with its headlight on during night. The system is made up of spatial light modulator (The liquid crystal on silicon: LCoS), image sensor (CCD), imaging lens and DSP. LCoS, a reflective liquid crystal, can modular the intensity of reflective light at every pixel as a digital device. Through modulation function of LCoS, CCD is exposed with sub-region. With the control of DSP, the light intensity is decreased to minimum in the glare regions, and the light intensity is negative feedback modulated based on PID theory in other regions. So that more details of the object will be imaging on CCD and the glare protection of monitoring system is achieved. In experiments, the feedback is controlled by the embedded system based on TI DM642. Experiments shows: this feedback modulation method not only reduces the glare vision to improve image quality, but also enhances the dynamic range of image. The high-quality and high dynamic range image is real-time captured at 30hz. The modulation depth of LCoS determines how strong the glare can be removed.

A new method to acquire 3-D images of a dental cast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhongke; Yi, Yaxing; Zhu, Zhen; Li, Hua; Qin, Yongyuan

2006-01-01

This paper introduced our newly developed method to acquire three-dimensional images of a dental cast. A rotatable table, a laser-knife, a mirror, a CCD camera and a personal computer made up of a three-dimensional data acquiring system. A dental cast is placed on the table; the mirror is installed beside the table; a linear laser is projected to the dental cast; the CCD camera is put up above the dental cast, it can take picture of the dental cast and the shadow in the mirror; while the table rotating, the camera records the shape of the laser streak projected on the dental cast, and transmit the data to the computer. After the table rotated one circuit, the computer processes the data, calculates the three-dimensional coordinates of the dental cast's surface. In data processing procedure, artificial neural networks are enrolled to calibrate the lens distortion, map coordinates form screen coordinate system to world coordinate system. According to the three-dimensional coordinates, the computer reconstructs the stereo image of the dental cast. It is essential for computer-aided diagnosis and treatment planning in orthodontics. In comparison with other systems in service, for example, laser beam three-dimensional scanning system, the characteristic of this three-dimensional data acquiring system: a. celerity, it casts only 1 minute to scan a dental cast; b. compact, the machinery is simple and compact; c. no blind zone, a mirror is introduced ably to reduce blind zone.

PRIMAS: a real-time 3D motion-analysis system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabel, Jan C.; van Veenendaal, Hans L. J.; Furnee, E. Hans

1994-03-01

The paper describes a CCD TV-camera-based system for real-time multicamera 2D detection of retro-reflective targets and software for accurate and fast 3D reconstruction. Applications of this system can be found in the fields of sports, biomechanics, rehabilitation research, and various other areas of science and industry. The new feature of real-time 3D opens an even broader perspective of application areas; animations in virtual reality are an interesting example. After presenting an overview of the hardware and the camera calibration method, the paper focuses on the real-time algorithms used for matching of the images and subsequent 3D reconstruction of marker positions. When using a calibrated setup of two cameras, it is now possible to track at least ten markers at 100 Hz. Limitations in the performance are determined by the visibility of the markers, which could be improved by adding a third camera.

Dual Beam System (SEM/FIB) Equipment for the Kleberg Advanced Microscopy Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-05

Journal of Applied Physics (04 2015) John E. Sanchez, Ramón Díaz de León, Fernando Mendoza Santoyo, Gabriel González, Miguel José Yacaman, Arturo Ponce...includes PCs and cameras , will have available support for three years. What is Not Covered: This Warranty does not cover high-wear, consumable...110 x 110 mm eucentric stage - Multi-purpose holder - CCD IR camera - In-lens detectors: Lower (T1) and Upper (T2) - SE detector (ET-SED

Wide field/planetary camera optics study. [for the large space telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Design feasibility of the baseline optical design concept was established for the wide field/planetary camera (WF/PC) and will be used with the space telescope (ST) to obtain high angular resolution astronomical information over a wide field. The design concept employs internal optics to relay the ST image to a CCD detector system. Optical design performance predictions, sensitivity and tolerance analyses, manufacturability of the optical components, and acceptance testing of the two mirror Cassegrain relays are discussed.

A new method to calibrate the absolute sensitivity of a soft X-ray streak camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jian; Liu, Shenye; Li, Jin; Yang, Zhiwen; Chen, Ming; Guo, Luting; Yao, Li; Xiao, Shali

2016-12-01

In this paper, we introduce a new method to calibrate the absolute sensitivity of a soft X-ray streak camera (SXRSC). The calibrations are done in the static mode by using a small laser-produced X-ray source. A calibrated X-ray CCD is used as a secondary standard detector to monitor the X-ray source intensity. In addition, two sets of holographic flat-field grating spectrometers are chosen as the spectral discrimination systems of the SXRSC and the X-ray CCD. The absolute sensitivity of the SXRSC is obtained by comparing the signal counts of the SXRSC to the output counts of the X-ray CCD. Results show that the calibrated spectrum covers the range from 200 eV to 1040 eV. The change of the absolute sensitivity in the vicinity of the K-edge of the carbon can also be clearly seen. The experimental values agree with the calculated values to within 29% error. Compared with previous calibration methods, the proposed method has several advantages: a wide spectral range, high accuracy, and simple data processing. Our calibration results can be used to make quantitative X-ray flux measurements in laser fusion research.

CCD Camera Detection of HIV Infection.

PubMed

Day, John R

2017-01-01

Rapid and precise quantification of the infectivity of HIV is important for molecular virologic studies, as well as for measuring the activities of antiviral drugs and neutralizing antibodies. An indicator cell line, a CCD camera, and image-analysis software are used to quantify HIV infectivity. The cells of the P4R5 line, which express the receptors for HIV infection as well as β-galactosidase under the control of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat, are infected with HIV and then incubated 2 days later with X-gal to stain the infected cells blue. Digital images of monolayers of the infected cells are captured using a high resolution CCD video camera and a macro video zoom lens. A software program is developed to process the images and to count the blue-stained foci of infection. The described method allows for the rapid quantification of the infected cells over a wide range of viral inocula with reproducibility, accuracy and at relatively low cost.

Radiation imaging with a new scintillator and a CMOS camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurosawa, S.; Shoji, Y.; Pejchal, J.; Yokota, Y.; Yoshikawa, A.

2014-07-01

A new imaging system consisting of a high-sensitivity complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, a microscope and a new scintillator, Ce-doped Gd3(Al,Ga)5O12 (Ce:GAGG) grown by the Czochralski process, has been developed. The noise, the dark current and the sensitivity of the CMOS camera (ORCA-Flash4.0, Hamamatsu) was revised and compared to a conventional CMOS, whose sensitivity is at the same level as that of a charge coupled device (CCD) camera. Without the scintillator, this system had a good position resolution of 2.1 ± 0.4 μm and we succeeded in obtaining the alpha-ray images using 1-mm thick Ce:GAGG crystal. This system can be applied for example to high energy X-ray beam profile monitor, etc.

ACS Data Handbook v.6.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzaga, S.; et al.

2011-03-01

ACS was designed to provide a deep, wide-field survey capability from the visible to near-IR using the Wide Field Camera (WFC), high resolution imaging from the near-UV to near-IR with the now-defunct High Resolution Camera (HRC), and solar-blind far-UV imaging using the Solar Blind Camera (SBC). The discovery efficiency of ACS's Wide Field Channel (i.e., the product of WFC's field of view and throughput) is 10 times greater than that of WFPC2. The failure of ACS's CCD electronics in January 2007 brought a temporary halt to CCD imaging until Servicing Mission 4 in May 2009, when WFC functionality was restored. Unfortunately, the high-resolution optical imaging capability of HRC was not recovered.

Stereo optical guidance system for control of industrial robots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Bradley W. (Inventor); Rodgers, Mike H. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A device for the generation of basic electrical signals which are supplied to a computerized processing complex for the operation of industrial robots. The system includes a stereo mirror arrangement for the projection of views from opposite sides of a visible indicia formed on a workpiece. The views are projected onto independent halves of the retina of a single camera. The camera retina is of the CCD (charge-coupled-device) type and is therefore capable of providing signals in response to the image projected thereupon. These signals are then processed for control of industrial robots or similar devices.

The development of a cryogenic over-pressure pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, M.; Cease, H.; Flaugher, B.; Flores, R.; Garcia, J.; Lathrop, A.; Ruiz, F.

2014-01-01

A cryogenic over-pressure pump (OPP) was tested in the prototype telescope liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling system for the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Project. This OPP consists of a process cylinder (PC), gas generator, and solenoid operated valves (SOVs). It is a positive displacement pump that provided intermittent liquid nitrogen (LN2) flow to an array of charge couple devices (CCDs) for the prototype Dark Energy Camera (DECam). In theory, a heater submerged in liquid would generate the drive gas in a closed loop cooling system. The drive gas would be injected into the PC to displace that liquid volume. However, due to limitations of the prototype closed loop nitrogen system (CCD cooling system) for DECam, a quasiclosed-loop nitrogen system was created. During the test of the OPP, the CCD array was cooled to its designed set point temperature of 173K. It was maintained at that temperature via electrical heaters. The performance of the OPP was captured in pressure, temperature, and flow rate in the CCD LN2 cooling system at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL).

Advantages of computer cameras over video cameras/frame grabbers for high-speed vision applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Gaylord G.; Walker, Jo N.

1997-09-01

Cameras designed to work specifically with computers can have certain advantages in comparison to the use of cameras loosely defined as 'video' cameras. In recent years the camera type distinctions have become somewhat blurred, with a great presence of 'digital cameras' aimed more at the home markets. This latter category is not considered here. The term 'computer camera' herein is intended to mean one which has low level computer (and software) control of the CCD clocking. These can often be used to satisfy some of the more demanding machine vision tasks, and in some cases with a higher rate of measurements than video cameras. Several of these specific applications are described here, including some which use recently designed CCDs which offer good combinations of parameters such as noise, speed, and resolution. Among the considerations for the choice of camera type in any given application would be such effects as 'pixel jitter,' and 'anti-aliasing.' Some of these effects may only be relevant if there is a mismatch between the number of pixels per line in the camera CCD and the number of analog to digital (A/D) sampling points along a video scan line. For the computer camera case these numbers are guaranteed to match, which alleviates some measurement inaccuracies and leads to higher effective resolution.

Quantization error of CCD cameras and their influence on phase calculation in fringe pattern analysis.

PubMed

Skydan, Oleksandr A; Lilley, Francis; Lalor, Michael J; Burton, David R

2003-09-10

We present an investigation into the phase errors that occur in fringe pattern analysis that are caused by quantization effects. When acquisition devices with a limited value of camera bit depth are used, there are a limited number of quantization levels available to record the signal. This may adversely affect the recorded signal and adds a potential source of instrumental error to the measurement system. Quantization effects also determine the accuracy that may be achieved by acquisition devices in a measurement system. We used the Fourier fringe analysis measurement technique. However, the principles can be applied equally well for other phase measuring techniques to yield a phase error distribution that is caused by the camera bit depth.

Application of thermoluminescence for detection of cascade shower 1: Hardware and software of reader system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akashi, M.; Kawaguchi, S.; Watanabe, Z.; Misaki, A.; Niwa, M.; Okamoto, Y.; Fujinaga, T.; Ichimura, M.; Shibata, T.; Dake, S.

1985-01-01

A reader system for the detection of cascade showers via luminescence induced by heating sensitive material (BaSO4:Eu) is developed. The reader system is composed of following six instruments: (1) heater, (2) light guide, (3) image intensifier, (4) CCD camera, (5) image processor, (6) microcomputer. The efficiency of these apparatuses and software application for image analysis is reported.

Formulating an image matching strategy for terrestrial stem data collection using a multisensor video system

Treesearch

Neil A. Clark

2001-01-01

A multisensor video system has been developed incorporating a CCD video camera, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a laser-rangefinding device, for the purpose of measuring individual tree stems. While preliminary results show promise, some changes are needed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the system. Image matching is needed to improve the accuracy of length...

A Refrigerated Web Camera for Photogrammetric Video Measurement inside Biomass Boilers and Combustion Analysis

PubMed Central

Porteiro, Jacobo; Riveiro, Belén; Granada, Enrique; Armesto, Julia; Eguía, Pablo; Collazo, Joaquín

2011-01-01

This paper describes a prototype instrumentation system for photogrammetric measuring of bed and ash layers, as well as for flying particle detection and pursuit using a single device (CCD) web camera. The system was designed to obtain images of the combustion process in the interior of a domestic boiler. It includes a cooling system, needed because of the high temperatures in the combustion chamber of the boiler. The cooling system was designed using CFD simulations to ensure effectiveness. This method allows more complete and real-time monitoring of the combustion process taking place inside a boiler. The information gained from this system may facilitate the optimisation of boiler processes. PMID:22319349

A refrigerated web camera for photogrammetric video measurement inside biomass boilers and combustion analysis.

PubMed

Porteiro, Jacobo; Riveiro, Belén; Granada, Enrique; Armesto, Julia; Eguía, Pablo; Collazo, Joaquín

2011-01-01

This paper describes a prototype instrumentation system for photogrammetric measuring of bed and ash layers, as well as for flying particle detection and pursuit using a single device (CCD) web camera. The system was designed to obtain images of the combustion process in the interior of a domestic boiler. It includes a cooling system, needed because of the high temperatures in the combustion chamber of the boiler. The cooling system was designed using CFD simulations to ensure effectiveness. This method allows more complete and real-time monitoring of the combustion process taking place inside a boiler. The information gained from this system may facilitate the optimisation of boiler processes.

Modified modular imaging system designed for a sounding rocket experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veach, Todd J.; Scowen, Paul A.; Beasley, Matthew; Nikzad, Shouleh

2012-09-01

We present the design and system calibration results from the fabrication of a charge-coupled device (CCD) based imaging system designed using a modified modular imager cell (MIC) used in an ultraviolet sounding rocket mission. The heart of the imaging system is the MIC, which provides the video pre-amplifier circuitry and CCD clock level filtering. The MIC is designed with standard four-layer FR4 printed circuit board (PCB) with surface mount and through-hole components for ease of testing and lower fabrication cost. The imager is a 3.5k by 3.5k LBNL p-channel CCD with enhanced quantum efficiency response in the UV using delta-doping technology at JPL. The recently released PCIe/104 Small-Cam CCD controller from Astronomical Research Cameras, Inc (ARC) performs readout of the detector. The PCIe/104 Small-Cam system has the same capabilities as its larger PCI brethren, but in a smaller form factor, which makes it ideally suited for sub-orbital ballistic missions. The overall control is then accomplished using a PCIe/104 computer from RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. The design, fabrication, and testing was done at the Laboratory for Astronomical and Space Instrumentation (LASI) at Arizona State University. Integration and flight calibration are to be completed at the University of Colorado Boulder before integration into CHESS.

A high-sensitivity EM-CCD camera for the open port telescope cavity of SOFIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiedemann, Manuel; Wolf, Jürgen; McGrotty, Paul; Edwards, Chris; Krabbe, Alfred

2016-08-01

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has three target acquisition and tracking cameras. All three imagers originally used the same cameras, which did not meet the sensitivity requirements, due to low quantum efficiency and high dark current. The Focal Plane Imager (FPI) suffered the most from high dark current, since it operated in the aircraft cabin at room temperatures without active cooling. In early 2013 the FPI was upgraded with an iXon3 888 from Andor Techonolgy. Compared to the original cameras, the iXon3 has a factor five higher QE, thanks to its back-illuminated sensor, and orders of magnitude lower dark current, due to a thermo-electric cooler and "inverted mode operation." This leads to an increase in sensitivity of about five stellar magnitudes. The Wide Field Imager (WFI) and Fine Field Imager (FFI) shall now be upgraded with equally sensitive cameras. However, they are exposed to stratospheric conditions in flight (typical conditions: T≍-40° C, p≍ 0:1 atm) and there are no off-the-shelf CCD cameras with the performance of an iXon3, suited for these conditions. Therefore, Andor Technology and the Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI) are jointly developing and qualifying a camera for these conditions, based on the iXon3 888. These changes include replacement of electrical components with MIL-SPEC or industrial grade components and various system optimizations, a new data interface that allows the image data transmission over 30m of cable from the camera to the controller, a new power converter in the camera to generate all necessary operating voltages of the camera locally and a new housing that fulfills airworthiness requirements. A prototype of this camera has been built and tested in an environmental test chamber at temperatures down to T=-62° C and pressure equivalent to 50 000 ft altitude. In this paper, we will report about the development of the camera and present results from the environmental testing.

Note: Optics design of a periscope for the KSTAR visible inspection system with mitigated neutron damages on the camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kyuhang; Ko, Jinseok; Wi, Hanmin; Chung, Jinil; Seo, Hyeonjin; Jo, Jae Heung

2018-06-01

The visible TV system used in the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research device has been equipped with a periscope to minimize the damage on its CCD pixels from neutron radiation. The periscope with more than 2.3 m in overall length has been designed for the visible camera system with its semi-diagonal field of view as wide as 30° and its effective focal length as short as 5.57 mm. The design performance of the periscope includes the modulation transfer function greater than 0.25 at 68 cycles/mm with low distortion. The installed periscope system has confirmed the image qualities as designed and also as comparable as those from its predecessor but with far less probabilities of neutral damages on the camera.

On-ground and in-orbit characterisation plan for the PLATO CCD normal cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gow, J. P. D.; Walton, D.; Smith, A.; Hailey, M.; Curry, P.; Kennedy, T.

2017-11-01

PLAnetary Transits and Ocillations (PLATO) is the third European Space Agency (ESA) medium class mission in ESA's cosmic vision programme due for launch in 2026. PLATO will carry out high precision un-interrupted photometric monitoring in the visible band of large samples of bright solar-type stars. The primary mission goal is to detect and characterise terrestrial exoplanets and their systems with emphasis on planets orbiting in the habitable zone, this will be achieved using light curves to detect planetary transits. PLATO uses a novel multi- instrument concept consisting of 26 small wide field cameras The 26 cameras are made up of a telescope optical unit, four Teledyne e2v CCD270s mounted on a focal plane array and connected to a set of Front End Electronics (FEE) which provide CCD control and readout. There are 2 fast cameras with high read-out cadence (2.5 s) for magnitude ~ 4-8 stars, being developed by the German Aerospace Centre and 24 normal (N) cameras with a cadence of 25 s to monitor stars with a magnitude greater than 8. The N-FEEs are being developed at University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) and will be characterised along with the associated CCDs. The CCDs and N-FEEs will undergo rigorous on-ground characterisation and the performance of the CCDs will continue to be monitored in-orbit. This paper discusses the initial development of the experimental arrangement, test procedures and current status of the N-FEE. The parameters explored will include gain, quantum efficiency, pixel response non-uniformity, dark current and Charge Transfer Inefficiency (CTI). The current in-orbit characterisation plan is also discussed which will enable the performance of the CCDs and their associated N-FEE to be monitored during the mission, this will include measurements of CTI giving an indication of the impact of radiation damage in the CCDs.

End-to-End System Test of the Relative Precision and Stability of the Photometric Method for Detecting Earth-Size Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, Edward W.

2000-01-01

We developed the CCD camera system for the laboratory test demonstration and designed the optical system for this test. The camera system was delivered to Ames in April, 1999 with continuing support mostly in the software area as the test progressed. The camera system has been operating successfully since delivery. The optical system performed well during the test. The laboratory demonstration activity is now nearly complete and is considered to be successful by the Technical Advisory Group, which met on 8 February, 2000 at the SETI Institute. A final report for the Technical Advisory Group and NASA Headquarters will be produced in the next few months. This report will be a comprehensive report on all facets of the test including those covered under this grant. A copy will be forwarded, if desired, when it is complete.

Double Star Measurements at the Internationale Amateur Sternwarte (IAS) in Namibia in 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2012-01-01

This paper is a continuation of earlier work published in JDSO in 2010. Using a 40-cm-Cassegrain telescope in Namibia and a fast CCD camera, 87 double and multiple systems were recorded and analyzed with the technique of "lucky imaging". Measurements are compared with literature data. Some noteworthy systems are discussed in more detail.

Development of proton CT imaging system using plastic scintillator and CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Sodai; Nishio, Teiji; Matsushita, Keiichiro; Tsuneda, Masato; Kabuki, Shigeto; Uesaka, Mitsuru

2016-06-01

A proton computed tomography (pCT) imaging system was constructed for evaluation of the error of an x-ray CT (xCT)-to-WEL (water-equivalent length) conversion in treatment planning for proton therapy. In this system, the scintillation light integrated along the beam direction is obtained by photography using the CCD camera, which enables fast and easy data acquisition. The light intensity is converted to the range of the proton beam using a light-to-range conversion table made beforehand, and a pCT image is reconstructed. An experiment for demonstration of the pCT system was performed using a 70 MeV proton beam provided by the AVF930 cyclotron at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. Three-dimensional pCT images were reconstructed from the experimental data. A thin structure of approximately 1 mm was clearly observed, with spatial resolution of pCT images at the same level as that of xCT images. The pCT images of various substances were reconstructed to evaluate the pixel value of pCT images. The image quality was investigated with regard to deterioration including multiple Coulomb scattering.

Dynamic deformation inspection of a human arm by using a line-scan imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Eryi

2009-11-01

A line-scan imaging system is used in the dynamic deformation measurement of a human arm when the muscle is contracting and relaxing. The measurement principle is based on the projection grating profilometry, and the measuring system is consisted of a line-scan CCD camera, a projector, optical lens and a personal computer. The detected human arm is put upon a reference plane, and a sinusoidal grating is projected onto the object surface and reference plane at an incidence angle, respectively. The deformed fringe pattern in the same line of the dynamic detected arm is captured by the line-scan CCD camera with free trigger model, and the deformed fringe pattern is recorded in the personal computer for processing. A fast Fourier transform combining with a filtering and spectrum shifting method is used to extract the phase information caused by the profile of the detected object. Thus, the object surface profile can be obtained following the geometric relationship between the fringe deformation and the object surface height. Furthermore, the deformation procedure can be obtained line by line. Some experimental results are presented to prove the feasibility of the inspection system.

Watching elderly and disabled person's physical condition by remotely controlled monorail robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagasaka, Yasunori; Matsumoto, Yoshinori; Fukaya, Yasutoshi; Takahashi, Tomoichi; Takeshita, Toru

2001-10-01

We are developing a nursing system using robots and cameras. The cameras are mounted on a remote controlled monorail robot which moves inside a room and watches the elderly. It is necessary to pay attention to the elderly at home or nursing homes all time. This requires staffs to pay attention to them at every time. The purpose of our system is to help those staffs. This study intends to improve such situation. A host computer controls a monorail robot to go in front of the elderly using the images taken by cameras on the ceiling. A CCD camera is mounted on the monorail robot to take pictures of their facial expression or movements. The robot sends the images to a host computer that checks them whether something unusual happens or not. We propose a simple calibration method for positioning the monorail robots to track the moves of the elderly for keeping their faces at center of camera view. We built a small experiment system, and evaluated our camera calibration method and image processing algorithm.

Analysis of crystalline lens coloration using a black and white charge-coupled device camera.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Y; Sasaki, K; Kojima, M

1994-01-01

To analyze lens coloration in vivo, we used a new type of Scheimpflug camera that is a black and white type of charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A new methodology was proposed. Scheimpflug images of the lens were taken three times through red (R), green (G), and blue (B) filters, respectively. Three images corresponding with the R, G, and B channels were combined into one image on the cathode-ray tube (CRT) display. The spectral transmittance of the tricolor filters and the spectral sensitivity of the CCD camera were used to correct the scattering-light intensity of each image. Coloration of the lens was expressed on a CIE standard chromaticity diagram. The lens coloration of seven eyes analyzed by this method showed values almost the same as those obtained by the previous method using color film.

Digital holographic interferometry applied to the investigation of ignition process.

PubMed

Pérez-Huerta, J S; Saucedo-Anaya, Tonatiuh; Moreno, I; Ariza-Flores, D; Saucedo-Orozco, B

2017-06-12

We use the digital holographic interferometry (DHI) technique to display the early ignition process for a butane-air mixture flame. Because such an event occurs in a short time (few milliseconds), a fast CCD camera is used to study the event. As more detail is required for monitoring the temporal evolution of the process, less light coming from the combustion is captured by the CCD camera, resulting in a deficient and underexposed image. Therefore, the CCD's direct observation of the combustion process is limited (down to 1000 frames per second). To overcome this drawback, we propose the use of DHI along with a high power laser in order to supply enough light to increase the speed capture, thus improving the visualization of the phenomenon in the initial moments. An experimental optical setup based on DHI is used to obtain a large sequence of phase maps that allows us to observe two transitory stages in the ignition process: a first explosion which slightly emits visible light, and a second stage induced by variations in temperature when the flame is emerging. While the last stage can be directly monitored by the CCD camera, the first stage is hardly detected by direct observation, and DHI clearly evidences this process. Furthermore, our method can be easily adapted for visualizing other types of fast processes.

Mechanical Design of the LSST Camera

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nordby, Martin; Bowden, Gordon; Foss, Mike

2008-06-13

The LSST camera is a tightly packaged, hermetically-sealed system that is cantilevered into the main beam of the LSST telescope. It is comprised of three refractive lenses, on-board storage for five large filters, a high-precision shutter, and a cryostat that houses the 3.2 giga-pixel CCD focal plane along with its support electronics. The physically large optics and focal plane demand large structural elements to support them, but the overall size of the camera and its components must be minimized to reduce impact on the image stability. Also, focal plane and optics motions must be minimized to reduce systematic errors inmore » image reconstruction. Design and analysis for the camera body and cryostat will be detailed.« less

STK: A new CCD camera at the University Observatory Jena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mugrauer, M.; Berthold, T.

2010-04-01

The Schmidt-Teleskop-Kamera (STK) is a new CCD-imager, which is operated since begin of 2009 at the University Observatory Jena. This article describes the main characteristics of the new camera. The properties of the STK detector, the astrometry and image quality of the STK, as well as its detection limits at the 0.9 m telescope of the University Observatory Jena are presented. Based on observations obtained with telescopes of the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University.

Computerized lateral-shear interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasegan, Sorin A.; Jianu, Angela; Vlad, Valentin I.

1998-07-01

A lateral-shear interferometer, coupled with a computer for laser wavefront analysis, is described. A CCD camera is used to transfer the fringe images through a frame-grabber into a PC. 3D phase maps are obtained by fringe pattern processing using a new algorithm for direct spatial reconstruction of the optical phase. The program describes phase maps by Zernike polynomials yielding an analytical description of the wavefront aberration. A compact lateral-shear interferometer has been built using a laser diode as light source, a CCD camera and a rechargeable battery supply, which allows measurements in-situ, if necessary.

Periodicity analysis on cat-eye reflected beam profiles of optical detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Mali; He, Sifeng

2017-05-01

The cat-eye effect reflected beam profiles of most optical detectors have a certain characteristic of periodicity, which is caused by array arrangement of sensors at their optical focal planes. It is the first time to find and prove that the reflected beam profile becomes several periodic spots at the reflected propagation distance corresponding to half the imaging distance of a CCD camera. Furthermore, the spatial cycle of these spots is approximately constant, independent of the CCD camera's imaging distance, which is related only to the focal length and pixel size of the CCD sensor. Thus, we can obtain the imaging distance and intrinsic parameters of the optical detector by analyzing its cat-eye reflected beam profiles. This conclusion can be applied in the field of non-cooperative cat-eye target recognition.

A Solar Aspect System for the HEROES Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christe, Steven; Shih, Albert; Rodriguez, Marcello; Gregory, Kyle; Cramer, Alexander; Edgerton, Melissa; Gaskin, Jessica; O'Connor, Brian; Sobey, Alexander

2014-01-01

A new Solar Aspect System (SAS) has been developed to provide the ability to observe the Sun on an existing balloon payload HERO (short for High Energy Replicated Optics). Developed under the HEROES program (High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun), the SAS aspect system provides solar pointing knowledge in pitch, yaw, and roll. The required precision of these measurements must be better than the HEROES X-ray resolution of approximately 20 arcsec Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) so as to not degrade the image resolution. The SAS consists of two separate systems: the Pitch-Yaw Aspect System (PYAS) and the Roll Aspect System (RAS). The PYAS functions by projecting an image of the Sun onto a screen with precision fiducials. A CCD camera takes an image of these fiducials, and an automated algorithm determines the location of the Sun as well as the location of the fiducials. The spacing between fiducials is unique and allows each to be identified so that the location of the Sun on the screen can be precisely determined. The RAS functions by imaging the Earth's horizon in opposite directions using a silvered prism imaged by a CCD camera. The design and first results of the performance of these systems during the HEROES flight which occurred in September 2013 are presented here.

Automatic alignment method for calibration of hydrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. J.; Chang, K. H.; Chon, J. C.; Oh, C. Y.

2004-04-01

This paper presents a new method to automatically align specific scale-marks for the calibration of hydrometers. A hydrometer calibration system adopting the new method consists of a vision system, a stepping motor, and software to control the system. The vision system is composed of a CCD camera and a frame grabber, and is used to acquire images. The stepping motor moves the camera, which is attached to the vessel containing a reference liquid, along the hydrometer. The operating program has two main functions: to process images from the camera to find the position of the horizontal plane and to control the stepping motor for the alignment of the horizontal plane with a particular scale-mark. Any system adopting this automatic alignment method is a convenient and precise means of calibrating a hydrometer. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated by comparing the calibration results using the automatic alignment method with those obtained using the manual method.

New light-amplifier-based detector designs for high spatial resolution and high sensitivity CBCT mammography and fluoroscopy

PubMed Central

Rudin, Stephen; Kuhls, Andrew T.; Yadava, Girijesh K.; Josan, Gaurav C.; Wu, Ye; Chityala, Ravishankar N.; Rangwala, Hussain S.; Ciprian Ionita, N.; Hoffmann, Kenneth R.; Bednarek, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

New cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) mammography system designs are presented where the detectors provide high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, low noise, wide dynamic range, negligible lag and high frame rates similar to features required for high performance fluoroscopy detectors. The x-ray detectors consist of a phosphor coupled by a fiber-optic taper to either a high gain image light amplifier (LA) then CCD camera or to an electron multiplying CCD. When a square-array of such detectors is used, a field-of-view (FOV) to 20 × 20 cm can be obtained where the images have pixel-resolution of 100 µm or better. To achieve practical CBCT mammography scan-times, 30 fps may be acquired with quantum limited (noise free) performance below 0.2 µR detector exposure per frame. Because of the flexible voltage controlled gain of the LA’s and EMCCDs, large detector dynamic range is also achievable. Features of such detector systems with arrays of either generation 2 (Gen 2) or 3 (Gen 3) LAs optically coupled to CCD cameras or arrays of EMCCDs coupled directly are compared. Quantum accounting analysis is done for a variety of such designs where either the lowest number of information carriers off the LA photo-cathode or electrons released in the EMCCDs per x-ray absorbed in the phosphor are large enough to imply no quantum sink for the design. These new LA- or EMCCD-based systems could lead to vastly improved CBCT mammography, ROI-CT, or fluoroscopy performance compared to systems using flat panels. PMID:21297904

New light-amplifier-based detector designs for high spatial resolution and high sensitivity CBCT mammography and fluoroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudin, Stephen; Kuhls, Andrew T.; Yadava, Girijesh K.; Josan, Gaurav C.; Wu, Ye; Chityala, Ravishankar N.; Rangwala, Hussain S.; Ionita, N. Ciprian; Hoffmann, Kenneth R.; Bednarek, Daniel R.

2006-03-01

New cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) mammography system designs are presented where the detectors provide high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, low noise, wide dynamic range, negligible lag and high frame rates similar to features required for high performance fluoroscopy detectors. The x-ray detectors consist of a phosphor coupled by a fiber-optic taper to either a high gain image light amplifier (LA) then CCD camera or to an electron multiplying CCD. When a square-array of such detectors is used, a field-of-view (FOV) to 20 x 20 cm can be obtained where the images have pixel-resolution of 100 μm or better. To achieve practical CBCT mammography scan-times, 30 fps may be acquired with quantum limited (noise free) performance below 0.2 μR detector exposure per frame. Because of the flexible voltage controlled gain of the LA's and EMCCDs, large detector dynamic range is also achievable. Features of such detector systems with arrays of either generation 2 (Gen 2) or 3 (Gen 3) LAs optically coupled to CCD cameras or arrays of EMCCDs coupled directly are compared. Quantum accounting analysis is done for a variety of such designs where either the lowest number of information carriers off the LA photo-cathode or electrons released in the EMCCDs per x-ray absorbed in the phosphor are large enough to imply no quantum sink for the design. These new LA- or EMCCD-based systems could lead to vastly improved CBCT mammography, ROI-CT, or fluoroscopy performance compared to systems using flat panels.

An arc control and protection system for the JET lower hybrid antenna based on an imaging system.

PubMed

Figueiredo, J; Mailloux, J; Kirov, K; Kinna, D; Stamp, M; Devaux, S; Arnoux, G; Edwards, J S; Stephen, A V; McCullen, P; Hogben, C

2014-11-01

Arcs are the potentially most dangerous events related to Lower Hybrid (LH) antenna operation. If left uncontrolled they can produce damage and cause plasma disruption by impurity influx. To address this issue an arc real time control and protection imaging system for the Joint European Torus (JET) LH antenna has been implemented. The LH system is one of the additional heating systems at JET. It comprises 24 microwave generators (klystrons, operating at 3.7 GHz) providing up to 5 MW of heating and current drive to the JET plasma. This is done through an antenna composed of an array of waveguides facing the plasma. The protection system presented here is based primarily on an imaging arc detection and real time control system. It has adapted the ITER like wall hotspot protection system using an identical CCD camera and real time image processing unit. A filter has been installed to avoid saturation and spurious system triggers caused by ionization light. The antenna is divided in 24 Regions Of Interest (ROIs) each one corresponding to one klystron. If an arc precursor is detected in a ROI, power is reduced locally with subsequent potential damage and plasma disruption avoided. The power is subsequently reinstated if, during a defined interval of time, arcing is confirmed not to be present by image analysis. This system was successfully commissioned during the restart phase and beginning of the 2013 scientific campaign. Since its installation and commissioning, arcs and related phenomena have been prevented. In this contribution we briefly describe the camera, image processing, and real time control systems. Most importantly, we demonstrate that an LH antenna arc protection system based on CCD camera imaging systems works. Examples of both controlled and uncontrolled LH arc events and their consequences are shown.

A compact multichannel spectrometer for Thomson scatteringa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoenbeck, N. L.; Schlossberg, D. J.; Dowd, A. S.; Fonck, R. J.; Winz, G. R.

2012-10-01

The availability of high-efficiency volume phase holographic (VPH) gratings and intensified CCD (ICCD) cameras have motivated a simplified, compact spectrometer for Thomson scattering detection. Measurements of Te < 100 eV are achieved by a 2971 l/mm VPH grating and measurements Te > 100 eV by a 2072 l/mm VPH grating. The spectrometer uses a fast-gated (˜2 ns) ICCD camera for detection. A Gen III image intensifier provides ˜45% quantum efficiency in the visible region. The total read noise of the image is reduced by on-chip binning of the CCD to match the 8 spatial channels and the 10 spectral bins on the camera. Three spectrometers provide a minimum of 12 spatial channels and 12 channels for background subtraction.

A compact multichannel spectrometer for Thomson scattering.

PubMed

Schoenbeck, N L; Schlossberg, D J; Dowd, A S; Fonck, R J; Winz, G R

2012-10-01

The availability of high-efficiency volume phase holographic (VPH) gratings and intensified CCD (ICCD) cameras have motivated a simplified, compact spectrometer for Thomson scattering detection. Measurements of T(e) < 100 eV are achieved by a 2971 l∕mm VPH grating and measurements T(e) > 100 eV by a 2072 l∕mm VPH grating. The spectrometer uses a fast-gated (~2 ns) ICCD camera for detection. A Gen III image intensifier provides ~45% quantum efficiency in the visible region. The total read noise of the image is reduced by on-chip binning of the CCD to match the 8 spatial channels and the 10 spectral bins on the camera. Three spectrometers provide a minimum of 12 spatial channels and 12 channels for background subtraction.

CCD high-speed videography system with new concepts and techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Zengrong; Zhao, Wenyi; Wu, Zhiqiang

1997-05-01

A novel CCD high speed videography system with brand-new concepts and techniques is developed by Zhejiang University recently. The system can send a series of short flash pulses to the moving object. All of the parameters, such as flash numbers, flash durations, flash intervals, flash intensities and flash colors, can be controlled according to needs by the computer. A series of moving object images frozen by flash pulses, carried information of moving object, are recorded by a CCD video camera, and result images are sent to a computer to be frozen, recognized and processed with special hardware and software. Obtained parameters can be displayed, output as remote controlling signals or written into CD. The highest videography frequency is 30,000 images per second. The shortest image freezing time is several microseconds. The system has been applied to wide fields of energy, chemistry, medicine, biological engineering, aero- dynamics, explosion, multi-phase flow, mechanics, vibration, athletic training, weapon development and national defense engineering. It can also be used in production streamline to carry out the online, real-time monitoring and controlling.

Multicolor CCD photometry of the open cluster NGC 752

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartašiūtė, Stanislava; Janusz, Robert; Boyle, Richard P.; Philip, A. G. Davis; Deveikis, Viktoras

2010-01-01

We obtained CCD observations of the open cluster NGC 752 with the 1.8m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (Mt. Graham, Arizona) with a 4K CCD camera and eight intermediate-band filters of the Stromvil (Strömgren + Vilnius) system. Four 12‧ × 12‧ fields were observed, covering the central part of the cluster. The good-quality multicolor data made it possible to obtain precise estimates of distance moduli, metallicity and foreground reddening for individual stars down to the limiting magnitude, V = 17.5, enabling photometric identification of faint cluster members. The new observations provide an extension of the lower main sequence to three magnitudes beyond the previous (photographic) limit. A relatively small number of photometric members identified at fainter magnitudes seems to be indicative of actual dissolution of the cluster from the low-mass end.

A novel design measuring method based on linearly polarized laser interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yanbo; Ai, Hua; Zhao, Nan

2013-09-01

The interferometric method is widely used in the precision measurement, including the surface quality of the large-aperture mirror. The laser interference technology has been developing rapidly as the laser sources become more and more mature and reliable. We adopted the laser diode as the source for the sake of the short coherent wavelength of it for the optical path difference of the system is quite shorter as several wavelengths, and the power of laser diode is sufficient for measurement and safe to human eye. The 673nm linearly laser was selected and we construct a novel form of interferometric system as we called `Closed Loop', comprised of polarizing optical components, such as polarizing prism and quartz wave plate, the light from the source split by which into measuring beam and referencing beam, they've both reflected by the measuring mirror, after the two beams transforming into circular polarization and spinning in the opposite directions we induced the polarized light synchronous phase shift interference technology to get the detecting fringes, which transfers the phase shifting in time domain to space, so that we did not need to consider the precise-controlled shift of optical path difference, which will introduce the disturbance of the air current and vibration. We got the interference fringes from four different CCD cameras well-alignment, and the fringes are shifted into four different phases of 0, π/2, π, and 3π/2 in time. After obtaining the images from the CCD cameras, we need to align the interference fringes pixel to pixel from different CCD cameras, and synthesis the rough morphology, after getting rid of systematic error, we could calculate the surface accuracy of the measuring mirror. This novel design detecting method could be applied into measuring the optical system aberration, and it would develop into the setup of the portable structural interferometer and widely used in different measuring circumstances.

Measurement of resistance to solute transport across surfactant-laden interfaces using a Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Browne, Edward P.; Nivaggioli, Thierry; Hatton, T. Alan

1994-01-01

A noninvasive fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) technique is under development to measure interfacial transport in two phase systems without disturbing the interface. The concentration profiles of a probe solute are measured in both sides of the interface by argon-ion laser, and the system relaxation is then monitored by a microscope-mounted CCD camera.

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Mastcam instruments: Preflight and in-flight calibration, validation, and data archiving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, J. F.; Godber, A.; McNair, S.; Caplinger, M. A.; Maki, J. N.; Lemmon, M. T.; Van Beek, J.; Malin, M. C.; Wellington, D.; Kinch, K. M.; Madsen, M. B.; Hardgrove, C.; Ravine, M. A.; Jensen, E.; Harker, D.; Anderson, R. B.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Morris, R. V.; Cisneros, E.; Deen, R. G.

2017-07-01

The NASA Curiosity rover Mast Camera (Mastcam) system is a pair of fixed-focal length, multispectral, color CCD imagers mounted 2 m above the surface on the rover's remote sensing mast, along with associated electronics and an onboard calibration target. The left Mastcam (M-34) has a 34 mm focal length, an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of 0.22 mrad, and a FOV of 20° × 15° over the full 1648 × 1200 pixel span of its Kodak KAI-2020 CCD. The right Mastcam (M-100) has a 100 mm focal length, an IFOV of 0.074 mrad, and a FOV of 6.8° × 5.1° using the same detector. The cameras are separated by 24.2 cm on the mast, allowing stereo images to be obtained at the resolution of the M-34 camera. Each camera has an eight-position filter wheel, enabling it to take Bayer pattern red, green, and blue (RGB) "true color" images, multispectral images in nine additional bands spanning 400-1100 nm, and images of the Sun in two colors through neutral density-coated filters. An associated Digital Electronics Assembly provides command and data interfaces to the rover, 8 Gb of image storage per camera, 11 bit to 8 bit companding, JPEG compression, and acquisition of high-definition video. Here we describe the preflight and in-flight calibration of Mastcam images, the ways that they are being archived in the NASA Planetary Data System, and the ways that calibration refinements are being developed as the investigation progresses on Mars. We also provide some examples of data sets and analyses that help to validate the accuracy and precision of the calibration.

Computer-controlled impalement of cells in retinal wholemounts visualized by infrared CCD imaging on an inverted microscope.

PubMed

Reitsamer, H; Groiss, H P; Franz, M; Pflug, R

2000-01-31

We present a computer-guided microelectrode positioning system that is routinely used in our laboratory for intracellular electrophysiology and functional staining of retinal neurons. Wholemount preparations of isolated retina are kept in a superfusion chamber on the stage of an inverted microscope. Cells and layers of the retina are visualized by Nomarski interference contrast using infrared light in combination with a CCD camera system. After five-point calibration has been performed the electrode can be guided to any point inside the calibrated volume without moving the retina. Electrode deviations from target cells can be corrected by the software further improving the precision of this system. The good visibility of cells avoids prelabeling with fluorescent dyes and makes it possible to work under completely dark adapted conditions.

Indoor space 3D visual reconstruction using mobile cart with laser scanner and cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gashongore, Prince Dukundane; Kawasue, Kikuhito; Yoshida, Kumiko; Aoki, Ryota

2017-02-01

Indoor space 3D visual reconstruction has many applications and, once done accurately, it enables people to conduct different indoor activities in an efficient manner. For example, an effective and efficient emergency rescue response can be accomplished in a fire disaster situation by using 3D visual information of a destroyed building. Therefore, an accurate Indoor Space 3D visual reconstruction system which can be operated in any given environment without GPS has been developed using a Human-Operated mobile cart equipped with a laser scanner, CCD camera, omnidirectional camera and a computer. By using the system, accurate indoor 3D Visual Data is reconstructed automatically. The obtained 3D data can be used for rescue operations, guiding blind or partially sighted persons and so forth.

Image acquisition in the Pi-of-the-Sky project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jegier, M.; Nawrocki, K.; Poźniak, K.; Sokołowski, M.

2006-10-01

Modern astronomical image acquisition systems dedicated for sky surveys provide large amount of data in a single measurement session. During one session that lasts a few hours it is possible to get as much as 100 GB of data. This large amount of data needs to be transferred from camera and processed. This paper presents some aspects of image acquisition in a sky survey image acquisition system. It describes a dedicated USB linux driver for the first version of the "Pi of The Sky" CCD camera (later versions have also Ethernet interface) and the test program for the camera together with a driver-wrapper providing core device functionality. Finally, the paper contains description of an algorithm for matching several images based on image features, i.e. star positions and their brightness.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: New minima timings and RVs for 3 eclipsing binaries (Zasche+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zasche, P.; Jurysek, J.; Nemravova, J.; Uhlar, R.; Svoboda, P.; Wolf, M.; Honkova, K.; Masek, M.; Prouza, M.; Cechura, J.; Korcakova, D.; Slechta, M.

2018-04-01

Spectroscopy was obtained in two observatories. Most of the data points for these systems came from the Ondrejov observatory and its 2 m telescope (resolution R~12500). Additionally, data on BR Ind and some data on QS Aql were obtained with the FEROS instrument mounted on the 2.2 m MPG telescope located in La Silla Observatory in Chile (R~48000). Photometry for these three systems was collected over the time span of 2008 to 2016. Owing to the relatively high brightness of the targets, only rather small telescopes were used for these photometric observations. The system V773 Cas was observed (by one of the authors, PS) with a 34 mm refractor at a private observatory in Brno, Czech Republic, using an SBIG ST-7XME CCD camera. The star QS Aql was monitored (by one of the authors, RU) with a similar instrument at a private observatory in Jilove u Prahy, Czech Republic, using a G2-0402 CCD camera. The only southern star, BR Ind, was observed with the FRAM telescope (Prouza et al. 2010AdAst2010E..31P), installed and operated at the Pierre Auger Observatory at Malargue, Argentina. (2 data files).

Hyperspectral Image-Based Night-Time Vehicle Light Detection Using Spectral Normalization and Distance Mapper for Intelligent Headlight Control.

PubMed

Kim, Heekang; Kwon, Soon; Kim, Sungho

2016-07-08

This paper proposes a vehicle light detection method using a hyperspectral camera instead of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) or Complementary metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) camera for adaptive car headlamp control. To apply Intelligent Headlight Control (IHC), the vehicle headlights need to be detected. Headlights are comprised from a variety of lighting sources, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), High-intensity discharge (HID), and halogen lamps. In addition, rear lamps are made of LED and halogen lamp. This paper refers to the recent research in IHC. Some problems exist in the detection of headlights, such as erroneous detection of street lights or sign lights and the reflection plate of ego-car from CCD or CMOS images. To solve these problems, this study uses hyperspectral images because they have hundreds of bands and provide more information than a CCD or CMOS camera. Recent methods to detect headlights used the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Spectral Correlation Mapper (SCM), and Euclidean Distance Mapper (EDM). The experimental results highlight the feasibility of the proposed method in three types of lights (LED, HID, and halogen).

The Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA (MASCARA). Finding transiting exoplanets around bright (mV < 8) stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talens, G. J. J.; Spronck, J. F. P.; Lesage, A.-L.; Otten, G. P. P. L.; Stuik, R.; Pollacco, D.; Snellen, I. A. G.

2017-05-01

This paper describes the design, operations, and performance of the Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA (MASCARA). Its primary goal is to find new exoplanets transiting bright stars, 4 < mV < 8, by monitoring the full sky. MASCARA consists of one northern station on La Palma, Canary Islands (fully operational since February 2015), one southern station at La Silla Observatory, Chile (operational from early 2017), and a data centre at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. Both MASCARA stations are equipped with five interline CCD cameras using wide field lenses (24 mm focal length) with fixed pointings, which together provide coverage down to airmass 3 of the local sky. The interline CCD cameras allow for back-to-back exposures, taken at fixed sidereal times with exposure times of 6.4 sidereal seconds. The exposures are short enough that the motion of stars across the CCD does not exceed one pixel during an integration. Astrometry and photometry are performed on-site, after which the resulting light curves are transferred to Leiden for further analysis. The final MASCARA archive will contain light curves for 70 000 stars down to mV = 8.4, with a precision of 1.5% per 5 minutes at mV = 8.

Hand portable thin-layer chromatography system

DOEpatents

Haas, Jeffrey S.; Kelly, Fredrick R.; Bushman, John F.; Wiefel, Michael H.; Jensen, Wayne A.

2000-01-01

A hand portable, field-deployable thin-layer chromatography (TLC) unit and a hand portable, battery-operated unit for development, illumination, and data acquisition of the TLC plates contain many miniaturized features that permit a large number of samples to be processed efficiently. The TLC unit includes a solvent tank, a holder for TLC plates, and a variety of tool chambers for storing TLC plates, solvent, and pipettes. After processing in the TLC unit, a TLC plate is positioned in a collapsible illumination box, where the box and a CCD camera are optically aligned for optimal pixel resolution of the CCD images of the TLC plate. The TLC system includes an improved development chamber for chemical development of TLC plates that prevents solvent overflow.

Parallel separations using capillary electrophoresis on a multilane microchip with multiplexed laser-induced fluorescence detection.

PubMed

Nikcevic, Irena; Piruska, Aigars; Wehmeyer, Kenneth R; Seliskar, Carl J; Limbach, Patrick A; Heineman, William R

2010-08-01

Parallel separations using CE on a multilane microchip with multiplexed LIF detection is demonstrated. The detection system was developed to simultaneously record data on all channels using an expanded laser beam for excitation, a camera lens to capture emission, and a CCD camera for detection. The detection system enables monitoring of each channel continuously and distinguishing individual lanes without significant crosstalk between adjacent lanes. Multiple analytes can be determined in parallel lanes within a single microchip in a single run, leading to increased sample throughput. The pK(a) determination of small molecule analytes is demonstrated with the multilane microchip.

Parallel separations using capillary electrophoresis on a multilane microchip with multiplexed laser induced fluorescence detection

PubMed Central

Nikcevic, Irena; Piruska, Aigars; Wehmeyer, Kenneth R.; Seliskar, Carl J.; Limbach, Patrick A.; Heineman, William R.

2010-01-01

Parallel separations using capillary electrophoresis on a multilane microchip with multiplexed laser induced fluorescence detection is demonstrated. The detection system was developed to simultaneously record data on all channels using an expanded laser beam for excitation, a camera lens to capture emission, and a CCD camera for detection. The detection system enables monitoring of each channel continuously and distinguishing individual lanes without significant crosstalk between adjacent lanes. Multiple analytes can be analyzed on parallel lanes within a single microchip in a single run, leading to increased sample throughput. The pKa determination of small molecule analytes is demonstrated with the multilane microchip. PMID:20737446

Development and application of 3-D foot-shape measurement system under different loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Guozhong; Wang, Boxiong; Shi, Hui; Luo, Xiuzhi

2008-03-01

The 3-D foot-shape measurement system under different loads based on laser-line-scanning principle was designed and the model of the measurement system was developed. 3-D foot-shape measurements without blind areas under different loads and the automatic extraction of foot-parameter are achieved with the system. A global calibration method for CCD cameras using a one-axis motion unit in the measurement system and the specialized calibration kits is presented. Errors caused by the nonlinearity of CCD cameras and other devices and caused by the installation of the one axis motion platform, the laser plane and the toughened glass plane can be eliminated by using the nonlinear coordinate mapping function and the Powell optimized method in calibration. Foot measurements under different loads for 170 participants were conducted and the statistic foot parameter measurement results for male and female participants under non-weight condition and changes of foot parameters under half-body-weight condition, full-body-weight condition and over-body-weight condition compared with non-weight condition are presented. 3-D foot-shape measurement under different loads makes it possible to realize custom-made shoe-making and shows great prosperity in shoe design, foot orthopaedic treatment, shoe size standardization, and establishment of a feet database for consumers and athletes.

Night Sky Weather Monitoring System Using Fish-Eye CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomida, Takayuki; Saito, Yasunori; Nakamura, Ryo; Yamazaki, Katsuya

Telescope Array (TA) is international joint experiment observing ultra-high energy cosmic rays. TA employs fluorescence detection technique to observe cosmic rays. In this technique, tho existence of cloud significantly affects quality of data. Therefore, cloud monitoring provides important information. We are developing two new methods for evaluating night sky weather with pictures taken by charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. One is evaluating the amount of cloud with pixels brightness. The other is counting the number of stars with contour detection technique. The results of these methods show clear correlation, and we concluded both the analyses are reasonable methods for weather monitoring. We discuss reliability of the star counting method.

Vilnius Multicolor CCD Photometry of the Open Cluster NGC 752

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartašiūtė, S.; Janusz, R.; Boyle, R. P.; Philip, A. G. Davis

We have performed multicolor CCD observations of the central area of NGC 752 to search for faint, low-mass members of this open cluster. Four 12'x12' fields were taken on the 1.8 m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (Mt. Graham, Arizona) using a 4K CCD camera and eight intermediate-band filters of the Strömvil system. In this paper we present a catalog of photometry for 405 stars down to the limiting magnitude V=18.5, which contains V magnitudes and color indices of the Vilnius system, together with photometric determinations of spectral types, absolute magnitudes MV, interstellar reddening values EY-V and metallicity parameters [Fe/H]. The good quality multicolor data made it possible to identify the locus of the lower main sequence to four magnitudes beyond the previous (photographic) limit. A relatively small number of photometric members identified at faint magnitudes seems to be indicative of actual dissolution of the cluster from the low-mass end.

Development of two-framing camera with large format and ultrahigh speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xiaoguo; Wang, Yuan; Wang, Yi

2012-10-01

High-speed imaging facility is important and necessary for the formation of time-resolved measurement system with multi-framing capability. The framing camera which satisfies the demands of both high speed and large format needs to be specially developed in the ultrahigh speed research field. A two-framing camera system with high sensitivity and time-resolution has been developed and used for the diagnosis of electron beam parameters of Dragon-I linear induction accelerator (LIA). The camera system, which adopts the principle of light beam splitting in the image space behind the lens with long focus length, mainly consists of lens-coupled gated image intensifier, CCD camera and high-speed shutter trigger device based on the programmable integrated circuit. The fastest gating time is about 3 ns, and the interval time between the two frames can be adjusted discretely at the step of 0.5 ns. Both the gating time and the interval time can be tuned to the maximum value of about 1 s independently. Two images with the size of 1024×1024 for each can be captured simultaneously in our developed camera. Besides, this camera system possesses a good linearity, uniform spatial response and an equivalent background illumination as low as 5 electrons/pix/sec, which fully meets the measurement requirements of Dragon-I LIA.

Beam measurements using visible synchrotron light at NSLS2 storage ring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, Weixing, E-mail: chengwx@bnl.gov; Bacha, Bel; Singh, Om

2016-07-27

Visible Synchrotron Light Monitor (SLM) diagnostic beamline has been designed and constructed at NSLS2 storage ring, to characterize the electron beam profile at various machine conditions. Due to the excellent alignment, SLM beamline was able to see the first visible light when beam was circulating the ring for the first turn. The beamline has been commissioned for the past year. Besides a normal CCD camera to monitor the beam profile, streak camera and gated camera are used to measure the longitudinal and transverse profile to understand the beam dynamics. Measurement results from these cameras will be presented in this paper.more » A time correlated single photon counting system (TCSPC) has also been setup to measure the single bunch purity.« less

An Experimental Study of the Structure of Turbulent Non-Premixed Jet Flames in Microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxx, Isaac; Idicheria, Cherian; Clemens, Noel

2000-11-01

The aim of this work is to investigate the structure of transitional and turbulent non-premixed jet flames under microgravity conditions. The microgravity experiments are being conducted using a newly developed drop rig and the University of Texas 1.5 second drop tower. The rig itself measures 16”x33”x38” and contains a co-flowing round jet flame facility, flow control system, CCD camera, and data/image acquisition computer. These experiments are the first phase of a larger study being conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center 2.2 second drop tower facility. The flames being studied include methane and propane round jet flames at jet exit Reynolds numbers as high as 10,000. The primary diagnostic technique employed is emission imaging of flame luminosity using a relatively high-speed (350 fps) CCD camera. The high-speed images are used to study flame height, flame tip dynamics and burnout characteristics. Results are compared to normal gravity experimental results obtained in the same apparatus.

Soft X-ray and XUV imaging with a charge-coupled device /CCD/-based detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loter, N. G.; Burstein, P.; Krieger, A.; Ross, D.; Harrison, D.; Michels, D. J.

1981-01-01

A soft X-ray/XUV imaging camera which uses a thinned, back-illuminated, all-buried channel RCA CCD for radiation sensing has been built and tested. The camera is a slow-scan device which makes possible frame integration if necessary. The detection characteristics of the device have been tested over the 15-1500 eV range. The response was linear with exposure up to 0.2-0.4 erg/sq cm; saturation occurred at greater exposures. Attention is given to attempts to resolve single photons with energies of 1.5 keV.

An Investigation into the Spectral Imaging of Hall Thruster Plumes

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

imaging experiment. It employs a Kodak KAF-3200E 3 megapixel CCD (2184×1472 with 6.8 µm pixels). The camera was designed for astronomical imaging and thus...19 mml 14c--7_0_m_m_~•... ,. ,. 50 mm I· ·I ,. 41 mm I Kodak KAF- 3200E ceo 2184 x 1472 px 14.9 x 10.0 mm 6.8 x 6.8J..Lm pixel size SBIG ST...It employs a Kodak KAF-3200E 3 megapixel CCD (2184×1472 with 6.8 µm pixels). The camera was designed for astronomical imaging and thus long exposure

Optical readout of a two phase liquid argon TPC using CCD camera and THGEMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavrokoridis, K.; Ball, F.; Carroll, J.; Lazos, M.; McCormick, K. J.; Smith, N. A.; Touramanis, C.; Walker, J.

2014-02-01

This paper presents a preliminary study into the use of CCDs to image secondary scintillation light generated by THick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEMs) in a two phase LAr TPC. A Sony ICX285AL CCD chip was mounted above a double THGEM in the gas phase of a 40 litre two-phase LAr TPC with the majority of the camera electronics positioned externally via a feedthrough. An Am-241 source was mounted on a rotatable motion feedthrough allowing the positioning of the alpha source either inside or outside of the field cage. Developed for and incorporated into the TPC design was a novel high voltage feedthrough featuring LAr insulation. Furthermore, a range of webcams were tested for operation in cryogenics as an internal detector monitoring tool. Of the range of webcams tested the Microsoft HD-3000 (model no:1456) webcam was found to be superior in terms of noise and lowest operating temperature. In ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure 1 ppm pure argon gas, the THGEM gain was ≈ 1000 and using a 1 msec exposure the CCD captured single alpha tracks. Successful operation of the CCD camera in two-phase cryogenic mode was also achieved. Using a 10 sec exposure a photograph of secondary scintillation light induced by the Am-241 source in LAr has been captured for the first time.

Development of a high spatial resolution neutron imaging system and performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Lei

The combination of a scintillation screen and a charged coupled device (CCD) camera is a digitized neutron imaging technology that has been widely employed for research and industry application. The maximum of spatial resolution of scintillation screens is in the range of 100 mum and creates a bottleneck for the further improvement of the overall system resolution. In this investigation, a neutron sensitive micro-channel plate (MCP) detector with pore pitch of 11.4 mum is combined with a cooled CCD camera with a pixel size of 6.8 mum to provide a high spatial resolution neutron imaging system. The optical path includes a high reflection front surface mirror for keeping the camera out of neutron beam and a macro lens for achieving the maximum magnification that could be achieved. All components are assembled into an aluminum light tight box with heavy radiation shielding to protect the camera as well as to provide a dark working condition. Particularly, a remote controlled stepper motor is also integrated into the system to provide on-line focusing ability. The best focus is guaranteed through use of an algorithm instead of perceptual observation. An evaluation routine not previously utilized in the field of neutron radiography is developed in this study. Routines like this were never previously required due to the lower resolution of other systems. Use of the augulation technique to obtain presampled MTF addresses the problem of aliasing associated with digital sampling. The determined MTF agrees well with the visual inspection of imaging a testing target. Other detector/camera combinations may be integrated into the system and their performances are also compared. The best resolution achieved by the system at the TRIGA Mark II reactor at the University of Texas at Austin is 16.2 lp/mm, which is equivalent to a minimum resolvable spacing of 30 mum. The noise performance of the device is evaluated in terms of the noise power spectrum (NPS) and the detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is calculated with above determined MTF and NPS.

Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Rocket Telesope Spectrograph ** SERTS ** Detector and Electronics subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payne, L.; Haas, J. P.; Linard, D.; White, L.

1997-12-01

The Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics at Goddard Space Flight Center uses a variety imaging sensors for its instrumentation programs. This paper describes the detector system for SERTS. The SERTS rocket telescope uses an open faceplate, single plate MCP tube as the primary detector for EUV spectra from the Sun. The optical output of this detector is fiber-optically coupled to a cooled, large format CCD. This CCD is operated using a software controlled Camera controller based upon a design used for the SOHO/CDS mission. This camera is a general purpose design, with a topology that supports multiple types of imaging devices. Multiport devices (up to 4 ports) and multiphase clocks are supportable as well as variable speed operation. Clock speeds from 100KHz to 1MHz have been used, and the topology is currently being extended to support 10MHz operation. The form factor for the camera system is based on the popular VME buss. Because the tube is an open faceplate design, the detector system has an assortment of vacuum doors and plumbing to allow operation in vacuum but provide for safe storage at normal atmosphere. Vac-ion pumps (3) are used to maintain working vacuum at all times. Marshall Space Flight Center provided the SERTS programs with HVPS units for both the vac-ion pumps and the MCP tube. The MCP tube HVPS is a direct derivative of the design used for the SXI mission for NOAA. Auxiliary equipment includes a frame buffer that works either as a multi-frame storage unit or as a photon counting accumulation unit. This unit also performs interface buffering so that the camera may appear as a piece of GPIB instrumentation.

Mission Specialist Hawley works with the SWUIS experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-18

STS093-350-022 (22-27 July 1999) --- Astronaut Steven A. Hawley, mission specialist, works with the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System (SWUIS) experiment onboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. The SWUIS is based around a Maksutov-design Ultraviolet (UV) telescope and a UV-sensitive, image-intensified Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera that frames at video frame rates.

Sandbox CCDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janesick, James R.; Elliott, Tom S.; Winzenread, Rusty; Pinter, Jeff H.; Dyck, Rudolph H.

1995-04-01

Seven new CCDs are presented. The devices will be used in a variety of applications ranging from generating color cinema movies to adaptive optics camera systems to compensate for atmospheric turbulence at major astronomical observatories. This paper highlights areas of design, fabrication, and operation techniques to achieve state-of-the-art performance. We discuss current limitations of CCD technology for several key parameters.

Determining the Performance of Fluorescence Molecular Imaging Devices using Traceable Working Standards with SI Units of Radiance

PubMed Central

Zhu, Banghe; Rasmussen, John C.; Litorja, Maritoni

2017-01-01

To date, no emerging preclinical or clinical near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging devices for non-invasive and/or surgical guidance have their performances validated on working standards with SI units of radiance that enable comparison or quantitative quality assurance. In this work, we developed and deployed a methodology to calibrate a stable, solid phantom for emission radiance with units of mW · sr−1 · cm−2 for use in characterizing the measurement sensitivity of ICCD and IsCMOS detection, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast. In addition, at calibrated radiances, we assess transverse and lateral resolution of ICCD and IsCMOS camera systems. The methodology allowed determination of superior SNR of the ICCD over the IsCMOS camera system and superior resolution of the IsCMOS over the ICCD camera system. Contrast depended upon the camera settings (binning and integration time) and gain of intensifier. Finally, because of architecture of CMOS and CCD camera systems resulting in vastly different performance, we comment on the utility of these systems for small animal imaging as well as clinical applications for non-invasive and surgical guidance. PMID:26552078

New design environment for defect detection in web inspection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajimowlana, S. Hossain; Muscedere, Roberto; Jullien, Graham A.; Roberts, James W.

1997-09-01

One of the aims of industrial machine vision is to develop computer and electronic systems destined to replace human vision in the process of quality control of industrial production. In this paper we discuss the development of a new design environment developed for real-time defect detection using reconfigurable FPGA and DSP processor mounted inside a DALSA programmable CCD camera. The FPGA is directly connected to the video data-stream and outputs data to a low bandwidth output bus. The system is targeted for web inspection but has the potential for broader application areas. We describe and show test results of the prototype system board, mounted inside a DALSA camera and discuss some of the algorithms currently simulated and implemented for web inspection applications.

Opto-mechanical system design of test system for near-infrared and visible target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chunyan; Zhu, Guodong; Wang, Yuchao

2014-12-01

Guidance precision is the key indexes of the guided weapon shooting. The factors of guidance precision including: information processing precision, control system accuracy, laser irradiation accuracy and so on. The laser irradiation precision is an important factor. This paper aimed at the demand of the precision test of laser irradiator，and developed the laser precision test system. The system consists of modified cassegrain system, the wide range CCD camera, tracking turntable and industrial PC, and makes visible light and near infrared target imaging at the same time with a Near IR camera. Through the analysis of the design results, when it exposures the target of 1000 meters that the system measurement precision is43mm, fully meet the needs of the laser precision test.

Accurate estimation of camera shot noise in the real-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheremkhin, Pavel A.; Evtikhiev, Nikolay N.; Krasnov, Vitaly V.; Rodin, Vladislav G.; Starikov, Rostislav S.

2017-10-01

Nowadays digital cameras are essential parts of various technological processes and daily tasks. They are widely used in optics and photonics, astronomy, biology and other various fields of science and technology such as control systems and video-surveillance monitoring. One of the main information limitations of photo- and videocameras are noises of photosensor pixels. Camera's photosensor noise can be divided into random and pattern components. Temporal noise includes random noise component while spatial noise includes pattern noise component. Temporal noise can be divided into signal-dependent shot noise and signal-nondependent dark temporal noise. For measurement of camera noise characteristics, the most widely used methods are standards (for example, EMVA Standard 1288). It allows precise shot and dark temporal noise measurement but difficult in implementation and time-consuming. Earlier we proposed method for measurement of temporal noise of photo- and videocameras. It is based on the automatic segmentation of nonuniform targets (ASNT). Only two frames are sufficient for noise measurement with the modified method. In this paper, we registered frames and estimated shot and dark temporal noises of cameras consistently in the real-time. The modified ASNT method is used. Estimation was performed for the cameras: consumer photocamera Canon EOS 400D (CMOS, 10.1 MP, 12 bit ADC), scientific camera MegaPlus II ES11000 (CCD, 10.7 MP, 12 bit ADC), industrial camera PixeLink PL-B781F (CMOS, 6.6 MP, 10 bit ADC) and video-surveillance camera Watec LCL-902C (CCD, 0.47 MP, external 8 bit ADC). Experimental dependencies of temporal noise on signal value are in good agreement with fitted curves based on a Poisson distribution excluding areas near saturation. Time of registering and processing of frames used for temporal noise estimation was measured. Using standard computer, frames were registered and processed during a fraction of second to several seconds only. Also the accuracy of the obtained temporal noise values was estimated.

Video camera system for locating bullet holes in targets at a ballistics tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burner, A. W.; Rummler, D. R.; Goad, W. K.

1990-01-01

A system consisting of a single charge coupled device (CCD) video camera, computer controlled video digitizer, and software to automate the measurement was developed to measure the location of bullet holes in targets at the International Shooters Development Fund (ISDF)/NASA Ballistics Tunnel. The camera/digitizer system is a crucial component of a highly instrumented indoor 50 meter rifle range which is being constructed to support development of wind resistant, ultra match ammunition. The system was designed to take data rapidly (10 sec between shoots) and automatically with little operator intervention. The system description, measurement concept, and procedure are presented along with laboratory tests of repeatability and bias error. The long term (1 hour) repeatability of the system was found to be 4 microns (one standard deviation) at the target and the bias error was found to be less than 50 microns. An analysis of potential errors and a technique for calibration of the system are presented.

In-camera video-stream processing for bandwidth reduction in web inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jullien, Graham A.; Li, QiuPing; Hajimowlana, S. Hossain; Morvay, J.; Conflitti, D.; Roberts, James W.; Doody, Brian C.

1996-02-01

Automated machine vision systems are now widely used for industrial inspection tasks where video-stream data information is taken in by the camera and then sent out to the inspection system for future processing. In this paper we describe a prototype system for on-line programming of arbitrary real-time video data stream bandwidth reduction algorithms; the output of the camera only contains information that has to be further processed by a host computer. The processing system is built into a DALSA CCD camera and uses a microcontroller interface to download bit-stream data to a XILINXTM FPGA. The FPGA is directly connected to the video data-stream and outputs data to a low bandwidth output bus. The camera communicates to a host computer via an RS-232 link to the microcontroller. Static memory is used to both generate a FIFO interface for buffering defect burst data, and for off-line examination of defect detection data. In addition to providing arbitrary FPGA architectures, the internal program of the microcontroller can also be changed via the host computer and a ROM monitor. This paper describes a prototype system board, mounted inside a DALSA camera, and discusses some of the algorithms currently being implemented for web inspection applications.

Space telescope optical telescope assembly/scientific instruments. Phase B: -Preliminary design and program definition study; Volume 2A: Planetary camera report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

Development of the F/48, F/96 Planetary Camera for the Large Space Telescope is discussed. Instrument characteristics, optical design, and CCD camera submodule thermal design are considered along with structural subsystem and thermal control subsystem. Weight, electrical subsystem, and support equipment requirements are also included.

The Zwicky Transient Facility Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekany, Richard; Smith, Roger M.; Belicki, Justin; Delacroix, Alexandre; Duggan, Gina; Feeney, Michael; Hale, David; Kaye, Stephen; Milburn, Jennifer; Murphy, Patrick; Porter, Michael; Reiley, Daniel J.; Riddle, Reed L.; Rodriguez, Hector; Bellm, Eric C.

2016-08-01

The Zwicky Transient Facility Camera (ZTFC) is a key element of the ZTF Observing System, the integrated system of optoelectromechanical instrumentation tasked to acquire the wide-field, high-cadence time-domain astronomical data at the heart of the Zwicky Transient Facility. The ZTFC consists of a compact cryostat with large vacuum window protecting a mosaic of 16 large, wafer-scale science CCDs and 4 smaller guide/focus CCDs, a sophisticated vacuum interface board which carries data as electrical signals out of the cryostat, an electromechanical window frame for securing externally inserted optical filter selections, and associated cryo-thermal/vacuum system support elements. The ZTFC provides an instantaneous 47 deg2 field of view, limited by primary mirror vignetting in its Schmidt telescope prime focus configuration. We report here on the design and performance of the ZTF CCD camera cryostat and report results from extensive Joule-Thompson cryocooler tests that may be of broad interest to the instrumentation community.

CICADA -- Configurable Instrument Control and Data Acquisition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Peter J.; Roberts, William H.; Sebo, Kim M.

CICADA (Young et al. 1997) is a multi-process, distributed application for the control of astronomical data acquisition systems. It comprises elements that control the operation of, and data flow from CCD camera systems; and the operation of telescope instrument control systems. CICADA can be used to dynamically configure support for astronomical instruments that can be made up of multiple cameras and multiple instrument controllers. Each camera is described by a hierarchy of parts that are each individually configured and linked together. Most of CICADA is written in C++ and much of the configurability of CICADA comes from the use of inheritance and polymorphism. An example of a multiple part instrument configuration -- a wide field imager (WFI) -- is described here. WFI, presently under construction, is made up of eight 2k x 4k CCDs with dual SDSU II controllers and will be used at Siding Spring's ANU 40in and AAO 3.9m telescopes.

Astronomy Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

Software Bisque's TheSky, SkyPro and Remote Astronomy Software incorporate technology developed for the Hubble Space Telescope. TheSky and SkyPro work together to orchestrate locating, identifying and acquiring images of deep sky objects. With all three systems, the user can directly control computer-driven telescopes and charge coupled device (CCD) cameras through serial ports. Through the systems, astronomers and students can remotely operate a telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory Institute.

Double Star Measurements at the Internationale Amateur Sternwarte (IAS) in Namibia in 2008 and 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Rainer

2010-04-01

A 40-cm-Cassegrain telescope in Namibia was used for observing double and multiple systems in the southern sky. Digital images were recorded with a CCD camera at high frame rates via a firewire interface directly in a computer. Measurements of 34 double and multiple systems are presented and compared with literature data. Some noteworthy objects are discussed in more detail.

Medición de coeficientes de extinción en CASLEO y características del CCD ROPER-2048B del telescopio JS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Lajús, E.; Gamen, R.; Sánchez, M.; Scalia, M. C.; Baume, G. L.

2016-08-01

From observations made with the ``Jorge Sahade'' telescope of the Complejo Astronomico El Leoncito, the UBVRI-band extinction coeficients were measured, and some parameters and characteristics of the direct-image CCD camera ROPER 2048B were determined.

Autonomous Collision-Free Navigation of Microvehicles in Complex and Dynamically Changing Environments.

PubMed

Li, Tianlong; Chang, Xiaocong; Wu, Zhiguang; Li, Jinxing; Shao, Guangbin; Deng, Xinghong; Qiu, Jianbin; Guo, Bin; Zhang, Guangyu; He, Qiang; Li, Longqiu; Wang, Joseph

2017-09-26

Self-propelled micro- and nanoscale robots represent a rapidly emerging and fascinating robotics research area. However, designing autonomous and adaptive control systems for operating micro/nanorobotics in complex and dynamically changing environments, which is a highly demanding feature, is still an unmet challenge. Here we describe a smart microvehicle for precise autonomous navigation in complicated environments and traffic scenarios. The fully autonomous navigation system of the smart microvehicle is composed of a microscope-coupled CCD camera, an artificial intelligence planner, and a magnetic field generator. The microscope-coupled CCD camera provides real-time localization of the chemically powered Janus microsphere vehicle and environmental detection for path planning to generate optimal collision-free routes, while the moving direction of the microrobot toward a reference position is determined by the external electromagnetic torque. Real-time object detection offers adaptive path planning in response to dynamically changing environments. We demonstrate that the autonomous navigation system can guide the vehicle movement in complex patterns, in the presence of dynamically changing obstacles, and in complex biological environments. Such a navigation system for micro/nanoscale vehicles, relying on vision-based close-loop control and path planning, is highly promising for their autonomous operation in complex dynamic settings and unpredictable scenarios expected in a variety of realistic nanoscale scenarios.

The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) for the ASTRO-H Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Takaaki; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Hayashida, Kiyoshi; Tsuru, Takeshi G.; Dotani, Tadayasu; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Anabuki, Naohisa; Nagino, Ryo; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Nobukawa, Masayoshi; Ozaki, Masanobu; Natsukari, Chikara; Tomida, Hiroshi; Ueda, Shutaro; Kimura, Masashi; Hiraga, Junko S.; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Murakami, Hiroshi; Mori, Koji; Yamauchi, Makoto; Hatsukade, Isamu; Nishioka, Yusuke; Bamba, Aya; Doty, John P.

2015-09-01

The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) is an X-ray CCD camera onboard the ASTRO-H X-ray observatory. The CCD chip used is a P-channel back-illuminated type, and has a 200-µm thick depletion layer, with which the SXI covers the energy range between 0.4 keV and 12 keV. Its imaging area has a size of 31 mm x 31 mm. We arrange four of the CCD chips in a 2 by 2 grid so that we can cover a large field-of-view of 38' x 38'. We cool the CCDs to -120 °C with a single-stage Stirling cooler. As was done for the CCD camera of the Suzaku satellite, XIS, artificial charges are injected to selected rows in order to recover charge transfer inefficiency due to radiation damage caused by in-orbit cosmic rays. We completed fabrication of flight models of the SXI and installed them into the satellite. We verified the performance of the SXI in a series of satellite tests. On-ground calibrations were also carried out and detailed studies are ongoing.

Design and realization of adaptive optical principle system without wavefront sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaobin; Niu, Chaojun; Guo, Yaxing; Han, Xiang'e.

2018-02-01

In this paper, we focus on the performance improvement of the free space optical communication system and carry out the research on wavefront-sensorless adaptive optics. We use a phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) as the wavefront corrector. The optical intensity distribution of the distorted wavefront is detected by a CCD. We develop a wavefront controller based on ARM and a software based on the Linux operating system. The wavefront controller can control the CCD camera and the wavefront corrector. There being two SLMs in the experimental system, one simulates atmospheric turbulence and the other is used to compensate the wavefront distortion. The experimental results show that the performance quality metric (the total gray value of 25 pixels) increases from 3037 to 4863 after 200 iterations. Besides, it is demonstrated that our wavefront-sensorless adaptive optics system based on SPGD algorithm has a good performance in compensating wavefront distortion.

SU-E-J-17: A Study of Accelerator-Induced Cerenkov Radiation as a Beam Diagnostic and Dosimetry Tool

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bateman, F; Tosh, R

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate accelerator-induced Cerenkov radiation imaging as a possible beam diagnostic and medical dosimetry tool. Methods: Cerenkov emission produced by clinical accelerator beams in a water phantom was imaged using a camera system comprised of a high-sensitivity thermoelectrically-cooled CCD camera coupled to a large aperture (f/0.75) objective lens with 16:1 magnification. This large format lens allows a significant amount of the available Cerenkov light to be collected and focused onto the CCD camera to form the image. Preliminary images, obtained with 6 MV photon beams, used an unshielded camera mounted horizontally with the beam normal to the water surface,more » and confirmed the detection of Cerenkov radiation. Several improvements were subsequently made including the addition of radiation shielding around the camera, and altering of the beam and camera angles to give a more favorable geometry for Cerenkov light collection. A detailed study was then undertaken over a range of electron and photon beam energies and dose rates to investigate the possibility of using this technique for beam diagnostics and dosimetry. Results: A series of images were obtained at a fixed dose rate over a range of electron energies from 6 to 20 MeV. The location of maximum intensity was found to vary linearly with the energy of the beam. A linear relationship was also found between the light observed from a fixed point on the central axis and the dose rate for both photon and electron beams. Conclusion: We have found that the analysis of images of beam-induced Cerenkov light in a water phantom has potential for use as a beam diagnostic and medical dosimetry tool. Our future goals include the calibration of the light output in terms of radiation dose and development of a tomographic system for 3D Cerenkov imaging in water phantoms and other media.« less

Charged Coupled Device Debris Telescope Observations of the Geosynchronous Orbital Debris Environment - Observing Year: 1998

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarvis, K. S.; Thumm, T. L.; Matney, M. J.; Jorgensen, K.; Stansbery, E. G.; Africano, J. L.; Sydney, P. F.; Mulrooney, M. K.

2002-01-01

NASA has been using the charged coupled device (CCD) debris telescope (CDT)--a transportable 32-cm Schmidt telescope located near Cloudcroft, New Mexico-to help characterize the debris environment in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). The CDT is equipped with a SITe 512 x 512 CCD camera whose 24 m2 (12.5 arc sec) pixels produce a 1.7 x 1.7-deg field of view. The CDT system can therefore detect l7th-magnitude objects in a 20-sec integration corresponding to an approx. 0.6-m diameter, 0.20 albedo object at 36,000 km. The telescope pointing and CCD operation are computer controlled to collect data automatically for an entire night. The CDT has collected more than 1500 hrs of data since November 1997. This report describes the collection and analysis of 58 nights (approx. 420 hrs) of data acquired in 1998.

Design of a CCD Camera for Space Surveillance

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-05

Laboratory fabricated CCID-51M, a 2048x1024 pixel Charge Couple Device (CCD) imager. [1] The mission objective is to observe and detect satellites in...phased to transfer the charge to the outputs. An electronic shutter is created by having an equal area of pixels covered by an opaque metal mask. The...Figure 4 CDS Timing Diagram By design the CCD readout rate is 400 KHz. This rate was chosen so reading the 2E6 pixels from one output is less than

CCD Photometer Installed on the Telescope - 600 OF the Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory: I. Adjustment of CCD Photometer with Optics - 600

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyuty, V. M.; Abdullayev, B. I.; Alekberov, I. A.; Gulmaliyev, N. I.; Mikayilov, Kh. M.; Rustamov, B. N.

2009-12-01

Short description of optical and electric scheme of CCD photometer with camera U-47 installed on the Cassegrain focus of ZEISS-600 telescope of the ShAO NAS Azerbaijan is provided. The reducer of focus with factor of reduction 1.7 is applied. It is calculated equivalent focal distances of a telescope with a focus reducer. General calculations of optimum distance from focal plane and t sizes of optical filters of photometer are presented.

Digital readout for image converter cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honour, Joseph

1991-04-01

There is an increasing need for fast and reliable analysis of recorded sequences from image converter cameras so that experimental information can be readily evaluated without recourse to more time consuming photographic procedures. A digital readout system has been developed using a randomly triggerable high resolution CCD camera, the output of which is suitable for use with IBM AT compatible PC. Within half a second from receipt of trigger pulse, the frame reformatter displays the image and transfer to storage media can be readily achieved via the PC and dedicated software. Two software programmes offer different levels of image manipulation which includes enhancement routines and parameter calculations with accuracy down to pixel levels. Hard copy prints can be acquired using a specially adapted Polaroid printer, outputs for laser and video printer extend the overall versatility of the system.

Video-based beam position monitoring at CHESS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revesz, Peter; Pauling, Alan; Krawczyk, Thomas; Kelly, Kevin J.

2012-10-01

CHESS has pioneered the development of X-ray Video Beam Position Monitors (VBPMs). Unlike traditional photoelectron beam position monitors that rely on photoelectrons generated by the fringe edges of the X-ray beam, with VBPMs we collect information from the whole cross-section of the X-ray beam. VBPMs can also give real-time shape/size information. We have developed three types of VBPMs: (1) VBPMs based on helium luminescence from the intense white X-ray beam. In this case the CCD camera is viewing the luminescence from the side. (2) VBPMs based on luminescence of a thin (~50 micron) CVD diamond sheet as the white beam passes through it. The CCD camera is placed outside the beam line vacuum and views the diamond fluorescence through a viewport. (3) Scatter-based VBPMs. In this case the white X-ray beam passes through a thin graphite filter or Be window. The scattered X-rays create an image of the beam's footprint on an X-ray sensitive fluorescent screen using a slit placed outside the beam line vacuum. For all VBPMs we use relatively inexpensive 1.3 Mega-pixel CCD cameras connected via USB to a Windows host for image acquisition and analysis. The VBPM host computers are networked and provide live images of the beam and streams of data about the beam position, profile and intensity to CHESS's signal logging system and to the CHESS operator. The operational use of VBPMs showed great advantage over the traditional BPMs by providing direct visual input for the CHESS operator. The VBPM precision in most cases is on the order of ~0.1 micron. On the down side, the data acquisition frequency (50-1000ms) is inferior to the photoelectron based BPMs. In the future with the use of more expensive fast cameras we will be able create VBPMs working in the few hundreds Hz scale.

A design of optical modulation system with pixel-level modulation accuracy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Shiwei; Qu, Xinghua; Feng, Wei; Liang, Baoqiu

2018-01-01

Vision measurement has been widely used in the field of dimensional measurement and surface metrology. However, traditional methods of vision measurement have many limits such as low dynamic range and poor reconfigurability. The optical modulation system before image formation has the advantage of high dynamic range, high accuracy and more flexibility, and the modulation accuracy is the key parameter which determines the accuracy and effectiveness of optical modulation system. In this paper, an optical modulation system with pixel level accuracy is designed and built based on multi-points reflective imaging theory and digital micromirror device (DMD). The system consisted of digital micromirror device, CCD camera and lens. Firstly we achieved accurate pixel-to-pixel correspondence between the DMD mirrors and the CCD pixels by moire fringe and an image processing of sampling and interpolation. Then we built three coordinate systems and calculated the mathematic relationship between the coordinate of digital micro-mirror and CCD pixels using a checkerboard pattern. A verification experiment proves that the correspondence error is less than 0.5 pixel. The results show that the modulation accuracy of system meets the requirements of modulation. Furthermore, the high reflecting edge of a metal circular piece can be detected using the system, which proves the effectiveness of the optical modulation system.

Control and protection of outdoor embedded camera for astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rigaud, F.; Jegouzo, I.; Gaudemard, J.; Vaubaillon, J.

2012-09-01

The purpose of CABERNET- Podet-Met (CAmera BEtter Resolution NETwork, Pole sur la Dynamique de l'Environnement Terrestre - Meteor) project is the automated observation, by triangulation with three cameras, of meteor showers to perform a calculation of meteoroids trajectory and velocity. The scientific goal is to search the parent body, comet or asteroid, for each observed meteor. To install outdoor cameras in order to perform astronomy measurements for several years with high reliability requires a very specific design for the box. For these cameras, this contribution shows how we fulfilled the various functions of their boxes, such as cooling of the CCD, heating to melt snow and ice, the protecting against moisture, lightning and Solar light. We present the principal and secondary functions, the product breakdown structure, the technical solutions evaluation grid of criteria, the adopted technology products and their implementation in multifunction subsets for miniaturization purpose. To manage this project, we aim to get the lowest manpower and development time for every part. In appendix, we present the measurements the image quality evolution during the CCD cooling, and some pictures of the prototype.

Advanced Video Data-Acquisition System For Flight Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Geoffrey; Richwine, David M.; Hass, Neal E.

1996-01-01

Advanced video data-acquisition system (AVDAS) developed to satisfy variety of requirements for in-flight video documentation. Requirements range from providing images for visualization of airflows around fighter airplanes at high angles of attack to obtaining safety-of-flight documentation. F/A-18 AVDAS takes advantage of very capable systems like NITE Hawk forward-looking infrared (FLIR) pod and recent video developments like miniature charge-couple-device (CCD) color video cameras and other flight-qualified video hardware.

Videogrammetric Model Deformation Measurement Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burner, A. W.; Liu, Tian-Shu

2001-01-01

The theory, methods, and applications of the videogrammetric model deformation (VMD) measurement technique used at NASA for wind tunnel testing are presented. The VMD technique, based on non-topographic photogrammetry, can determine static and dynamic aeroelastic deformation and attitude of a wind-tunnel model. Hardware of the system includes a video-rate CCD camera, a computer with an image acquisition frame grabber board, illumination lights, and retroreflective or painted targets on a wind tunnel model. Custom software includes routines for image acquisition, target-tracking/identification, target centroid calculation, camera calibration, and deformation calculations. Applications of the VMD technique at five large NASA wind tunnels are discussed.

A neutral-beam profile monitor with a phosphor screen and a high-sensitivity camera for the J-PARC KOTO experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumura, T.; Kamiji, I.; Nakagiri, K.; Nanjo, H.; Nomura, T.; Sasao, N.; Shinkawa, T.; Shiomi, K.

2018-03-01

We have developed a beam-profile monitor (BPM) system to align the collimators for the neutral beam-line at the Hadron Experimental Facility of J-PARC. The system is composed of a phosphor screen and a CCD camera coupled to an image intensifier mounted on a remote control X- Y stage. The design and detailed performance studies of the BPM are presented. The monitor has a spatial resolution of better than 0.6 mm and a deviation from linearity of less than 1%. These results indicate that the BPM system meets the requirements to define collimator-edge positions for the beam-line tuning. Confirmation using the neutral beam for the KOTO experiment is also presented.

e2v CMOS and CCD sensors and systems for astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorden, P. R.; Jerram, P. A.; Fryer, M.; Stefanov, K. D.

2017-07-01

e2v designs and manufactures a wide range of sensors for space and astronomy applications. This includes high performance CCDs for X-ray, visible and near-IR wavelengths. In this paper we illustrate the maturity of CMOS capability for these applications; examples are presented together with performance data. The majority of e2v sensors for these applications are back-thinned for highest spectral response and designed for very low read-out noise; the combination delivers high signal to noise ratio in association with a variety of formats and package designs. The growing e2v capability in delivery of sub-systems and cryogenic cameras is illustrated—including the 1.2 Giga-pixel J-PAS camera system.

General Model of Photon-Pair Detection with an Image Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Defienne, Hugo; Reichert, Matthew; Fleischer, Jason W.

2018-05-01

We develop an analytic model that relates intensity correlation measurements performed by an image sensor to the properties of photon pairs illuminating it. Experiments using an effective single-photon counting camera, a linear electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera, and a standard CCD camera confirm the model. The results open the field of quantum optical sensing using conventional detectors.

Design of video interface conversion system based on FPGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Heng; Wang, Xiang-jun

2014-11-01

This paper presents a FPGA based video interface conversion system that enables the inter-conversion between digital and analog video. Cyclone IV series EP4CE22F17C chip from Altera Corporation is used as the main video processing chip, and single-chip is used as the information interaction control unit between FPGA and PC. The system is able to encode/decode messages from the PC. Technologies including video decoding/encoding circuits, bus communication protocol, data stream de-interleaving and de-interlacing, color space conversion and the Camera Link timing generator module of FPGA are introduced. The system converts Composite Video Broadcast Signal (CVBS) from the CCD camera into Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS), which will be collected by the video processing unit with Camera Link interface. The processed video signals will then be inputted to system output board and displayed on the monitor.The current experiment shows that it can achieve high-quality video conversion with minimum board size.

Transient full-field vibration measurement using spectroscopical stereo photogrammetry.

PubMed

Yue, Kaiduan; Li, Zhongke; Zhang, Ming; Chen, Shan

2010-12-20

Contrasted with other vibration measurement methods, a novel spectroscopical photogrammetric approach is proposed. Two colored light filters and a CCD color camera are used to achieve the function of two traditional cameras. Then a new calibration method is presented. It focuses on the vibrating object rather than the camera and has the advantage of more accuracy than traditional camera calibration. The test results have shown an accuracy of 0.02 mm.

A new compact, high sensitivity neutron imaging systema)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caillaud, T.; Landoas, O.; Briat, M.; Rossé, B.; Thfoin, I.; Philippe, F.; Casner, A.; Bourgade, J. L.; Disdier, L.; Glebov, V. Yu.; Marshall, F. J.; Sangster, T. C.; Park, H. S.; Robey, H. F.; Amendt, P.

2012-10-01

We have developed a new small neutron imaging system (SNIS) diagnostic for the OMEGA laser facility. The SNIS uses a penumbral coded aperture and has been designed to record images from low yield (109-1010 neutrons) implosions such as those using deuterium as the fuel. This camera was tested at OMEGA in 2009 on a rugby hohlraum energetics experiment where it recorded an image at a yield of 1.4 × 1010. The resolution of this image was 54 μm and the camera was located only 4 meters from target chamber centre. We recently improved the instrument by adding a cooled CCD camera. The sensitivity of the new camera has been fully characterized using a linear accelerator and a 60Co γ-ray source. The calibration showed that the signal-to-noise ratio could be improved by using raw binning detection.

Abilities of Celestial Observations in Astronomical Observatory of Physics Institute in Opole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godłowski, W.; Szpanko, M.

2010-12-01

We present possibilities of astronomical investigation in Astronomical Observatory in Opole. Our observatory uses two telescopes: Celestron CGE-1400 XLT (35 cm) and Meade LX200 (30 cm) with spectrograph and CCD Camera. Main topic of our observational investigation is connected with observations of variable stars, minor bodies of the solar system, blazers and the Sun.

First Results of Digital Topography Applied to Macromolecular Crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovelace, J.; Soares, A. S.; Bellamy, H.; Sweet, R. M.; Snell, E. H.; Borgstahl, G.

2004-01-01

An inexpensive digital CCD camera was used to record X-ray topographs directly from large imperfect crystals of cubic insulin. The topographs recorded were not as detailed as those which can be measured with film or emulsion plates but do show great promise. Six reflections were recorded using a set of finely spaced stills encompassing the rocking curve of each reflection. A complete topographic reflection profile could be digitally imaged in minutes. Interesting and complex internal structure was observed by this technique.The CCD chip used in the camera has anti-blooming circuitry and produced good data quality even when pixels became overloaded.

Time-resolved imaging of the plasma development in a triggered vacuum switch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Wung-Hoa; Kim, Moo-Sang; Son, Yoon-Kyoo; Frank, Klaus; Lee, Byung-Joon; Ackerman, Thilo; Iberler, Marcus

2017-12-01

Triggered vacuum switches (TVS) are particularly used in pulsed power technology as closing switches for high voltages and high charge transfer. A non-sealed-off prototype was designed with a side-on quartz window to investigate the evolution of the trigger discharge into the main discharge. The image acquisition was done with a fast CCD camera PI-MAX2 from Princeton Instruments. The CCD camera has a maximum exposure time of 2 ns. The electrode configuration of the prototype is a conventional six-rod gap type, a capacitor bank with C = 16.63 μF, which corresponds at 20 kV charging voltage to a total stored charge of 0.3 C or a total energy of 3.3 kJ. The peak current is 88 kA. According to the tremendously highly different light intensities during the trigger and main discharge, the complete discharge is split into three phases: a trigger breakdown phase, an intermediate phase and a main discharge phase. The CCD camera images of the first phase show instabilities of the trigger breakdown, in phase 2 three different discharge modes are observed. After the first current maximum the discharge behavior is reproducible.

Hyperspectral Image-Based Night-Time Vehicle Light Detection Using Spectral Normalization and Distance Mapper for Intelligent Headlight Control

PubMed Central

Kim, Heekang; Kwon, Soon; Kim, Sungho

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a vehicle light detection method using a hyperspectral camera instead of a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) or Complementary metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) camera for adaptive car headlamp control. To apply Intelligent Headlight Control (IHC), the vehicle headlights need to be detected. Headlights are comprised from a variety of lighting sources, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), High-intensity discharge (HID), and halogen lamps. In addition, rear lamps are made of LED and halogen lamp. This paper refers to the recent research in IHC. Some problems exist in the detection of headlights, such as erroneous detection of street lights or sign lights and the reflection plate of ego-car from CCD or CMOS images. To solve these problems, this study uses hyperspectral images because they have hundreds of bands and provide more information than a CCD or CMOS camera. Recent methods to detect headlights used the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Spectral Correlation Mapper (SCM), and Euclidean Distance Mapper (EDM). The experimental results highlight the feasibility of the proposed method in three types of lights (LED, HID, and halogen). PMID:27399720

Ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Seiichi; Kamada, Kei; Yoshikawa, Akira

2018-02-16

High resolution imaging of radiation is required for such radioisotope distribution measurements as alpha particle detection in nuclear facilities or high energy physics experiments. For this purpose, we developed an ultrahigh resolution radiation imaging system using an optical fiber structure scintillator plate. We used a ~1-μm diameter fiber structured GdAlO 3 :Ce (GAP) /α-Al 2 O 3 scintillator plate to reduce the light spread. The fiber structured scintillator plate was optically coupled to a tapered optical fiber plate to magnify the image and combined with a lens-based high sensitivity CCD camera. We observed the images of alpha particles with a spatial resolution of ~25 μm. For the beta particles, the images had various shapes, and the trajectories of the electrons were clearly observed in the images. For the gamma photons, the images also had various shapes, and the trajectories of the secondary electrons were observed in some of the images. These results show that combining an optical fiber structure scintillator plate with a tapered optical fiber plate and a high sensitivity CCD camera achieved ultrahigh resolution and is a promising method to observe the images of the interactions of radiation in a scintillator.

Three-dimensional shape measurement and calibration for fringe projection by considering unequal height of the projector and the camera

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu Feipeng; Shi Hongjian; Bai Pengxiang

In fringe projection, the CCD camera and the projector are often placed at equal height. In this paper, we will study the calibration of an unequal arrangement of the CCD camera and the projector. The principle of fringe projection with two-dimensional digital image correlation to acquire the profile of object surface is described in detail. By formula derivation and experiment, the linear relationship between the out-of-plane calibration coefficient and the y coordinate is clearly found. To acquire the three-dimensional (3D) information of an object correctly, this paper presents an effective calibration method with linear least-squares fitting, which is very simplemore » in principle and calibration. Experiments are implemented to validate the availability and reliability of the calibration method.« less

Developments of fast emittance monitors for ion sources at RCNP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yorita, T., E-mail: yorita@rcnp.osaka-u.ac.jp; Hatanaka, K.; Fukuda, M.

2016-02-15

Recently, several developments of low energy beam transport line and its beam diagnostic systems have been performed to improve the injection efficiency of ion beam to azimuthally varying field cyclotron at Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University. One of those is the fast emittance monitor which can measure within several seconds for the efficient beam development and a Pepper-Pot Emittance Monitor (PPEM) has been developed. The PPEM consists of pepper-pot mask, multichannel plate, fluorescent screen, mirror, and CCD camera. The CCD image is taken via IEEE1394b to a personal computer and analyzed immediately and frequently, and then real timemore » measurement with about 2 Hz has been achieved.« less

Signal-to-noise ratio for the wide field-planetary camera of the Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zissa, D. E.

1984-01-01

Signal-to-noise ratios for the Wide Field Camera and Planetary Camera of the Space Telescope were calculated as a function of integration time. Models of the optical systems and CCD detector arrays were used with a 27th visual magnitude point source and a 25th visual magnitude per arc-sq. second extended source. A 23rd visual magnitude per arc-sq. second background was assumed. The models predicted signal-to-noise ratios of 10 within 4 hours for the point source centered on a signal pixel. Signal-to-noise ratios approaching 10 are estimated for approximately 0.25 x 0.25 arc-second areas within the extended source after 10 hours integration.

Digital image measurement of specimen deformation based on CCD cameras and Image J software: an application to human pelvic biomechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yongwei; Cheng, Liming; Yu, Guangrong; Lou, Yongjian; Yu, Yan; Chen, Bo; Ding, Zuquan

2008-03-01

A method of digital image measurement of specimen deformation based on CCD cameras and Image J software was developed. This method was used to measure the biomechanics behavior of human pelvis. Six cadaveric specimens from the third lumbar vertebra to the proximal 1/3 part of femur were tested. The specimens without any structural abnormalities were dissected of all soft tissue, sparing the hip joint capsules and the ligaments of the pelvic ring and floor. Markers with black dot on white background were affixed to the key regions of the pelvis. Axial loading from the proximal lumbar was applied by MTS in the gradient of 0N to 500N, which simulated the double feet standing stance. The anterior and lateral images of the specimen were obtained through two CCD cameras. Based on Image J software, digital image processing software, which can be freely downloaded from the National Institutes of Health, digital 8-bit images were processed. The procedure includes the recognition of digital marker, image invert, sub-pixel reconstruction, image segmentation, center of mass algorithm based on weighted average of pixel gray values. Vertical displacements of S1 (the first sacral vertebrae) in front view and micro-angular rotation of sacroiliac joint in lateral view were calculated according to the marker movement. The results of digital image measurement showed as following: marker image correlation before and after deformation was excellent. The average correlation coefficient was about 0.983. According to the 768 × 576 pixels image (pixel size 0.68mm × 0.68mm), the precision of the displacement detected in our experiment was about 0.018 pixels and the comparatively error could achieve 1.11\\perthou. The average vertical displacement of S1 of the pelvis was 0.8356+/-0.2830mm under vertical load of 500 Newtons and the average micro-angular rotation of sacroiliac joint in lateral view was 0.584+/-0.221°. The load-displacement curves obtained from our optical measure system matched the clinical results. Digital image measurement of specimen deformation based on CCD cameras and Image J software has good perspective for application in biomechanical research, which has the advantage of simple optical setup, no-contact, high precision, and no special requirement of test environment.

Fourier Theory Explanation for the Sampling Theorem Demonstrated by a Laboratory Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, A.; And Others

1996-01-01

Describes a simple experiment that uses a CCD video camera, a display monitor, and a laser-printed bar pattern to illustrate signal sampling problems that produce aliasing or moiri fringes in images. Uses the Fourier transform to provide an appropriate and elegant means to explain the sampling theorem and the aliasing phenomenon in CCD-based…

Low-cost laser speckle contrast imaging of blood flow using a webcam.

PubMed

Richards, Lisa M; Kazmi, S M Shams; Davis, Janel L; Olin, Katherine E; Dunn, Andrew K

2013-01-01

Laser speckle contrast imaging has become a widely used tool for dynamic imaging of blood flow, both in animal models and in the clinic. Typically, laser speckle contrast imaging is performed using scientific-grade instrumentation. However, due to recent advances in camera technology, these expensive components may not be necessary to produce accurate images. In this paper, we demonstrate that a consumer-grade webcam can be used to visualize changes in flow, both in a microfluidic flow phantom and in vivo in a mouse model. A two-camera setup was used to simultaneously image with a high performance monochrome CCD camera and the webcam for direct comparison. The webcam was also tested with inexpensive aspheric lenses and a laser pointer for a complete low-cost, compact setup ($90, 5.6 cm length, 25 g). The CCD and webcam showed excellent agreement with the two-camera setup, and the inexpensive setup was used to image dynamic blood flow changes before and after a targeted cerebral occlusion.

Low-cost laser speckle contrast imaging of blood flow using a webcam

PubMed Central

Richards, Lisa M.; Kazmi, S. M. Shams; Davis, Janel L.; Olin, Katherine E.; Dunn, Andrew K.

2013-01-01

Laser speckle contrast imaging has become a widely used tool for dynamic imaging of blood flow, both in animal models and in the clinic. Typically, laser speckle contrast imaging is performed using scientific-grade instrumentation. However, due to recent advances in camera technology, these expensive components may not be necessary to produce accurate images. In this paper, we demonstrate that a consumer-grade webcam can be used to visualize changes in flow, both in a microfluidic flow phantom and in vivo in a mouse model. A two-camera setup was used to simultaneously image with a high performance monochrome CCD camera and the webcam for direct comparison. The webcam was also tested with inexpensive aspheric lenses and a laser pointer for a complete low-cost, compact setup ($90, 5.6 cm length, 25 g). The CCD and webcam showed excellent agreement with the two-camera setup, and the inexpensive setup was used to image dynamic blood flow changes before and after a targeted cerebral occlusion. PMID:24156082

[Virtual reality in ophthalmological education].

PubMed

Wagner, C; Schill, M; Hennen, M; Männer, R; Jendritza, B; Knorz, M C; Bender, H J

2001-04-01

We present a computer-based medical training workstation for the simulation of intraocular eye surgery. The surgeon manipulates two original instruments inside a mechanical model of the eye. The instrument positions are tracked by CCD cameras and monitored by a PC which renders the scenery using a computer-graphic model of the eye and the instruments. The simulator incorporates a model of the operation table, a mechanical eye, three CCD cameras for the position tracking, the stereo display, and a computer. The three cameras are mounted under the operation table from where they can observe the interior of the mechanical eye. Using small markers the cameras recognize the instruments and the eye. Their position and orientation in space is determined by stereoscopic back projection. The simulation runs with more than 20 frames per second and provides a realistic impression of the surgery. It includes the cold light source which can be moved inside the eye and the shadow of the instruments on the retina which is important for navigational purposes.

Per-Pixel Coded Exposure for High-Speed and High-Resolution Imaging Using a Digital Micromirror Device Camera

PubMed Central

Feng, Wei; Zhang, Fumin; Qu, Xinghua; Zheng, Shiwei

2016-01-01

High-speed photography is an important tool for studying rapid physical phenomena. However, low-frame-rate CCD (charge coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) camera cannot effectively capture the rapid phenomena with high-speed and high-resolution. In this paper, we incorporate the hardware restrictions of existing image sensors, design the sampling functions, and implement a hardware prototype with a digital micromirror device (DMD) camera in which spatial and temporal information can be flexibly modulated. Combined with the optical model of DMD camera, we theoretically analyze the per-pixel coded exposure and propose a three-element median quicksort method to increase the temporal resolution of the imaging system. Theoretically, this approach can rapidly increase the temporal resolution several, or even hundreds, of times without increasing bandwidth requirements of the camera. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method via extensive examples and achieve 100 fps (frames per second) gain in temporal resolution by using a 25 fps camera. PMID:26959023

Per-Pixel Coded Exposure for High-Speed and High-Resolution Imaging Using a Digital Micromirror Device Camera.

PubMed

Feng, Wei; Zhang, Fumin; Qu, Xinghua; Zheng, Shiwei

2016-03-04

High-speed photography is an important tool for studying rapid physical phenomena. However, low-frame-rate CCD (charge coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) camera cannot effectively capture the rapid phenomena with high-speed and high-resolution. In this paper, we incorporate the hardware restrictions of existing image sensors, design the sampling functions, and implement a hardware prototype with a digital micromirror device (DMD) camera in which spatial and temporal information can be flexibly modulated. Combined with the optical model of DMD camera, we theoretically analyze the per-pixel coded exposure and propose a three-element median quicksort method to increase the temporal resolution of the imaging system. Theoretically, this approach can rapidly increase the temporal resolution several, or even hundreds, of times without increasing bandwidth requirements of the camera. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method via extensive examples and achieve 100 fps (frames per second) gain in temporal resolution by using a 25 fps camera.

Camera selection for real-time in vivo radiation treatment verification systems using Cherenkov imaging.

PubMed

Andreozzi, Jacqueline M; Zhang, Rongxiao; Glaser, Adam K; Jarvis, Lesley A; Pogue, Brian W; Gladstone, David J

2015-02-01

To identify achievable camera performance and hardware needs in a clinical Cherenkov imaging system for real-time, in vivo monitoring of the surface beam profile on patients, as novel visual information, documentation, and possible treatment verification for clinicians. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD), and electron multiplying-intensified charge coupled device (EM-ICCD) cameras were investigated to determine Cherenkov imaging performance in a clinical radiotherapy setting, with one emphasis on the maximum supportable frame rate. Where possible, the image intensifier was synchronized using a pulse signal from the Linac in order to image with room lighting conditions comparable to patient treatment scenarios. A solid water phantom irradiated with a 6 MV photon beam was imaged by the cameras to evaluate the maximum frame rate for adequate Cherenkov detection. Adequate detection was defined as an average electron count in the background-subtracted Cherenkov image region of interest in excess of 0.5% (327 counts) of the 16-bit maximum electron count value. Additionally, an ICCD and an EM-ICCD were each used clinically to image two patients undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy to compare clinical advantages and limitations of each system. Intensifier-coupled cameras were required for imaging Cherenkov emission on the phantom surface with ambient room lighting; standalone CMOS and CCD cameras were not viable. The EM-ICCD was able to collect images from a single Linac pulse delivering less than 0.05 cGy of dose at 30 frames/s (fps) and pixel resolution of 512 × 512, compared to an ICCD which was limited to 4.7 fps at 1024 × 1024 resolution. An intensifier with higher quantum efficiency at the entrance photocathode in the red wavelengths [30% quantum efficiency (QE) vs previous 19%] promises at least 8.6 fps at a resolution of 1024 × 1024 and lower monetary cost than the EM-ICCD. The ICCD with an intensifier better optimized for red wavelengths was found to provide the best potential for real-time display (at least 8.6 fps) of radiation dose on the skin during treatment at a resolution of 1024 × 1024.

Variable high-resolution color CCD camera system with online capability for professional photo studio application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breitfelder, Stefan; Reichel, Frank R.; Gaertner, Ernst; Hacker, Erich J.; Cappellaro, Markus; Rudolf, Peter; Voelk, Ute

1998-04-01

Digital cameras are of increasing significance for professional applications in photo studios where fashion, portrait, product and catalog photographs or advertising photos of high quality have to be taken. The eyelike is a digital camera system which has been developed for such applications. It is capable of working online with high frame rates and images of full sensor size and it provides a resolution that can be varied between 2048 by 2048 and 6144 by 6144 pixel at a RGB color depth of 12 Bit per channel with an also variable exposure time of 1/60s to 1s. With an exposure time of 100 ms digitization takes approx. 2 seconds for an image of 2048 by 2048 pixels (12 Mbyte), 8 seconds for the image of 4096 by 4096 pixels (48 Mbyte) and 40 seconds for the image of 6144 by 6144 pixels (108 MByte). The eyelike can be used in various configurations. Used as a camera body most commercial lenses can be connected to the camera via existing lens adaptors. On the other hand the eyelike can be used as a back to most commercial 4' by 5' view cameras. This paper describes the eyelike camera concept with the essential system components. The article finishes with a description of the software, which is needed to bring the high quality of the camera to the user.

Application of the CCD Fabry-Perot Annular Summing Technique to Thermospheric O(1)D.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coakley, Monica Marie

1995-01-01

This work will detail the verification of the advantages of the Fabry-Perot charge coupled device (CCD) annular summing technique, the development of the technique for analysis of daysky spectra, and the implications of the resulting spectra for neutral temperature and wind measurements in the daysky thermosphere. The daysky spectral feature of interest is the bright (1 kilo-Rayleigh) thermospheric (OI) emission at 6300 A which had been observed in the nightsky in order to determine winds and temperatures in the vicinity of the altitude of 250 km. In the daysky, the emission line sits on top of a bright Rayleigh scattered continuum background which significantly complicates the observation. With a triple etalon Fabry-Perot spectrometer, the continuum background can be reduced while maintaining high throughput and high resolution. The inclusion of a CCD camera results in significant savings in integration time over the two more standard scanning photomultiplier systems that have made the same wind and temperature measurements in the past. A comparable CCD system can experience an order of magnitude savings in integration time over a PMT system. Laboratory and field tests which address the advantages and limitations of both the Fabry-Perot CCD annular summing technique and the daysky CCD imaging are included in Chap. 2 and Chap. 3. With a sufficiently large throughput associated with the spectrometer and a CCD detector, rapid observations (~4 minute integrations) can be made. Extraction of the line width and line center from the daysky near-continuum background is complicated compared to the nightsky case, but possible. Methods of fitting the line are included in Chap. 4. The daysky O ^1D temperatures are consistent with a lower average emission height than predicted by models. The data and models are discussed in Chap. 5. Although some discrepancies exist between resulting temperatures and models, the observations indicate the potential for other direct measurements of bright neutral species in the daysky as well as the potential for twenty-four hour coverage.

Evaluation of the ImmerVision IMV1-1/3NI Panomorph Lens on a Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

360°. For the above reason, a 1.3-MP Chameleon color universal serial bus (USB) camera with a 1/3-in CCD from PGR was selected instead of...recommended qualified cameras to host the panomorph lens. Having the advantage of a small footprint, the Chameleon camera with the IMV1 lens can be easily

KWFC: four square degrees camera for the Kiso Schmidt Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sako, Shigeyuki; Aoki, Tsutomu; Doi, Mamoru; Ienaka, Nobuyuki; Kobayashi, Naoto; Matsunaga, Noriyuki; Mito, Hiroyuki; Miyata, Takashi; Morokuma, Tomoki; Nakada, Yoshikazu; Soyano, Takao; Tarusawa, Ken'ichi; Miyazaki, Satoshi; Nakata, Fumiaki; Okada, Norio; Sarugaku, Yuki; Richmond, Michael W.

2012-09-01

The Kiso Wide Field Camera (KWFC) is a facility instrument for the 105-cm Schmidt telescope being operated by the Kiso Observatory of the University of Tokyo. This camera has been designed for wide-field observations by taking advantage of a large focal-plane area of the Schmidt telescope. Eight CCD chips with a total of 8k x 8k pixels cover a field-of-view of 2.2 degrees x 2.2 degrees on the sky. The dewar window works as a field flattener lens minimizing an image distortion across the field of view. Two shutter plates moving in parallel achieve uniform exposures on all the CCD pixels. The KWFC is equipped with a filter exchanger composed of an industrial robotic arm, a filter magazine capable of storing 12 filters, and a filter holder at the focal plane. Both the arm and the magazine are installed inside the tube framework of the telescope but without vignetting the beam. Wide-field survey programs searching for supernovae and late-type variable stars have begun in April 2012. The survey observations are performed with a management software system for facility instruments including the telescope and the KWFC. This system automatically carries out observations based on target lists registered in advance and makes appropriate decisions for implementation of observations by referring to weather conditions and status of the instruments. Image data obtained in the surveys are processed with pipeline software in real time to search for candidates of time-variable sources.

An arc control and protection system for the JET lower hybrid antenna based on an imaging system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Figueiredo, J., E-mail: joao.figueiredo@jet.efda.org; Mailloux, J.; Kirov, K.

Arcs are the potentially most dangerous events related to Lower Hybrid (LH) antenna operation. If left uncontrolled they can produce damage and cause plasma disruption by impurity influx. To address this issue an arc real time control and protection imaging system for the Joint European Torus (JET) LH antenna has been implemented. The LH system is one of the additional heating systems at JET. It comprises 24 microwave generators (klystrons, operating at 3.7 GHz) providing up to 5 MW of heating and current drive to the JET plasma. This is done through an antenna composed of an array of waveguidesmore » facing the plasma. The protection system presented here is based primarily on an imaging arc detection and real time control system. It has adapted the ITER like wall hotspot protection system using an identical CCD camera and real time image processing unit. A filter has been installed to avoid saturation and spurious system triggers caused by ionization light. The antenna is divided in 24 Regions Of Interest (ROIs) each one corresponding to one klystron. If an arc precursor is detected in a ROI, power is reduced locally with subsequent potential damage and plasma disruption avoided. The power is subsequently reinstated if, during a defined interval of time, arcing is confirmed not to be present by image analysis. This system was successfully commissioned during the restart phase and beginning of the 2013 scientific campaign. Since its installation and commissioning, arcs and related phenomena have been prevented. In this contribution we briefly describe the camera, image processing, and real time control systems. Most importantly, we demonstrate that an LH antenna arc protection system based on CCD camera imaging systems works. Examples of both controlled and uncontrolled LH arc events and their consequences are shown.« less

New gonioscopy system using only infrared light.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Kota; Ito, Kunio; Matsunaga, Koichi; Miura, Katsuya; Esaki, Koji; Uji, Yukitaka

2005-08-01

To describe an infrared gonioscopy system designed to observe the anterior chamber angle under natural mydriasis in a completely darkened room. An infrared light filter was used to modify the light source of the slit-lamp microscope. A television monitor connected to a CCD monochrome camera was used to indirectly observe the angle. Use of the infrared system enabled observation of the angle under natural mydriasis in a completely darkened room. Infrared gonioscopy is a useful procedure for the observation of the angle under natural mydriasis.

Mosad and Stream Vision For A Telerobotic, Flying Camera System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandl, William

2002-01-01

Two full custom camera systems using the Multiplexed OverSample Analog to Digital (MOSAD) conversion technology for visible light sensing were built and demonstrated. They include a photo gate sensor and a photo diode sensor. The system includes the camera assembly, driver interface assembly, a frame stabler board with integrated decimeter and Windows 2000 compatible software for real time image display. An array size of 320X240 with 16 micron pixel pitch was developed for compatibility with 0.3 inch CCTV optics. With 1.2 micron technology, a 73% fill factor was achieved. Noise measurements indicated 9 to 11 bits operating with 13.7 bits best case. Power measured under 10 milliwatts at 400 samples per second. Nonuniformity variation was below noise floor. Pictures were taken with different cameras during the characterization study to demonstrate the operable range. The successful conclusion of this program demonstrates the utility of the MOSAD for NASA missions, providing superior performance over CMOS and lower cost and power consumption over CCD. The MOSAD approach also provides a path to radiation hardening for space based applications.

Pancam: A Multispectral Imaging Investigation on the NASA 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, J. F., III; Squyres, S. W.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Maki, J.; Schwochert, M.; Dingizian, A.; Brown, D.; Morris, R. V.; Arneson, H. M.; Johnson, M. J.

2003-01-01

One of the six science payload elements carried on each of the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers (MER; Figure 1) is the Panoramic Camera System, or Pancam. Pancam consists of three major components: a pair of digital CCD cameras, the Pancam Mast Assembly (PMA), and a radiometric calibration target. The PMA provides the azimuth and elevation actuation for the cameras as well as a 1.5 meter high vantage point from which to image. The calibration target provides a set of reference color and grayscale standards for calibration validation, and a shadow post for quantification of the direct vs. diffuse illumination of the scene. Pancam is a multispectral, stereoscopic, panoramic imaging system, with a field of regard provided by the PMA that extends across 360 of azimuth and from zenith to nadir, providing a complete view of the scene around the rover in up to 12 unique wavelengths. The major characteristics of Pancam are summarized.

Pixel-based characterisation of CMOS high-speed camera systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, V.; Brübach, J.; Gordon, R. L.; Dreizler, A.

2011-05-01

Quantifying high-repetition rate laser diagnostic techniques for measuring scalars in turbulent combustion relies on a complete description of the relationship between detected photons and the signal produced by the detector. CMOS-chip based cameras are becoming an accepted tool for capturing high frame rate cinematographic sequences for laser-based techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and can be used with thermographic phosphors to determine surface temperatures. At low repetition rates, imaging techniques have benefitted from significant developments in the quality of CCD-based camera systems, particularly with the uniformity of pixel response and minimal non-linearities in the photon-to-signal conversion. The state of the art in CMOS technology displays a significant number of technical aspects that must be accounted for before these detectors can be used for quantitative diagnostics. This paper addresses these issues.

Easily Transported CCD Systems for Use in Astronomy Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisel, D.

1992-12-01

Relatively inexpensive CCD cameras and portable computers are now easily obtained as commercially available products. I will describe a prototype system that can be used by introductory astronomy students, even urban enviroments, to obtain useful observations of the night sky. It is based on the ST-4 CCDs made by Santa Barbara Instruments Group and Macintosh Powerbook145 computers. Students take outdoor images directly from the college campus, bring the exposures back into the lab and download the images into our networked server. These stored images can then be processed (at a later time) using a variety of image processing programs including a new astronomical version of the popular "freeware" NIH Image package that is currently under development at Geneseo. The prototype of this system will be demonstrated and available for hands-on use during the meeting. This work is supported by NSF ILI Demonstration Grant USE9250493 and Grants from SUNY-GENESEO.

Single-Pulse Dual-Energy Mammography Using a Binary Screen Coupled to Dual CCD Cameras

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-08-01

Fossum, "Active pixel sensors—Are CCD’s Dinosaurs ?," Proc. SPIE 1900, 2-14 (1993). "S. Mendis, S. E. Kemeny, R. Gee, B. Pain, and E. R. Fossum, "Progress...Clin Oncol 13:1470-1477, 1995 12. Wahl RL, Zasadny K, Helvie M, et al: Metabolic monitoring of breast cancer chemohormonotherapy using posi- tron

Ground-based observations of 951 Gaspra: CCD lightcurves and spectrophotometry with the Galileo filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mottola, Stefano; Dimartino, M.; Gonano-Beurer, M.; Hoffmann, H.; Neukum, G.

1992-01-01

This paper reports the observations of 951 Gaspra carried out at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla, Chile) during the 1991 apparition, using the DLR CCD Camera equipped with a spare set of the Galileo SSI filters. Time-resolved spectrophotometric measurements are presented. The occurrence of spectral variations with rotation suggests the presence of surface variegation.

Activities of JAXA's Innovative Technology Center on Space Debris Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagisawa, T.; Kurosaki, H.; Nakajima, A.

The innovative technology research center of JAXA is developing observational technologies for GEO objects in order to cope with the space debris problem. The center had constructed the optical observational facility for space debris at Mt. Nyukasa, Nagano in 2006. As observational equipments such as CCD cameras and telescopes were set up, the normal observation started. In this paper, the detail of the facilities and its activities are introduced. The observational facility contains two telescopes and two CCD cameras. The apertures of the telescopes are 35cm and 25 cm, respectively. One CCD camera in which 2K2K chip is installed can observe a sky region of 1.3 times 1.3-degree using the 35cm telescope. The other CCD camera that contains two 4K2K chips has an ability to observe 2.6 times 2.6-degree's region with the 25cm telescope. One of our main objectives is to detect faint GEO objects that are not catalogued. Generally, the detection limit of GEO object is determined by the aperture of the telescope. However, by improving image processing techniques, the limit may become low. We are developing some image processing methods that use many CCD frames to detect faint objects. We are trying to use FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) system to reduce analyzing time. By applying these methods to the data taken by a large telescope, the detection limit will be significantly lowered. The orbital determination of detected GEO debris is one of the important things to do. Especially, the narrow field view of an optical telescope hinders us from re-detection of the GEO debris for the orbital determination. Long observation time is required for one GEO object for the orbital determination that is inefficient. An effective observation strategy should be considered. We are testing one observation method invented by Umehara that observes one inertia position in the space. By observing one inertia position for two nights, a GEO object that passed through the position in the first night must pass through the position in the second night. The rough orbit is determined from two nights' data. The test observation showed that this method was able to detect many GEO objects and determined their orbits by three nights' observations. We also joined the campaign observations of IADC(Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee). By analyzing the observed data with the method that we developed, 88 catalogued and 38 un-catalogued objects were detected. The magnitude of the faintest object detected in this campaign observation was 18.5. The object is un-detectable by human inspection.

Quantification of in vitro produced wear sites on composite resins using contact profilometry and CCD microscopy: a methodological investigation.

PubMed

Koottathape, Natthavoot; Takahashi, Hidekazu; Finger, Wernerj; Kanehira, Masafumi; Iwasaki, Naohiko; Aoyagi, Yujin

2012-06-01

Although attritive and abrasive wear of recent composite resins has been substantially reduced, in vitro wear testing with reasonably simulating devices and quantitative determination of resulting wear is still needed. Three-dimensional scanning methods are frequently used for this purpose. The aim of this trial was to compare maximum depth of wear and volume loss of composite samples, evaluated with a contact profilometer and a non-contact CCD camera imaging system, respectively. Twenty-three random composite specimens with wear traces produced in a ball-on-disc sliding device, using poppy seed slurry and PMMA suspension as third-body media, were evaluated with the contact profilometer (TalyScan 150, Taylor Hobson LTD, Leicester, UK) and with the digital CCD microscope (VHX1000, KEYENCE, Osaka, Japan). The target parameters were maximum depth of the wear and volume loss.Results - The individual time of measurement needed with the non-contact CCD method was almost three hours less than that with the contact method. Both, maximum depth of wear and volume loss data, recorded with the two methods were linearly correlated (r(2) > 0.97; p < 0.01). The contact scanning method and the non-contact CCD method are equally suitable for determination of maximum depth of wear and volume loss of abraded composite resins.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NGC 752 Vilnius photometry (Bartasiute+, 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartasiute, S.; Janusz, R.; Boyle, R. P.; Philip, A. G. D.

2015-03-01

The multicolor observations in eight intermediate-band filters of the Stromvil (Stromgren + Vilnius) system were obtained during two separate runs, on the nights 2007 November 2-8 (run "SQ") and six nights between 2008 October 28 and November 5 (run "SU"), using a 4K CCD camera on the 1.8m VATT telescope on Mt. Graham, Arizona. (2 data files).

Measurement of material mechanical properties in microforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Wang; Xu, Zhenying; Hui, Huang; Zhou, Jianzhong

2006-02-01

As the rapid market need of micro-electro-mechanical systems engineering gives it the wide development and application ranging from mobile phones to medical apparatus, the need of metal micro-parts is increasing gradually. Microforming technology challenges the plastic processing technology. The findings have shown that if the grain size of the specimen remains constant, the flow stress changes with the increasing miniaturization, and also the necking elongation and the uniform elongation etc. It is impossible to get the specimen material properties in conventional tensile test machine, especially in the high precision demand. Therefore, one new measurement method for getting the specimen material-mechanical property with high precision is initiated. With this method, coupled with the high speed of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera and high precision of Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), the elongation and tensile strain in the gauge length are obtained. The elongation, yield stress and other mechanical properties can be calculated from the relationship between the images and CCD camera movement. This measuring method can be extended into other experiments, such as the alignment of the tool and specimen, micro-drawing process.

Visualization of hump formation in high-speed gas metal arc welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. S.; Zhong, L. M.; Gao, J. Q.

2009-11-01

The hump bead is a typical weld defect observed in high-speed welding. Its occurrence limits the improvement of welding productivity. Visualization of hump formation during high-speed gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is helpful in the better understanding of the humping phenomena so that effective measures can be taken to suppress or decrease the tendency of hump formation and achieve higher productivity welding. In this study, an experimental system was developed to implement vision-based observation of the weld pool behavior during high-speed GMAW. Considering the weld pool characteristics in high-speed welding, a narrow band-pass and neutral density filter was equipped for the CCD camera, the suitable exposure time was selected and side view orientation of the CCD camera was employed. The events that took place at the rear portion of the weld pools were imaged during the welding processes with and without hump bead formation, respectively. It was found that the variation of the weld pool surface height and the solid-liquid interface at the pool trailing with time shows some useful information to judge whether the humping phenomenon occurs or not.

Ultrafast Imaging using Spectral Resonance Modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Eric; Ma, Qian; Liu, Zhaowei

2016-04-01

CCD cameras are ubiquitous in research labs, industry, and hospitals for a huge variety of applications, but there are many dynamic processes in nature that unfold too quickly to be captured. Although tradeoffs can be made between exposure time, sensitivity, and area of interest, ultimately the speed limit of a CCD camera is constrained by the electronic readout rate of the sensors. One potential way to improve the imaging speed is with compressive sensing (CS), a technique that allows for a reduction in the number of measurements needed to record an image. However, most CS imaging methods require spatial light modulators (SLMs), which are subject to mechanical speed limitations. Here, we demonstrate an etalon array based SLM without any moving elements that is unconstrained by either mechanical or electronic speed limitations. This novel spectral resonance modulator (SRM) shows great potential in an ultrafast compressive single pixel camera.

Image Mosaicking Approach for a Double-Camera System in the GaoFen2 Optical Remote Sensing Satellite Based on the Big Virtual Camera.

PubMed

Cheng, Yufeng; Jin, Shuying; Wang, Mi; Zhu, Ying; Dong, Zhipeng

2017-06-20

The linear array push broom imaging mode is widely used for high resolution optical satellites (HROS). Using double-cameras attached by a high-rigidity support along with push broom imaging is one method to enlarge the field of view while ensuring high resolution. High accuracy image mosaicking is the key factor of the geometrical quality of complete stitched satellite imagery. This paper proposes a high accuracy image mosaicking approach based on the big virtual camera (BVC) in the double-camera system on the GaoFen2 optical remote sensing satellite (GF2). A big virtual camera can be built according to the rigorous imaging model of a single camera; then, each single image strip obtained by each TDI-CCD detector can be re-projected to the virtual detector of the big virtual camera coordinate system using forward-projection and backward-projection to obtain the corresponding single virtual image. After an on-orbit calibration and relative orientation, the complete final virtual image can be obtained by stitching the single virtual images together based on their coordinate information on the big virtual detector image plane. The paper subtly uses the concept of the big virtual camera to obtain a stitched image and the corresponding high accuracy rational function model (RFM) for concurrent post processing. Experiments verified that the proposed method can achieve seamless mosaicking while maintaining the geometric accuracy.

A Simple Method Based on the Application of a CCD Camera as a Sensor to Detect Low Concentrations of Barium Sulfate in Suspension

PubMed Central

de Sena, Rodrigo Caciano; Soares, Matheus; Pereira, Maria Luiza Oliveira; da Silva, Rogério Cruz Domingues; do Rosário, Francisca Ferreira; da Silva, Joao Francisco Cajaiba

2011-01-01

The development of a simple, rapid and low cost method based on video image analysis and aimed at the detection of low concentrations of precipitated barium sulfate is described. The proposed system is basically composed of a webcam with a CCD sensor and a conventional dichroic lamp. For this purpose, software for processing and analyzing the digital images based on the RGB (Red, Green and Blue) color system was developed. The proposed method had shown very good repeatability and linearity and also presented higher sensitivity than the standard turbidimetric method. The developed method is presented as a simple alternative for future applications in the study of precipitations of inorganic salts and also for detecting the crystallization of organic compounds. PMID:22346607

Thermal Design of the Instrument for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Gregory D.

2016-01-01

TESS observatory is a two year NASA Explorer mission which will use a set of four cameras to discover exoplanets. It will be placed in a high-earth orbit with a period of 13.7 days and will be unaffected by temperature disturbances caused by environmental heating from the Earth. The cameras use their stray-light baffles to passively cool the cameras and in turn the CCD's in order to maintain operational temperatures. The design has been well thought out and analyzed to maximize temperature stability. The analysis shows that the design keeps the cameras and their components within their temperature ranges which will help make it a successful mission. It will also meet its survival requirement of sustaining exposure to a five hour eclipse. Official validation and verification planning is underway and will be performed as the system is built up. It is slated for launch in 2017.

Real-time defect detection on highly reflective curved surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosati, G.; Boschetti, G.; Biondi, A.; Rossi, A.

2009-03-01

This paper presents an automated defect detection system for coated plastic components for the automotive industry. This research activity came up as an evolution of a previous study which employed a non-flat mirror to illuminate and inspect high reflective curved surfaces. According to this method, the rays emitted from a light source are conveyed on the surface under investigation by means of a suitably curved mirror. After the reflection on the surface, the light rays are collected by a CCD camera, in which the coating defects appear as shadows of various shapes and dimensions. In this paper we present an evolution of the above-mentioned method, introducing a simplified mirror set-up in order to reduce the costs and the complexity of the defect detection system. In fact, a set of plane mirrors is employed instead of the curved one. Moreover, the inspection of multiple bend radius parts is investigated. A prototype of the machine vision system has been developed in order to test this simplified method. This device is made up of a light projector, a set of plane mirrors for light rays reflection, a conveyor belt for handling components, a CCD camera and a desktop PC which performs image acquisition and processing. Like in the previous system, the defects are identified as shadows inside a high brightness image. At the end of the paper, first experimental results are presented.

The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover Mastcam instruments: Preflight and in-flight calibration, validation, and data archiving

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, James F.; Godber, A.; McNair, S.; Caplinger, M.A.; Maki, J.N.; Lemmon, M.T.; Van Beek, J.; Malin, M.C.; Wellington, D.; Kinch, K.M.; Madsen, M.B.; Hardgrove, C.; Ravine, M.A.; Jensen, E.; Harker, D.; Anderson, Ryan; Herkenhoff, Kenneth E.; Morris, R.V.; Cisneros, E.; Deen, R.G.

2017-01-01

The NASA Curiosity rover Mast Camera (Mastcam) system is a pair of fixed-focal length, multispectral, color CCD imagers mounted ~2 m above the surface on the rover's remote sensing mast, along with associated electronics and an onboard calibration target. The left Mastcam (M-34) has a 34 mm focal length, an instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of 0.22 mrad, and a FOV of 20° × 15° over the full 1648 × 1200 pixel span of its Kodak KAI-2020 CCD. The right Mastcam (M-100) has a 100 mm focal length, an IFOV of 0.074 mrad, and a FOV of 6.8° × 5.1° using the same detector. The cameras are separated by 24.2 cm on the mast, allowing stereo images to be obtained at the resolution of the M-34 camera. Each camera has an eight-position filter wheel, enabling it to take Bayer pattern red, green, and blue (RGB) “true color” images, multispectral images in nine additional bands spanning ~400–1100 nm, and images of the Sun in two colors through neutral density-coated filters. An associated Digital Electronics Assembly provides command and data interfaces to the rover, 8 Gb of image storage per camera, 11 bit to 8 bit companding, JPEG compression, and acquisition of high-definition video. Here we describe the preflight and in-flight calibration of Mastcam images, the ways that they are being archived in the NASA Planetary Data System, and the ways that calibration refinements are being developed as the investigation progresses on Mars. We also provide some examples of data sets and analyses that help to validate the accuracy and precision of the calibration

Image intensification; Proceedings of the Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 17, 18, 1989

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Csorba, Illes P.

Various papers on image intensification are presented. Individual topics discussed include: status of high-speed optical detector technologies, super second generation imge intensifier, gated image intensifiers and applications, resistive-anode position-sensing photomultiplier tube operational modeling, undersea imaging and target detection with gated image intensifier tubes, image intensifier modules for use with commercially available solid state cameras, specifying the components of an intensified solid state television camera, superconducting IR focal plane arrays, one-inch TV camera tube with very high resolution capacity, CCD-Digicon detector system performance parameters, high-resolution X-ray imaging device, high-output technology microchannel plate, preconditioning of microchannel plate stacks, recent advances in small-pore microchannel plate technology, performance of long-life curved channel microchannel plates, low-noise microchannel plates, development of a quartz envelope heater.

Speed of sound and photoacoustic imaging with an optical camera based ultrasound detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuster, Robert; Paltauf, Guenther

2017-07-01

CCD camera based optical ultrasound detection is a promising alternative approach for high resolution 3D photoacoustic imaging (PAI). To fully exploit its potential and to achieve an image resolution <50 μm, it is necessary to incorporate variations of the speed of sound (SOS) in the image reconstruction algorithm. Hence, in the proposed work the idea and a first implementation are shown how speed of sound imaging can be added to a previously developed camera based PAI setup. The current setup provides SOS-maps with a spatial resolution of 2 mm and an accuracy of the obtained absolute SOS values of about 1%. The proposed dual-modality setup has the potential to provide highly resolved and perfectly co-registered 3D photoacoustic and SOS images.

Toward a digital camera to rival the human eye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorka, Orit; Joseph, Dileepan

2011-07-01

All things considered, electronic imaging systems do not rival the human visual system despite notable progress over 40 years since the invention of the CCD. This work presents a method that allows design engineers to evaluate the performance gap between a digital camera and the human eye. The method identifies limiting factors of the electronic systems by benchmarking against the human system. It considers power consumption, visual field, spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and properties related to signal and noise power. A figure of merit is defined as the performance gap of the weakest parameter. Experimental work done with observers and cadavers is reviewed to assess the parameters of the human eye, and assessment techniques are also covered for digital cameras. The method is applied to 24 modern image sensors of various types, where an ideal lens is assumed to complete a digital camera. Results indicate that dynamic range and dark limit are the most limiting factors. The substantial functional gap, from 1.6 to 4.5 orders of magnitude, between the human eye and digital cameras may arise from architectural differences between the human retina, arranged in a multiple-layer structure, and image sensors, mostly fabricated in planar technologies. Functionality of image sensors may be significantly improved by exploiting technologies that allow vertical stacking of active tiers.

A Three-Line Stereo Camera Concept for Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandau, Rainer; Hilbert, Stefan; Venus, Holger; Walter, Ingo; Fang, Wai-Chi; Alkalai, Leon

1997-01-01

This paper presents a low-weight stereo camera concept for planetary exploration. The camera uses three CCD lines within the image plane of one single objective. Some of the main features of the camera include: focal length-90 mm, FOV-18.5 deg, IFOV-78 (mu)rad, convergence angles-(+/-)10 deg, radiometric dynamics-14 bit, weight-2 kg, and power consumption-12.5 Watts. From an orbit altitude of 250 km the ground pixel size is 20m x 20m and the swath width is 82 km. The CCD line data is buffered in the camera internal mass memory of 1 Gbit. After performing radiometric correction and application-dependent preprocessing the data is compressed and ready for downlink. Due to the aggressive application of advanced technologies in the area of microelectronics and innovative optics, the low mass and power budgets of 2 kg and 12.5 Watts is achieved, while still maintaining high performance. The design of the proposed light-weight camera is also general purpose enough to be applicable to other planetary missions such as the exploration of Mars, Mercury, and the Moon. Moreover, it is an example of excellent international collaboration on advanced technology concepts developed at DLR, Germany, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USA.

Ultrahigh- and high-speed photography, videography, and photonics '91; Proceedings of the Meeting, San Diego, CA, July 24-26, 1991

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaanimagi, Paul A.

1992-01-01

This volume presents papers grouped under the topics on advances in streak and framing camera technology, applications of ultrahigh-speed photography, characterizing high-speed instrumentation, high-speed electronic imaging technology and applications, new technology for high-speed photography, high-speed imaging and photonics in detonics, and high-speed velocimetry. The papers presented include those on a subpicosecond X-ray streak camera, photocathodes for ultrasoft X-ray region, streak tube dynamic range, high-speed TV cameras for streak tube readout, femtosecond light-in-flight holography, and electrooptical systems characterization techniques. Attention is also given to high-speed electronic memory video recording techniques, high-speed IR imaging of repetitive events using a standard RS-170 imager, use of a CCD array as a medium-speed streak camera, the photography of shock waves in explosive crystals, a single-frame camera based on the type LD-S-10 intensifier tube, and jitter diagnosis for pico- and femtosecond sources.

Simple and cost-effective hardware and software for functional brain mapping using intrinsic optical signal imaging.

PubMed

Harrison, Thomas C; Sigler, Albrecht; Murphy, Timothy H

2009-09-15

We describe a simple and low-cost system for intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging using stable LED light sources, basic microscopes, and commonly available CCD cameras. IOS imaging measures activity-dependent changes in the light reflectance of brain tissue, and can be performed with a minimum of specialized equipment. Our system uses LED ring lights that can be mounted on standard microscope objectives or video lenses to provide a homogeneous and stable light source, with less than 0.003% fluctuation across images averaged from 40 trials. We describe the equipment and surgical techniques necessary for both acute and chronic mouse preparations, and provide software that can create maps of sensory representations from images captured by inexpensive 8-bit cameras or by 12-bit cameras. The IOS imaging system can be adapted to commercial upright microscopes or custom macroscopes, eliminating the need for dedicated equipment or complex optical paths. This method can be combined with parallel high resolution imaging techniques such as two-photon microscopy.

An Efficient Image Compressor for Charge Coupled Devices Camera

PubMed Central

Li, Jin; Xing, Fei; You, Zheng

2014-01-01

Recently, the discrete wavelet transforms- (DWT-) based compressor, such as JPEG2000 and CCSDS-IDC, is widely seen as the state of the art compression scheme for charge coupled devices (CCD) camera. However, CCD images project on the DWT basis to produce a large number of large amplitude high-frequency coefficients because these images have a large number of complex texture and contour information, which are disadvantage for the later coding. In this paper, we proposed a low-complexity posttransform coupled with compressing sensing (PT-CS) compression approach for remote sensing image. First, the DWT is applied to the remote sensing image. Then, a pair base posttransform is applied to the DWT coefficients. The pair base are DCT base and Hadamard base, which can be used on the high and low bit-rate, respectively. The best posttransform is selected by the l p-norm-based approach. The posttransform is considered as the sparse representation stage of CS. The posttransform coefficients are resampled by sensing measurement matrix. Experimental results on on-board CCD camera images show that the proposed approach significantly outperforms the CCSDS-IDC-based coder, and its performance is comparable to that of the JPEG2000 at low bit rate and it does not have the high excessive implementation complexity of JPEG2000. PMID:25114977

Measurements of 42 Wide CPM Pairs with a CCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harshaw, Richard

2015-11-01

This paper addresses the use of a Skyris 618C color CCD camera as a means of obtaining data for analysis in the measurement of wide common proper motion stars. The equipment setup is described and data collection procedure outlined. Results of the measures of 42 CPM stars are presented, showing the Skyris is a reliable device for the measurement of double stars.

Color-magnitude diagram of Palomar 4 - CCD photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, C. A.; Heasley, J. N.

1986-04-01

Photometry of the globular cluster Pal 4 was obtained with the RCA CCD camera on the 3.6 m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea. The color-magnitude diagram of the cluster shows a well-defined red horizontal branch, typical of outer halo systems, and an asymptotic giant branch well separated from the giant branch. The population of Pal 4 has been sampled to the main-sequence turnoff region (V = 25), allowing a detailed comparison of this distant object with theoretical models. The cluster parameters consistent with the CCD data are (m - M)0 = 20.1 + or - 0.1 mag, E(B - V) = 0.02 + or - 0.02, and Fe/H forbidden line = -1.7 + or - 0.1 with Y =0.2. The age of the cluster, determined by comparison with the isochrones of VandenBerg and Bell (1985) is consistent with an age of 15 + or - 1 Gyr, similar to inner halo globular clusters with ages determined in the same way.

Development of low-noise CCD drive electronics for the world space observatory ultraviolet spectrograph subsystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salter, Mike; Clapp, Matthew; King, James; Morse, Tom; Mihalcea, Ionut; Waltham, Nick; Hayes-Thakore, Chris

2016-07-01

World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) is a major Russian-led international collaboration to develop a large space-borne 1.7 m Ritchey-Chrétien telescope and instrumentation to study the universe at ultraviolet wavelengths between 115 nm and 320 nm, exceeding the current capabilities of ground-based instruments. The WSO Ultraviolet Spectrograph subsystem (WUVS) is led by the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences and consists of two high resolution spectrographs covering the Far-UV range of 115-176 nm and the Near-UV range of 174-310 nm, and a long-slit spectrograph covering the wavelength range of 115-305 nm. The custom-designed CCD sensors and cryostat assemblies are being provided by e2v technologies (UK). STFC RAL Space is providing the Camera Electronics Boxes (CEBs) which house the CCD drive electronics for each of the three WUVS channels. This paper presents the results of the detailed characterisation of the WUVS CCD drive electronics. The electronics include a novel high-performance video channel design that utilises Digital Correlated Double Sampling (DCDS) to enable low-noise readout of the CCD at a range of pixel frequencies, including a baseline requirement of less than 3 electrons rms readout noise for the combined CCD and electronics system at a readout rate of 50 kpixels/s. These results illustrate the performance of this new video architecture as part of a wider electronics sub-system that is designed for use in the space environment. In addition to the DCDS video channels, the CEB provides all the bias voltages and clocking waveforms required to operate the CCD and the system is fully programmable via a primary and redundant SpaceWire interface. The development of the CEB electronics design has undergone critical design review and the results presented were obtained using the engineering-grade electronics box. A variety of parameters and tests are included ranging from general system metrics, such as the power and mass, to more detailed analysis of the video performance including noise, linearity, crosstalk, gain stability and transient response.

Mars Science Laboratory Engineering Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maki, Justin N.; Thiessen, David L.; Pourangi, Ali M.; Kobzeff, Peter A.; Lee, Steven W.; Dingizian, Arsham; Schwochert, Mark A.

2012-01-01

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover, which launched to Mars in 2011, is equipped with a set of 12 engineering cameras. These cameras are build-to-print copies of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) cameras, which were sent to Mars in 2003. The engineering cameras weigh less than 300 grams each and use less than 3 W of power. Images returned from the engineering cameras are used to navigate the rover on the Martian surface, deploy the rover robotic arm, and ingest samples into the rover sample processing system. The navigation cameras (Navcams) are mounted to a pan/tilt mast and have a 45-degree square field of view (FOV) with a pixel scale of 0.82 mrad/pixel. The hazard avoidance cameras (Haz - cams) are body-mounted to the rover chassis in the front and rear of the vehicle and have a 124-degree square FOV with a pixel scale of 2.1 mrad/pixel. All of the cameras utilize a frame-transfer CCD (charge-coupled device) with a 1024x1024 imaging region and red/near IR bandpass filters centered at 650 nm. The MSL engineering cameras are grouped into two sets of six: one set of cameras is connected to rover computer A and the other set is connected to rover computer B. The MSL rover carries 8 Hazcams and 4 Navcams.

NASA Imaging for Safety, Science, and History

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grubbs, Rodney; Lindblom, Walt; Bowerman, Deborah S. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Since its creation in 1958 NASA has been making and documenting history, both on Earth and in space. To complete its missions NASA has long relied on still and motion imagery to document spacecraft performance, see what can't be seen by the naked eye, and enhance the safety of astronauts and expensive equipment. Today, NASA is working to take advantage of new digital imagery technologies and techniques to make its missions more safe and efficient. An HDTV camera was on-board the International Space Station from early August, to mid-December, 2001. HDTV cameras previously flown have had degradation in the CCD during the short duration of a Space Shuttle flight. Initial performance assessment of the CCD during the first-ever long duration space flight of a HDTV camera and earlier flights is discussed. Recent Space Shuttle launches have been documented with HDTV cameras and new long lenses giving clarity never before seen with video. Examples and comparisons will be illustrated between HD, highspeed film, and analog video of these launches and other NASA tests. Other uses of HDTV where image quality is of crucial importance will also be featured.

Optomechanical System Development of the AWARE Gigapixel Scale Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Hui S.

Electronic focal plane arrays (FPA) such as CMOS and CCD sensors have dramatically improved to the point that digital cameras have essentially phased out film (except in very niche applications such as hobby photography and cinema). However, the traditional method of mating a single lens assembly to a single detector plane, as required for film cameras, is still the dominant design used in cameras today. The use of electronic sensors and their ability to capture digital signals that can be processed and manipulated post acquisition offers much more freedom of design at system levels and opens up many interesting possibilities for the next generation of computational imaging systems. The AWARE gigapixel scale camera is one such computational imaging system. By utilizing a multiscale optical design, in which a large aperture objective lens is mated with an array of smaller, well corrected relay lenses, we are able to build an optically simple system that is capable of capturing gigapixel scale images via post acquisition stitching of the individual pictures from the array. Properly shaping the array of digital cameras allows us to form an effectively continuous focal surface using off the shelf (OTS) flat sensor technology. This dissertation details developments and physical implementations of the AWARE system architecture. It illustrates the optomechanical design principles and system integration strategies we have developed through the course of the project by summarizing the results of the two design phases for AWARE: AWARE-2 and AWARE-10. These systems represent significant advancements in the pursuit of scalable, commercially viable snapshot gigapixel imaging systems and should serve as a foundation for future development of such systems.

FPGA Implementation of Stereo Disparity with High Throughput for Mobility Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Villalpando, Carlos Y.; Morfopolous, Arin; Matthies, Larry; Goldberg, Steven

2011-01-01

High speed stereo vision can allow unmanned robotic systems to navigate safely in unstructured terrain, but the computational cost can exceed the capacity of typical embedded CPUs. In this paper, we describe an end-to-end stereo computation co-processing system optimized for fast throughput that has been implemented on a single Virtex 4 LX160 FPGA. This system is capable of operating on images from a 1024 x 768 3CCD (true RGB) camera pair at 15 Hz. Data enters the FPGA directly from the cameras via Camera Link and is rectified, pre-filtered and converted into a disparity image all within the FPGA, incurring no CPU load. Once complete, a rectified image and the final disparity image are read out over the PCI bus, for a bandwidth cost of 68 MB/sec. Within the FPGA there are 4 distinct algorithms: Camera Link capture, Bilinear rectification, Bilateral subtraction pre-filtering and the Sum of Absolute Difference (SAD) disparity. Each module will be described in brief along with the data flow and control logic for the system. The system has been successfully fielded upon the Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) Crusher system during extensive field trials in 2007 and 2008 and is being implemented for other surface mobility systems at JPL.

Development, characterization, and modeling of a tunable filter camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartor, Mark Alan

1999-10-01

This paper describes the development, characterization, and modeling of a Tunable Filter Camera (TFC). The TFC is a new multispectral instrument with electronically tuned spectral filtering and low-light-level sensitivity. It represents a hybrid between hyperspectral and multispectral imaging spectrometers that incorporates advantages from each, addressing issues such as complexity, cost, lack of sensitivity, and adaptability. These capabilities allow the TFC to be applied to low- altitude video surveillance for real-time spectral and spatial target detection and image exploitation. Described herein are the theory and principles of operation for the TFC, which includes a liquid crystal tunable filter, an intensified CCD, and a custom apochromatic lens. The results of proof-of-concept testing, and characterization of two prototype cameras are included, along with a summary of the design analyses for the development of a multiple-channel system. A significant result of this effort was the creation of a system-level model, which was used to facilitate development and predict performance. It includes models for the liquid crystal tunable filter and intensified CCD. Such modeling was necessary in the design of the system and is useful for evaluation of the system in remote-sensing applications. Also presented are characterization data from component testing, which included quantitative results for linearity, signal to noise ratio (SNR), linearity, and radiometric response. These data were used to help refine and validate the model. For a pre-defined source, the spatial and spectral response, and the noise of the camera, system can now be predicted. The innovation that sets this development apart is the fact that this instrument has been designed for integrated, multi-channel operation for the express purpose of real-time detection/identification in low- light-level conditions. Many of the requirements for the TFC were derived from this mission. In order to provide background for the design requirements for the TFC development, the mission and principles of operation behind the multi-channel system will be reviewed. Given the combination of the flexibility, simplicity, and sensitivity, the TFC and its multiple-channel extension can play a significant role in the next generation of remote-sensing instruments.

Optical Meteor Systems Used by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kingery, A. M.; Blaauw, R. C.; Cooke, W. J.; Moser, D. E.

2015-01-01

The NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) uses two main meteor camera networks to characterize the meteoroid environment: an all sky system and a wide field system to study cm and mm size meteors respectively. The NASA All Sky Fireball Network consists of fifteen meteor video cameras in the United States, with plans to expand to eighteen cameras by the end of 2015. The camera design and All-Sky Guided and Real-time Detection (ASGARD) meteor detection software [1, 2] were adopted from the University of Western Ontario's Southern Ontario Meteor Network (SOMN). After seven years of operation, the network has detected over 12,000 multi-station meteors, including meteors from at least 53 different meteor showers. The network is used for speed distribution determination, characterization of meteor showers and sporadic sources, and for informing the public on bright meteor events. The NASA Wide Field Meteor Network was established in December of 2012 with two cameras and expanded to eight cameras in December of 2014. The two camera configuration saw 5470 meteors over two years of operation with two cameras, and has detected 3423 meteors in the first five months of operation (Dec 12, 2014 - May 12, 2015) with eight cameras. We expect to see over 10,000 meteors per year with the expanded system. The cameras have a 20 degree field of view and an approximate limiting meteor magnitude of +5. The network's primary goal is determining the nightly shower and sporadic meteor fluxes. Both camera networks function almost fully autonomously with little human interaction required for upkeep and analysis. The cameras send their data to a central server for storage and automatic analysis. Every morning the servers automatically generates an e-mail and web page containing an analysis of the previous night's events. The current status of the networks will be described, alongside with preliminary results. In addition, future projects, CCD photometry and broadband meteor color camera system, will be discussed.

Spectrometer Development in Support of Thomson Scattering Investigations for the Helicon Plasma Experiment (HPX)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandri, Eva; Davies, Richard; Azzari, Phil; Frank, John; Frank, Jackson; James, Royce; Hopson, Jordon; Duke-Tinson, Omar; Paolino, Richard; Sherman, Justin; Wright, Erin; Turk, Jeremy

2016-10-01

Now that reproducible plasmas have been created on the Helicon Plasma Experiment (HPX) at the Coast Guard Academy Plasma Laboratory (CGAPL), a high-performance spectrometer utilizing volume-phase-holographic (VPH) grating and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera with a range of 380-1090 nm and resolution of 1024x1024 is being assembled. This spectrometer will collect doppler shifted photons created by exciting the plasma with the first harmonic of a 2.5 J Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 1064 nm. Direct measurements of the plasma's temperature and density will be determined using HPX's Thomson Scattering (TS) system as a single spatial point diagnostic. TS has the capability of determining plasma properties on short time scales and will be used to create a robust picture of the internal plasma parameters. A prototype spectrometer has been constructed to explore the Andor CCD camera's resolution and sensitivity. Concurrently, through intensive study of the high energy TS system, safety protocols and standard operation procedures (SOP) for the Coast Guard's largest and most powerful Laser have been developed. The current status of the TS SOP, diagnostic development, and the collection optic's spectrometer will be reported. Supported by U.S. DEPS Grant [HEL-JTO] PRWJFY15-16.

Research on detecting heterogeneous fibre from cotton based on linear CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xian-bin; Cao, Bing; Zhang, Xin-peng; Shi, Wei

2009-07-01

The heterogeneous fibre in cotton make a great impact on production of cotton textile, it will have a bad effect on the quality of product, thereby affect economic benefits and market competitive ability of corporation. So the detecting and eliminating of heterogeneous fibre is particular important to improve machining technics of cotton, advance the quality of cotton textile and reduce production cost. There are favorable market value and future development for this technology. An optical detecting system obtains the widespread application. In this system, we use a linear CCD camera to scan the running cotton, then the video signals are put into computer and processed according to the difference of grayscale, if there is heterogeneous fibre in cotton, the computer will send an order to drive the gas nozzle to eliminate the heterogeneous fibre. In the paper, we adopt monochrome LED array as the new detecting light source, it's lamp flicker, stability of luminous intensity, lumens depreciation and useful life are all superior to fluorescence light. We analyse the reflection spectrum of cotton and various heterogeneous fibre first, then select appropriate frequency of the light source, we finally adopt violet LED array as the new detecting light source. The whole hardware structure and software design are introduced in this paper.

Development and Control of the Naval Postgraduate School Planar Autonomous Docking Simulator (NPADS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porter, Robert D.

2002-09-01

The objective of this thesis was to design, construct and develop the initial autonomous control algorithm for the NPS Planar Autonomous Docking Simulator (NPADS) The effort included hardware design, fabrication, installation and integration; mass property determination; and the development and testing of control laws utilizing MATLAB and Simulink for modeling and LabView for NPADS control, The NPADS vehicle uses air pads and a granite table to simulate a 2-D, drag-free, zero-g space environment, It is a completely self-contained vehicle equipped with eight cold-gas, bang-bang type thrusters and a reaction wheel for motion control, A 'star sensor' CCD camera locates the vehicle on the table while a color CCD docking camera and two robotic arms will locate and dock with a target vehicle, The on-board computer system leverages PXI technology and a single source, simplifying systems integration, The vehicle is powered by two lead-acid batteries for completely autonomous operation, A graphical user interface and wireless Ethernet enable the user to command and monitor the vehicle from a remote command and data acquisition computer. Two control algorithms were developed and allow the user to either control the thrusters and reaction wheel manually or simply specify a desired location and rotation angle,

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography with dual-balanced detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, En; Liu, Xinyu; Chen, Si; Luo, Yuemei; Wang, Nanshuo; Wang, Xianghong; Liu, Linbo

2016-03-01

We developed a spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system employing dual-balanced detection (DBD) for direct current term suppression and SNR enhancement, especially for auto-autocorrelation artifacts reduction. The DBD was achieved by using a beam splitter to building a free-space Michelson interferometer, which generated two interferometric spectra with a phase difference of π. These two phase-opposed spectra were guided to the spectrometer through two single mode fibers of the 8 fiber v-groove array and acquired by ultizing the upper two lines of a three-line CCD camera. We rotated this fiber v-groove array by 1.35 degrees to focus two spectra onto the first and second line of the CCD camera. Two spectra were aligned by optimum spectrum matching algorithm. By subtracting one spectrum from the other, this dual-balanced detection system achieved a direct current term suppression of ~30 dB, SNR enhancement of ~3 dB, and auto-autocorrelation artifacts reduction of ~10 dB experimentally. Finally we respectively validated the feasibility and performance of dual-balanced detection by imaging a glass plate and swine corneal tissue ex vivo. The quality of images obtained using dual-balanced detection was significantly improved with regard to the conventional single-detection (SD) images.

CCD BVI c observations of Cepheids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdnikov, L. N.; Kniazev, A. Yu.; Sefako, R.; Kravtsov, V. V.; Zhujko, S. V.

2014-02-01

In 2008-2013, we obtained 11333 CCD BVI c frames for 57 Cepheids from the General Catalogue of Variable Stars. We performed our observations with the 76-cm telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO, South Africa) and the 40-cm telescope of the Cerro Armazones Astronomical Observatory of the Universidad Católica del Norte (OCA, Chile) using the SBIG ST-10XME CCD camera. The tables of observations, the plots of light curves, and the current light elements are presented. Comparison of our light curves with those constructed from photoelectric observations shows that the differences between their mean magnitudes exceed 0ṃ05 in 20% of the cases. This suggests the necessity of performing CCD observations for all Cepheids.

Note: thermal imaging enhancement algorithm for gas turbine aerothermal characterization.

PubMed

Beer, S K; Lawson, S A

2013-08-01

An algorithm was developed to convert radiation intensity images acquired using a black and white CCD camera to thermal images without requiring knowledge of incident background radiation. This unique infrared (IR) thermography method was developed to determine aerothermal characteristics of advanced cooling concepts for gas turbine cooling application. Compared to IR imaging systems traditionally used for gas turbine temperature monitoring, the system developed for the current study is relatively inexpensive and does not require calibration with surface mounted thermocouples.

Occultation Predictions Using CCD Strip-Scanning Astrometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, Edward W.; Ford, C. H.; Stone, R. P. S.; McDonald, S. W.; Olkin, C. B.; Elliot, J. L.; Witteborn, Fred C. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

We are developing the method of CCD strip-scanning astrometry for the purpose of deriving reliable advance predictions for occultations involving small objects in the outer solar system. We are using a camera system based on a Ford/Loral 2Kx2K CCD with the Crossley telescope at Lick Observatory for this work. The columns of die CCD are aligned East-West, the telescope drive is stopped, and the CCD is clocked at the same rate that the stars drift across it. In this way we obtain arbitrary length strip images 20 arcmin wide with 0.58" pixels. Since planets move mainly in RA, it is possible to obtain images of the planet and star to be occulted on the same strip well before the occultation occurs. The strip-to-strip precision (i.e. reproducibility) of positions is limited by atmospheric image motion to about 0.1" rms per strip. However, for objects that are nearby in R.A., the image motion is highly correlated and their relative positions are good to 0.02" rms per strip. We will show that the effects of atmospheric image motion on a given strip can be removed if a sufficient number of strips of a given area have been obtained. Thus, it is possible to reach an rms precision of 0.02" per strip, corresponding to about 0.3 of Pluto or Triton's angular radius. The ultimate accuracy of a prediction based on strip-scanning astrometry is currently limited by the accuracy of the positions of the stars in the astrometric network used and by systematic errors most likely due to the optical system. We will show the results of . the prediction of some recent occultations as examples of the current capabilities and limitations of this technique.

First Light for USNO 1.3-meter Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monet, A. K. B.; Harris, F. H.; Harris, H. C.; Monet, D. G.; Stone, R. C.

2001-11-01

The US Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station has recently achieved first light with its newest telescope -- a 1.3--meter, f/4 modified Ritchey-Chretien,located on the grounds of the station. The instrument was designed to produce a well-corrected field 1.7--degrees in diameter, and is expected to provide wide-field imaging with excellent astrometric properties. A number of test images have been obtained, using a temporary CCD camera in both drift and stare mode, and the results have been quite encouraging. Several astrometric projects are planned for this instrument, which will be operated in fully automated fashion. This paper will describe the telescope and its planned large-format mosaic CCD camera, and will preview some of the research for which it will be employed.

Microwave transient analyzer

DOEpatents

Gallegos, C.H.; Ogle, J.W.; Stokes, J.L.

1992-11-24

A method and apparatus for capturing and recording indications of frequency content of electromagnetic signals and radiation is disclosed including a laser light source and a Bragg cell for deflecting a light beam at a plurality of deflection angles dependent upon frequency content of the signal. A streak camera and a microchannel plate intensifier are used to project Bragg cell output onto either a photographic film or a charge coupled device (CCD) imager. Timing markers are provided by a comb generator and a one shot generator, the outputs of which are also routed through the streak camera onto the film or the CCD imager. Using the inventive method, the full range of the output of the Bragg cell can be recorded as a function of time. 5 figs.

A simple 96 well microfluidic chip combined with visual and densitometry detection for resource-poor point of care testing

PubMed Central

Yang, Minghui; Sun, Steven; Kostov, Yordan

2010-01-01

There is a well-recognized need for low cost biodetection technologies for resource-poor settings with minimal medical infrastructure. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology has the ability to perform biological assays in such settings. The aim of this work is to develop a low cost, high-throughput detection system for the analysis of 96 samples simultaneously outside the laboratory setting. To achieve this aim, several biosensing elements were combined: a syringe operated ELISA lab-on-a-chip (ELISA-LOC) which integrates fluid delivery system into a miniature 96-well plate; a simplified non-enzymatic reporter and detection approach using a gold nanoparticle-antibody conjugate as a secondary antibody and silver enhancement of the visual signal; and Carbon nanotubes (CNT) to increase primary antibody immobilization and improve assay sensitivity. Combined, these elements obviate the need for an ELISA washer, electrical power for operation and a sophisticated detector. We demonstrate the use of the device for detection of Staphylococcal enterotoxin B, a major foodborne toxin using three modes of detection, visual detection, CCD camera and document scanner. With visual detection or using a document scanner to measure the signal, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5ng/ml. In addition to visual detection, for precise quantitation of signal using densitometry and a CCD camera, the LOD was 0.1ng/ml for the CCD analysis and 0.5 ng/ml for the document scanner. The observed sensitivity is in the same range as laboratory-based ELISA testing. The point of care device can analyze 96 samples simultaneously, permitting high throughput diagnostics in the field and in resource poor areas without ready access to laboratory facilities or electricity. PMID:21503269

Digital photorefraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Manuel F. M.; Jorge, Jorge M.

1998-01-01

The early evaluation of the visual status of human infants is of a critical importance. It is of utmost importance to the development of the child's visual system that she perceives clear, focused, retinal images. Furthermore if the refractive problems are not corrected in due time amblyopia may occur. Photorefraction is a non-invasive clinical tool rather convenient for application to this kind of population. A qualitative or semi-quantitative information about refractive errors, accommodation, strabismus, amblyogenic factors and some pathologies (cataracts) can the easily obtained. The photorefraction experimental setup we established using new technological breakthroughs on the fields of imaging devices, image processing and fiber optics, allows the implementation of both the isotropic and eccentric photorefraction approaches. Essentially both methods consist on delivering a light beam into the eyes. It is refracted by the ocular media, strikes the retina, focusing or not, reflects off and is collected by a camera. The system is formed by one CCD color camera and a light source. A beam splitter in front of the camera's objective allows coaxial illumination and observation. An optomechanical system also allows eccentric illumination. The light source is a flash type one and is synchronized with the camera's image acquisition. The camera's image is digitized displayed in real time. Image processing routines are applied for image's enhancement and feature extraction.

Digital photorefraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Manuel F.; Jorge, Jorge M.

1997-12-01

The early evaluation of the visual status of human infants is of a critical importance. It is of utmost importance to the development of the child's visual system that she perceives clear, focused, retinal images. Furthermore if the refractive problems are not corrected in due time amblyopia may occur. Photorefraction is a non-invasive clinical tool rather convenient for application to this kind of population. A qualitative or semi-quantitative information about refractive errors, accommodation, strabismus, amblyogenic factors and some pathologies (cataracts) can the easily obtained. The photorefraction experimental setup we established using new technological breakthroughs on the fields of imaging devices, image processing and fiber optics, allows the implementation of both the isotropic and eccentric photorefraction approaches. Essentially both methods consist on delivering a light beam into the eyes. It is refracted by the ocular media, strikes the retina, focusing or not, reflects off and is collected by a camera. The system is formed by one CCD color camera and a light source. A beam splitter in front of the camera's objective allows coaxial illumination and observation. An optomechanical system also allows eccentric illumination. The light source is a flash type one and is synchronized with the camera's image acquisition. The camera's image is digitized displayed in real time. Image processing routines are applied for image's enhancement and feature extraction.

OH Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) Measurements for the Study of High Pressure Flames: An Evaluation of a New Laser and a New Camera System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tedder, Sarah; Hicks, Yolanda

2012-01-01

Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used by the Combustion Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA Glenn) to assess the characteristics of the flowfield produced by aircraft fuel injectors. To improve and expand the capabilities of the PLIF system new equipment was installed. The new capabilities of the modified PLIF system are assessed by collecting OH PLIF in a methane/air flame produced by a flat flame burner. Specifically, the modifications characterized are the addition of an injection seeder to a Nd:YAG laser pumping an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and the use of a new camera with an interline CCD. OH fluorescence results using the injection seeded OPO laser are compared to results using a Nd:YAG pumped dye laser with ultraviolet extender (UVX). Best settings of the new camera for maximum detection of PLIF signal are reported for the controller gain and microchannel plate (MCP) bracket pulsing. Results are also reported from tests of the Dual Image Feature (DIF) mode of the new camera which allows image pairs to be acquired in rapid succession. This allows acquisition of a PLIF image and a background signal almost simultaneously. Saturation effects in the new camera were also investigated and are reported.

Adaptive optics system for the IRSOL solar observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramelli, Renzo; Bucher, Roberto; Rossini, Leopoldo; Bianda, Michele; Balemi, Silvano

2010-07-01

We present a low cost adaptive optics system developed for the solar observatory at Istituto Ricerche Solari Locarno (IRSOL), Switzerland. The Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor is based on a Dalsa CCD camera with 256 pixels × 256 pixels working at 1kHz. The wavefront compensation is obtained by a deformable mirror with 37 actuators and a Tip-Tilt mirror. A real time control software has been developed on a RTAI-Linux PC. Scicos/Scilab based software has been realized for an online analysis of the system behavior. The software is completely open source.

Setup for testing cameras for image guided surgery using a controlled NIR fluorescence mimicking light source and tissue phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiou, Giota; Verdaasdonk, Rudolf M.; van der Veen, Albert; Klaessens, John H.

2017-02-01

In the development of new near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence dyes for image guided surgery, there is a need for new NIR sensitive camera systems that can easily be adjusted to specific wavelength ranges in contrast the present clinical systems that are only optimized for ICG. To test alternative camera systems, a setup was developed to mimic the fluorescence light in a tissue phantom to measure the sensitivity and resolution. Selected narrow band NIR LED's were used to illuminate a 6mm diameter circular diffuse plate to create uniform intensity controllable light spot (μW-mW) as target/source for NIR camera's. Layers of (artificial) tissue with controlled thickness could be placed on the spot to mimic a fluorescent `cancer' embedded in tissue. This setup was used to compare a range of NIR sensitive consumer's cameras for potential use in image guided surgery. The image of the spot obtained with the cameras was captured and analyzed using ImageJ software. Enhanced CCD night vision cameras were the most sensitive capable of showing intensities < 1 μW through 5 mm of tissue. However, there was no control over the automatic gain and hence noise level. NIR sensitive DSLR cameras proved relative less sensitive but could be fully manually controlled as to gain (ISO 25600) and exposure time and are therefore preferred for a clinical setting in combination with Wi-Fi remote control. The NIR fluorescence testing setup proved to be useful for camera testing and can be used for development and quality control of new NIR fluorescence guided surgery equipment.

Tissue-equivalent TL sheet dosimetry system for X- and gamma-ray dose mapping.

PubMed

Nariyama, N; Konnai, A; Ohnishi, S; Odano, N; Yamaji, A; Ozasa, N; Ishikawa, Y

2006-01-01

To measure dose distribution for X- and gamma rays simply and accurately, a tissue-equivalent thermoluminescent (TL) sheet-type dosemeter and reader system were developed. The TL sheet is composed of LiF:Mg,Cu,P and ETFE polymer, and the thickness is 0.2 mm. For the TL reading, a square heating plate, 20 cm on each side, was developed, and the temperature distribution was measured with an infrared thermal imaging camera. As a result, linearity within 2% and the homogeneity within 3% were confirmed. The TL signal emitted is detected using a CCD camera and displayed as a spatial dose distribution. Irradiation using synchrotron radiation between 10 and 100 keV and (60)Co gamma rays showed that the TL sheet dosimetry system was promising for radiation dose mapping for various purposes.

Strategy for the development of a smart NDVI camera system for outdoor plant detection and agricultural embedded systems.

PubMed

Dworak, Volker; Selbeck, Joern; Dammer, Karl-Heinz; Hoffmann, Matthias; Zarezadeh, Ali Akbar; Bobda, Christophe

2013-01-24

The application of (smart) cameras for process control, mapping, and advanced imaging in agriculture has become an element of precision farming that facilitates the conservation of fertilizer, pesticides, and machine time. This technique additionally reduces the amount of energy required in terms of fuel. Although research activities have increased in this field, high camera prices reflect low adaptation to applications in all fields of agriculture. Smart, low-cost cameras adapted for agricultural applications can overcome this drawback. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for each image pixel is an applicable algorithm to discriminate plant information from the soil background enabled by a large difference in the reflectance between the near infrared (NIR) and the red channel optical frequency band. Two aligned charge coupled device (CCD) chips for the red and NIR channel are typically used, but they are expensive because of the precise optical alignment required. Therefore, much attention has been given to the development of alternative camera designs. In this study, the advantage of a smart one-chip camera design with NDVI image performance is demonstrated in terms of low cost and simplified design. The required assembly and pixel modifications are described, and new algorithms for establishing an enhanced NDVI image quality for data processing are discussed.

Strategy for the Development of a Smart NDVI Camera System for Outdoor Plant Detection and Agricultural Embedded Systems

PubMed Central

Dworak, Volker; Selbeck, Joern; Dammer, Karl-Heinz; Hoffmann, Matthias; Zarezadeh, Ali Akbar; Bobda, Christophe

2013-01-01

The application of (smart) cameras for process control, mapping, and advanced imaging in agriculture has become an element of precision farming that facilitates the conservation of fertilizer, pesticides, and machine time. This technique additionally reduces the amount of energy required in terms of fuel. Although research activities have increased in this field, high camera prices reflect low adaptation to applications in all fields of agriculture. Smart, low-cost cameras adapted for agricultural applications can overcome this drawback. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for each image pixel is an applicable algorithm to discriminate plant information from the soil background enabled by a large difference in the reflectance between the near infrared (NIR) and the red channel optical frequency band. Two aligned charge coupled device (CCD) chips for the red and NIR channel are typically used, but they are expensive because of the precise optical alignment required. Therefore, much attention has been given to the development of alternative camera designs. In this study, the advantage of a smart one-chip camera design with NDVI image performance is demonstrated in terms of low cost and simplified design. The required assembly and pixel modifications are described, and new algorithms for establishing an enhanced NDVI image quality for data processing are discussed. PMID:23348037

Compact fluorescence and white-light imaging system for intraoperative visualization of nerves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Dan; Kim, Evgenia; Cotero, Victoria; Staudinger, Paul; Yazdanfar, Siavash; tan Hehir, Cristina

2012-02-01

Fluorescence image guided surgery (FIGS) allows intraoperative visualization of critical structures, with applications spanning neurology, cardiology and oncology. An unmet clinical need is prevention of iatrogenic nerve damage, a major cause of post-surgical morbidity. Here we describe the advancement of FIGS imaging hardware, coupled with a custom nerve-labeling fluorophore (GE3082), to bring FIGS nerve imaging closer to clinical translation. The instrument is comprised of a 405nm laser and a white light LED source for excitation and illumination. A single 90 gram color CCD camera is coupled to a 10mm surgical laparoscope for image acquisition. Synchronization of the light source and camera allows for simultaneous visualization of reflected white light and fluorescence using only a single camera. The imaging hardware and contrast agent were evaluated in rats during in situ surgical procedures.

A compact fluorescence and white light imaging system for intraoperative visualization of nerves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Dan; Kim, Evgenia; Cotero, Victoria; Staudinger, Paul; Yazdanfar, Siavash; Tan Hehir, Cristina

2012-03-01

Fluorescence image guided surgery (FIGS) allows intraoperative visualization of critical structures, with applications spanning neurology, cardiology and oncology. An unmet clinical need is prevention of iatrogenic nerve damage, a major cause of post-surgical morbidity. Here we describe the advancement of FIGS imaging hardware, coupled with a custom nerve-labeling fluorophore (GE3082), to bring FIGS nerve imaging closer to clinical translation. The instrument is comprised of a 405nm laser and a white light LED source for excitation and illumination. A single 90 gram color CCD camera is coupled to a 10mm surgical laparoscope for image acquisition. Synchronization of the light source and camera allows for simultaneous visualization of reflected white light and fluorescence using only a single camera. The imaging hardware and contrast agent were evaluated in rats during in situ surgical procedures.

Single-photon sensitive fast ebCMOS camera system for multiple-target tracking of single fluorophores: application to nano-biophotonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cajgfinger, Thomas; Chabanat, Eric; Dominjon, Agnes; Doan, Quang T.; Guerin, Cyrille; Houles, Julien; Barbier, Remi

2011-03-01

Nano-biophotonics applications will benefit from new fluorescent microscopy methods based essentially on super-resolution techniques (beyond the diffraction limit) on large biological structures (membranes) with fast frame rate (1000 Hz). This trend tends to push the photon detectors to the single-photon counting regime and the camera acquisition system to real time dynamic multiple-target tracing. The LUSIPHER prototype presented in this paper aims to give a different approach than those of Electron Multiplied CCD (EMCCD) technology and try to answer to the stringent demands of the new nano-biophotonics imaging techniques. The electron bombarded CMOS (ebCMOS) device has the potential to respond to this challenge, thanks to the linear gain of the accelerating high voltage of the photo-cathode, to the possible ultra fast frame rate of CMOS sensors and to the single-photon sensitivity. We produced a camera system based on a 640 kPixels ebCMOS with its acquisition system. The proof of concept for single-photon based tracking for multiple single-emitters is the main result of this paper.

Document Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The charters of Freedom Monitoring System will periodically assess the physical condition of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. Although protected in helium filled glass cases, the documents are subject to damage from light vibration and humidity. The photometer is a CCD detector used as the electronic film for the camera system's scanning camera which mechanically scans the document line by line and acquires a series of images, each representing a one square inch portion of the document. Perkin-Elmer Corporation's photometer is capable of detecting changes in contrast, shape or other indicators of degradation with 5 to 10 times the sensitivity of the human eye. A Vicom image processing computer receives the data from the photometer stores it and manipulates it, allowing comparison of electronic images over time to detect changes.

Inspection and Gamma-Ray Dose Rate Measurements of the Annulus of the VSC-17 Concrete Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Cask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P. L. Winston

2007-09-01

The air cooling annulus of the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC)-17 spent fuel storage cask was inspected using a Toshiba 7 mm (1/4”) CCD video camera. The dose rates observed in the annular space were measured to provide a reference for the activity to which the camera(s) being tested were being exposed. No gross degradation, pitting, or general corrosion was observed.

Computer simulation and discussion of high-accuracy laser direction finding in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wenyi; Chen, Yongzhi

1997-12-01

On condition that CCD is used as the sensor, there are at least five methods that can be used to realize laser's direction finding with high accuracy. They are: image matching method, radiation center method, geometric center method, center of rectangle envelope method and center of maximum run length method. The first three can get the highest accuracy but working in real-time it is too complicated to realize and the cost is very expansive. The other two can also get high accuracy, and it is not difficult to realize working in real time. By using a single-chip microcomputer and an ordinary CCD camera a very simple system can get the position information of a laser beam. The data rate is 50 times per second.

Intelligent imaging systems for automotive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Chris; Huang, Yingping; Fu, Shan

2004-03-01

In common with many other application areas, visual signals are becoming an increasingly important information source for many automotive applications. For several years CCD cameras have been used as research tools for a range of automotive applications. Infrared cameras, RADAR and LIDAR are other types of imaging sensors that have also been widely investigated for use in cars. This paper will describe work in this field performed in C2VIP over the last decade - starting with Night Vision Systems and looking at various other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Emerging from this experience, we make the following observations which are crucial for "intelligent" imaging systems: 1. Careful arrangement of sensor array. 2. Dynamic-Self-Calibration. 3. Networking and processing. 4. Fusion with other imaging sensors, both at the image level and the feature level, provides much more flexibility and reliability in complex situations. We will discuss how these problems can be addressed and what are the outstanding issues.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Imaging observations of iPTF 13ajg (Vreeswijk+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vreeswijk, P. M.; Savaglio, S.; Gal-Yam, A.; De Cia, A.; Quimby, R. M.; Sullivan, M.; Cenko, S. B.; Perley, D. A.; Filippenko, A. V.; Clubb, K. I.; Taddia, F.; Sollerman, J.; Leloudas, G.; Arcavi, I.; Rubin, A.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Cao, Y.; Yaron, O.; Tal, D.; Ofek, E. O.; Capone, J.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Toy, V.; Nugent, P. E.; Laher, R.; Surace, J.; Kulkarni, S. R.

2017-08-01

iPTF 13ajg was imaged with the Palomar 48 inch (P48) Oschin iPTF survey telescope equipped with a 12kx8k CCD mosaic camera (Rahmer et al. 2008SPIE.7014E..4YR) in the Mould R filter, the Palomar 60 inch and CCD camera (Cenko et al. 2006PASP..118.1396C) in Johnson B and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) gri, the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope (on La Palma, Canary Islands) with the Andalucia Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (ALFOSC) in SDSS ugriz, the 4.3 m Discovery Channel Telescope (at Lowell Observatory, Arizona) with the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI) in SDSS r, and with LRIS (Oke et al. 1995PASP..107..375O) and the Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infrared Exploration (MOSFIRE; McLean et al. 2012SPIE.8446E..0JM), both mounted on the 10 m Keck-I telescope (on Mauna Kea, Hawaii), in g and Rs with LRIS and J and Ks with MOSFIRE. (1 data file).

Elemental mapping and microimaging by x-ray capillary optics.

PubMed

Hampai, D; Dabagov, S B; Cappuccio, G; Longoni, A; Frizzi, T; Cibin, G; Guglielmotti, V; Sala, M

2008-12-01

Recently, many experiments have highlighted the advantage of using polycapillary optics for x-ray fluorescence studies. We have developed a special confocal scheme for micro x-ray fluorescence measurements that enables us to obtain not only elemental mapping of the sample but also simultaneously its own x-ray imaging. We have designed the prototype of a compact x-ray spectrometer characterized by a spatial resolution of less than 100 microm for fluorescence and less than 10 microm for imaging. A couple of polycapillary lenses in a confocal configuration together with a silicon drift detector allow elemental studies of extended samples (approximately 3 mm) to be performed, while a CCD camera makes it possible to record an image of the same samples with 6 microm spatial resolution, which is limited only by the pixel size of the camera. By inserting a compound refractive lens between the sample and the CCD camera, we hope to develop an x-ray microscope for more enlarged images of the samples under test.

Night airglow in RGB mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikhalev, Aleksandr; Podlesny, Stepan; Stoeva, Penka

2016-09-01

To study dynamics of the upper atmosphere, we consider results of the night sky photometry, using a color CCD camera and taking into account the night airglow and features of its spectral composition. We use night airglow observations for 2010-2015, which have been obtained at the ISTP SB RAS Geophysical Observatory (52° N, 103° E) by the camera with KODAK KAI-11002 CCD sensor. We estimate the average brightness of the night sky in R, G, B channels of the color camera for eastern Siberia with typical values ranging from ~0.008 to 0.01 erg*cm-2*s-1. Besides, we determine seasonal variations in the night sky luminosities in R, G, B channels of the color camera. In these channels, luminosities decrease in spring, increase in autumn, and have a pronounced summer maximum, which can be explained by scattered light and is associated with the location of the Geophysical Observatory. We consider geophysical phenomena with their optical effects in R, G, B channels of the color camera. For some geophysical phenomena (geomagnetic storms, sudden stratospheric warmings), we demonstrate the possibility of the quantitative relationship between enhanced signals in R and G channels and increases in intensities of discrete 557.7 and 630 nm emissions, which are predominant in the airglow spectrum.

Latest developments on the loop control system of AdOpt@TNG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghedina, Adriano; Gaessler, Wolfgang; Cecconi, Massimo; Ragazzoni, Roberto; Puglisi, Alfio T.; De Bonis, Fulvio

2004-10-01

The Adaptive Optics System of the Galileo Telescope (AdOpt@TNG) is the only adaptive optics system mounted on a telescope which uses a pyramid wavefront snesor and it has already shown on sky its potentiality. Recently AdOpt@TNG has undergone deep changes at the level of its higher orders control system. The CCD and the Real Time Computer (RTC) have been substituted as a whole. Instead of the VME based RTC, due to its frequent breakdowns, a dual pentium processor PC with Real-Time-Linux has been chosen. The WFS CCD, that feeds the images to the RTC, was changed to an off-the-shelf camera system from SciMeasure with an EEV39 80x80 pixels as detector. While the APD based Tip/Tilt loop has shown the quality on the sky at the TNG site and the ability of TNG to take advantage of this quality, up to the diffraction limit, the High-Order system has been fully re-developed and the performance of the closed loop is under evaluation to offer the system with the best performance to the astronomical community.

Flat Field Anomalies in an X-ray CCD Camera Measured Using a Manson X-ray Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

M. J. Haugh and M. B. Schneider

2008-10-31

The Static X-ray Imager (SXI) is a diagnostic used at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure the position of the X-rays produced by lasers hitting a gold foil target. The intensity distribution taken by the SXI camera during a NIF shot is used to determine how accurately NIF can aim laser beams. This is critical to proper NIF operation. Imagers are located at the top and the bottom of the NIF target chamber. The CCD chip is an X-ray sensitive silicon sensor, with a large format array (2k x 2k), 24 μm square pixels, and 15 μm thick. Amore » multi-anode Manson X-ray source, operating up to 10kV and 10W, was used to characterize and calibrate the imagers. The output beam is heavily filtered to narrow the spectral beam width, giving a typical resolution E/ΔE≈10. The X-ray beam intensity was measured using an absolute photodiode that has accuracy better than 1% up to the Si K edge and better than 5% at higher energies. The X-ray beam provides full CCD illumination and is flat, within ±1% maximum to minimum. The spectral efficiency was measured at 10 energy bands ranging from 930 eV to 8470 eV. We observed an energy dependent pixel sensitivity variation that showed continuous change over a large portion of the CCD. The maximum sensitivity variation occurred at 8470 eV. The geometric pattern did not change at lower energies, but the maximum contrast decreased and was not observable below 4 keV. We were also able to observe debris, damage, and surface defects on the CCD chip. The Manson source is a powerful tool for characterizing the imaging errors of an X-ray CCD imager. These errors are quite different from those found in a visible CCD imager.« less

Improvement in the light sensitivity of the ultrahigh-speed high-sensitivity CCD with a microlens array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashida, T.,; Yonai, J.; Kitamura, K.; Arai, T.; Kurita, T.; Tanioka, K.; Maruyama, H.; Etoh, T. Goji; Kitagawa, S.; Hatade, K.; Yamaguchi, T.; Takeuchi, H.; Iida, K.

2008-02-01

We are advancing the development of ultrahigh-speed, high-sensitivity CCDs for broadcast use that are capable of capturing smooth slow-motion videos in vivid colors even where lighting is limited, such as at professional baseball games played at night. We have already developed a 300,000 pixel, ultrahigh-speed CCD, and a single CCD color camera that has been used for sports broadcasts and science programs using this CCD. However, there are cases where even higher sensitivity is required, such as when using a telephoto lens during a baseball broadcast or a high-magnification microscope during science programs. This paper provides a summary of our experimental development aimed at further increasing the sensitivity of CCDs using the light-collecting effects of a microlens array.

Software and hardware complex for observation of star occultations by asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karbovsky, V.; Kleshchonok, V.; Buromsky, M.

2017-12-01

The preparation to the program for observation of star occultations by asteroids on the AZT-2 telescope was started in 2016. A new method for registration of occultation with a CCD camera in the synchronous transfer mode was proposed and developed. The special program was written to control the CCD camera and record images during such observations. The speed of image transfer can vary within wide limits, which makes it possible to carry out observations in a wide range of stellar magnitudes. The telescope AZT-2 is used, which has the largest mirror diameter in Kiev (D = 0.7 m. F = 10.5 m). A 3-fold optical reducer was produced, which providing a field of view with a CCD camera Apogee Alta U47 10 arcminutes and the equivalent focal length of the telescope 3.2 meters. The results of test observations are presented. The program is implemented jointly by the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Astronomical Observatory of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Regular observations of star occultation by asteroids are planned with the help of this complex. % Z https://occultations.org Kleshchonok,V.V.,Buromsky,M. I. 2005, Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies, 21, 5, 405 Kleshchonok, V.V., Buromskii, N. I., Khat’ko,I.V.2008, Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies, 24, 2, 114

Research on automatic Hartmann test of membrane mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Xing; Jin, Guang; Liu, Chunyu; Zhang, Peng

2010-10-01

Electrostatic membrane mirror is ultra-lightweight and easy to acquire a large diameter comparing with traditional optical elements, so its development and usage is the trend of future large mirrors. In order to research the control method of the static stretching membrane mirror, the surface configuration must be tested. However, membrane mirror's shape is always changed by variable voltages on the electrodes, and the optical properties of membrane materials using in our experiment are poor, so it is difficult to test membrane mirror by interferometer and null compensator method. To solve this problem, an automatic optical test procedure for membrane mirror is designed based on Hartmann screen method. The optical path includes point light source, CCD camera, splitter and diffuse transmittance screen. The spots' positions on the diffuse transmittance screen are pictured by CCD camera connected with computer, and image segmentation and centroid solving is auto processed. The CCD camera's lens distortion is measured, and fixing coefficients are given to eliminate the spots' positions recording error caused by lens distortion. To process the low sampling Hartmann test results, Zernike polynomial fitting method is applied to smooth the wave front. So low frequency error of the membrane mirror can be measured then. Errors affecting the test accuracy are also analyzed in this paper. The method proposed in this paper provides a reference for surface shape detection in membrane mirror research.

Measurement of an Evaporating Drop on a Reflective Substrate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, David F.; Zhang, Nengli

2004-01-01

A figure depicts an apparatus that simultaneously records magnified ordinary top-view video images and laser shadowgraph video images of a sessile drop on a flat, horizontal substrate that can be opaque or translucent and is at least partially specularly reflective. The diameter, contact angle, and rate of evaporation of the drop as functions of time can be calculated from the apparent diameters of the drop in sequences of the images acquired at known time intervals, and the shadowgrams that contain flow patterns indicative of thermocapillary convection (if any) within the drop. These time-dependent parameters and flow patterns are important for understanding the physical processes involved in the spreading and evaporation of drops. The apparatus includes a source of white light and a laser (both omitted from the figure), which are used to form the ordinary image and the shadowgram, respectively. Charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera 1 (with zoom) acquires the ordinary video images, while CCD camera 2 acquires the shadowgrams. With respect to the portion of laser light specularly reflected from the substrate, the drop acts as a plano-convex lens, focusing the laser beam to a shadowgram on the projection screen in front of CCD camera 2. The equations for calculating the diameter, contact angle, and rate of evaporation of the drop are readily derived on the basis of Snell s law of refraction and the geometry of the optics.

Thermal Neutron Tomography for Cultural Heritage at INR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinca, Marin; Mandescu, Dragos

The neutron and gamma imaging facility placed at the tangential channel of the TRIGA-ACPR from INR was used for tomography investigations on a test object with good results and shortly followed its involvement for tomography investigations on prehistoric statues of clay from the Arges County Museum. This activity was performed in connection with a research contract with IAEA with title ;The neutron and gamma imaging method combined with neutron-based analytical methods for cultural heritage research;, in the frame of a current CRP, that helps curators to reveal the internal structure and composition of the objects. The detector system has been developed based on two interchangeable scintillators, one for thermal neutrons and the other one for gamma radiations, a mirror of float glass coated with aluminum and two interchangeable CCD cameras. Experiments of tomography imaging for two prehistoric statues of clay with CCD STARLIGHT XPRESS SXV-H9 camera with XD-4 type image intensifier are presented in this paper. The tomography reconstructions with Octopus software have shown the potential of good results even for 100 projections/1800. This was a good opportunity for the dissemination of the investigation methods based on neutrons for cultural heritage and beyond this area.

Transiting Exoplanet Observations at Grinnell College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerhaft, Julia; Slough, P.; Cale, B.; Kempton, E.

2014-01-01

Grinnell College, a small liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa with 1600 undergraduate students, is home to the Grant O. Gale Observatory. Over the past year, we have successfully detected extrasolar planets using the transit method with our 24-inch Cassegrain reflecting telescope equipped with a CCD camera. With little light pollution and an easily accessible observatory, Grinnell College is an optimal location for transiting exoplanet observations. With the current telescope set-up and CCD camera, we have taken time series data and created image calibration and post-processing programs that detect exoplanet transits at high photometric precision. In the future, we will continue to use these observation and data reduction procedures to conduct transiting exoplanet research. Goals for our research program include performing follow-up observations of transiting exoplanet candidates to confirm their planetary nature, searching for additional exoplanets in known planetary systems using the transit timing detection method, tracking long period transiting planets, and refining properties of exoplanets and their host stars. Ground-based transiting planet science is especially important in the post-Kepler era, and our dedicated mid-sized telescope with plenty of access to dark clear nights provides an ideal resource for a variety of follow up and exoplanet detection efforts.

Quantitative evaluation of the accuracy and variance of individual pixels in a scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera for computational imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Shigeo; Takahashi, Teruo; Bennett, Keith

2017-02-01

The"scientific" CMOS (sCMOS) camera architecture fundamentally differs from CCD and EMCCD cameras. In digital CCD and EMCCD cameras, conversion from charge to the digital output is generally through a single electronic chain, and the read noise and the conversion factor from photoelectrons to digital outputs are highly uniform for all pixels, although quantum efficiency may spatially vary. In CMOS cameras, the charge to voltage conversion is separate for each pixel and each column has independent amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters, in addition to possible pixel-to-pixel variation in quantum efficiency. The "raw" output from the CMOS image sensor includes pixel-to-pixel variability in the read noise, electronic gain, offset and dark current. Scientific camera manufacturers digitally compensate the raw signal from the CMOS image sensors to provide usable images. Statistical noise in images, unless properly modeled, can introduce errors in methods such as fluctuation correlation spectroscopy or computational imaging, for example, localization microscopy using maximum likelihood estimation. We measured the distributions and spatial maps of individual pixel offset, dark current, read noise, linearity, photoresponse non-uniformity and variance distributions of individual pixels for standard, off-the-shelf Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash4.0 V3 sCMOS cameras using highly uniform and controlled illumination conditions, from dark conditions to multiple low light levels between 20 to 1,000 photons / pixel per frame to higher light conditions. We further show that using pixel variance for flat field correction leads to errors in cameras with good factory calibration.

The 3-D image recognition based on fuzzy neural network technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirota, Kaoru; Yamauchi, Kenichi; Murakami, Jun; Tanaka, Kei

1993-01-01

Three dimensional stereoscopic image recognition system based on fuzzy-neural network technology was developed. The system consists of three parts; preprocessing part, feature extraction part, and matching part. Two CCD color camera image are fed to the preprocessing part, where several operations including RGB-HSV transformation are done. A multi-layer perception is used for the line detection in the feature extraction part. Then fuzzy matching technique is introduced in the matching part. The system is realized on SUN spark station and special image input hardware system. An experimental result on bottle images is also presented.

Initial Demonstration of 9-MHz Framing Camera Rates on the FAST UV Drive Laser Pulse Trains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lumpkin, A. H.; Edstrom Jr., D.; Ruan, J.

2016-10-09

We report the configuration of a Hamamatsu C5680 streak camera as a framing camera to record transverse spatial information of green-component laser micropulses at 3- and 9-MHz rates for the first time. The latter is near the time scale of the ~7.5-MHz revolution frequency of the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring and its expected synchroton radiation source temporal structure. The 2-D images are recorded with a Gig-E readout CCD camera. We also report a first proof of principle with an OTR source using the linac streak camera in a semi-framing mode.

Extreme ultra-violet movie camera for imaging microsecond time scale magnetic reconnection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chai, Kil-Byoung; Bellan, Paul M.

2013-12-15

An ultra-fast extreme ultra-violet (EUV) movie camera has been developed for imaging magnetic reconnection in the Caltech spheromak/astrophysical jet experiment. The camera consists of a broadband Mo:Si multilayer mirror, a fast decaying YAG:Ce scintillator, a visible light block, and a high-speed visible light CCD camera. The camera can capture EUV images as fast as 3.3 × 10{sup 6} frames per second with 0.5 cm spatial resolution. The spectral range is from 20 eV to 60 eV. EUV images reveal strong, transient, highly localized bursts of EUV radiation when magnetic reconnection occurs.

International Congress on High-Speed Photography and Photonics, 19th, Cambridge, England, Sept. 16-21, 1990, Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garfield, B.R.; Rendell, J.T.

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses the application of schlieren photography in industry, laser fiber-optic high speed photography, holographic visualization of hypervelocity explosions, sub-100-picosec X-ray grating cameras, flash soft X-radiography, a novel approach to synchroballistic photography, a programmable image converter framing camera, high speed readout CCDs, an ultrafast optomechanical camera, a femtosec streak tube, a modular streak camera for laser ranging, and human-movement analysis with real-time imaging. Also discussed are high-speed photography of high-resolution moire patterns, a 2D electron-bombarded CCD readout for picosec electrooptical data, laser-generated plasma X-ray diagnostics, 3D shape restoration with virtual grating phase detection, Cu vapor lasers for highmore » speed photography, a two-frequency picosec laser with electrooptical feedback, the conversion of schlieren systems to high speed interferometers, laser-induced cavitation bubbles, stereo holographic cinematography, a gatable photonic detector, and laser generation of Stoneley waves at liquid-solid boundaries.« less

Image Information Obtained Using a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) Camera During an Immersion Liquid Evaporation Process for Measuring the Refractive Index of Solid Particles.

PubMed

Niskanen, Ilpo; Sutinen, Veijo; Thungström, Göran; Räty, Jukka

2018-06-01

The refractive index is a fundamental physical property of a medium, which can be used for the identification and purity issues of all media. Here we describe a refractive index measurement technique to determine simultaneously the refractive index of different solid particles by monitoring the transmittance of light from a suspension using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. An important feature of the measurement is the liquid evaporation process for the refractive index matching of the solid particle and the immersion liquid; this was realized by using a pair of volatile and non-volatile immersion liquids. In this study, refractive indices of calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ) and barium fluoride (BaF 2 ) were determined using the proposed method.

Foam Experiment Hardware are Flown on Microgravity Rocket MAXUS 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lockowandt, C.; Löth, K.; Jansson, O.; Holm, P.; Lundin, M.; Schneider, H.; Larsson, B.

2002-01-01

The Foam module was developed by Swedish Space Corporation and was used for performing foam experiments on the sounding rocket MAXUS 4 launched from Esrange 29 April 2001. The development and launch of the module has been financed by ESA. Four different foam experiments were performed, two aqueous foams by Doctor Michele Adler from LPMDI, University of Marne la Vallée, Paris and two non aqueous foams by Doctor Bengt Kronberg from YKI, Institute for Surface Chemistry, Stockholm. The foam was generated in four separate foam systems and monitored in microgravity with CCD cameras. The purpose of the experiment was to generate and study the foam in microgravity. Due to loss of gravity there is no drainage in the foam and the reactions in the foam can be studied without drainage. Four solutions with various stabilities were investigated. The aqueous solutions contained water, SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate) and dodecanol. The organic solutions contained ethylene glycol a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and decanol. Carbon dioxide was used to generate the aqueous foam and nitrogen was used to generate the organic foam. The experiment system comprised four complete independent systems with injection unit, experiment chamber and gas system. The main part in the experiment system is the experiment chamber where the foam is generated and monitored. The chamber inner dimensions are 50x50x50 mm and it has front and back wall made of glass. The front window is used for monitoring the foam and the back window is used for back illumination. The front glass has etched crosses on the inside as reference points. In the bottom of the cell is a glass frit and at the top is a gas in/outlet. The foam was generated by injecting the experiment liquid in a glass frit in the bottom of the experiment chamber. Simultaneously gas was blown through the glass frit and a small amount of foam was generated. This procedure was performed at 10 bar. Then the pressure was lowered in the experiment chamber to approximately 0,1 bar to expand the foam to a dry foam that filled the experiment chamber. The foam was regenerated during flight by pressurise the cell and repeat the foam generation procedures. The module had 4 individual experiment chambers for the four different solutions. The four experiment chambers were controlled individually with individual experiment parameters and procedures. The gas system comprise on/off valves and adjustable valves to control the pressure and the gas flow and liquid flow during foam generation. The gas system can be divided in four sections, each section serving one experiment chamber. The sections are partly connected in two pairs with common inlet and outlet. The two pairs are supplied with a 1l gas bottle each filled to a pressure of 40 bar and a pressure regulator lowering the pressure from 40 bar to 10 bar. Two sections are connected to the same outlet. The gas outlets from the experiment chambers are connected to two symmetrical placed outlets on the outer structure with diffusers not to disturb the g-levels. The foam in each experiment chamber was monitored with one tomography camera and one overview camera (8 CCD cameras in total). The tomography camera is placed on a translation table which makes it possible to move it in the depth direction of the experiment chamber. The video signal from the 8 CCD cameras were stored onboard with two DV recorders. Two video signals were also transmitted to ground for real time evaluation and operation of the experiment. Which camera signal that was transmitted to ground could be selected with telecommands. With help of the tomography system it was possible to take sequences of images of the foam at different depths in the foam. This sequences of images are used for constructing a 3-D model of the foam after flight. The overview camera has a fixed position and a field of view that covers the total experiment chamber. This camera is used for monitoring the generation of foam and the overall behaviour of the foam. The experiment was performed successfully with foam generation in all 4 experiment chambers. Foam was also regenerated during flight with telecommands. The experiment data is under evaluation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conder, A.; Mummolo, F. J.

The goal of the project was to develop a compact, large active area, high spatial resolution, high dynamic range, charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to replace film for digital imaging of visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and soft to penetrating X-rays. The camera head and controller needed to be capable of operation within a vacuum environment and small enough to be fielded within the small vacuum target chambers at LLNL.

ONR Workshop on Magnetohydrodynamic Submarine Propulsion (2nd), Held in San Diego, California on November 16-17, 1989

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-01

electrohtic dissociation of the electrode mate- pedo applications seem to be still somewhat rial, and to provide a good gas evolution wlhich out of the...rod cathode. A unique feature of this preliminary experiment was the use of a prototype gated, intensified video camera. This camera is based on a...microprocessor controlled microchannel plate intensifier tube. The intensifier tube image is focused on a standard CCD video camera so that the object

Real-time tricolor phase measuring profilometry based on CCD sensitivity calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lin; Cao, Yiping; He, Dawu; Chen, Cheng

2017-02-01

A real-time tricolor phase measuring profilometry (RTPMP) based on charge coupled device (CCD) sensitivity calibration is proposed. Only one colour fringe pattern whose red (R), green (G) and blue (B) components are, respectively, coded as three sinusoidal phase-shifting gratings with an equivalent shifting phase of 2π/3 is needed and sent to an appointed flash memory on a specialized digital light projector (SDLP). A specialized time-division multiplexing timing sequence actively controls the SDLP to project the fringe patterns in R, G and B channels sequentially onto the measured object in one over seventy-two of a second and meanwhile actively controls a high frame rate monochrome CCD camera to capture the corresponding deformed patterns synchronously with the SDLP. So the sufficient information for reconstructing the three-dimensional (3D) shape in one over twenty-four of a second is obtained. Due to the different spectral sensitivity of the CCD camera to RGB lights, the captured deformed patterns from R, G and B channels cannot share the same peak and valley, which will lead to lower accuracy or even failing to reconstruct the 3D shape. So a deformed pattern amending method based on CCD sensitivity calibration is developed to guarantee the accurate 3D reconstruction. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed RTPMP method. The proposed RTPMP method can obtain the 3D shape at over the video frame rate of 24 frames per second, avoid the colour crosstalk completely and be effective for measuring real-time changing object.

Real-time automatic inspection under adverse conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalho, Fernando D.; Correia, Fernando C.; Freitas, Jose C. A.; Rodrigues, Fernando C.

1991-03-01

This paper presents the results of a R&D Program supported by a grant from the Ministry of Defense, devoted to the development of an inteffigent camera for surveillance in the open air. The effects of shadows, clouds and winds were problems to be solved without generating false alarm events. The system is based on a video CCD camera which generates a video CCIR signal. The signal is then processed in modular hardware which detects the changes in the scene and processes the image, in order to enhance the intruder image and path. Windows may be defined over the image in order to increase the information obtained about the intruder and a first approach to the classification of the type of intruder may be achieved. The paper describes the hardware used in the system, as well as the software, used for the installation of the camera and the software developed for the microprocessor which is responsible for the generation of the alarm signals. The paper also presents some results of surveillance tasks in the open air executed by the system with real time performance.

Development of a PET/Cerenkov-light hybrid imaging system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamamoto, Seiichi, E-mail: s-yama@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Hamamura, Fuka; Kato, Katsuhiko

2014-09-15

Purpose: Cerenkov-light imaging is a new molecular imaging technology that detects visible photons from high-speed electrons using a high sensitivity optical camera. However, the merit of Cerenkov-light imaging remains unclear. If a PET/Cerenkov-light hybrid imaging system were developed, the merit of Cerenkov-light imaging would be clarified by directly comparing these two imaging modalities. Methods: The authors developed and tested a PET/Cerenkov-light hybrid imaging system that consists of a dual-head PET system, a reflection mirror located above the subject, and a high sensitivity charge coupled device (CCD) camera. The authors installed these systems inside a black box for imaging the Cerenkov-light.more » The dual-head PET system employed a 1.2 × 1.2 × 10 mm{sup 3} GSO arranged in a 33 × 33 matrix that was optically coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier tube to form a GSO block detector. The authors arranged two GSO block detectors 10 cm apart and positioned the subject between them. The Cerenkov-light above the subject is reflected by the mirror and changes its direction to the side of the PET system and is imaged by the high sensitivity CCD camera. Results: The dual-head PET system had a spatial resolution of ∼1.2 mm FWHM and sensitivity of ∼0.31% at the center of the FOV. The Cerenkov-light imaging system's spatial resolution was ∼275μm for a {sup 22}Na point source. Using the combined PET/Cerenkov-light hybrid imaging system, the authors successfully obtained fused images from simultaneously acquired images. The image distributions are sometimes different due to the light transmission and absorption in the body of the subject in the Cerenkov-light images. In simultaneous imaging of rat, the authors found that {sup 18}F-FDG accumulation was observed mainly in the Harderian gland on the PET image, while the distribution of Cerenkov-light was observed in the eyes. Conclusions: The authors conclude that their developed PET/Cerenkov-light hybrid imaging system is useful to evaluate the merits and the limitations of Cerenkov-light imaging in molecular imaging research.« less

A Motionless Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Omniview, a motionless, noiseless, exceptionally versatile camera was developed for NASA as a receiving device for guiding space robots. The system can see in one direction and provide as many as four views simultaneously. Developed by Omniview, Inc. (formerly TRI) under a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, the system's image transformation electronics produce a real-time image from anywhere within a hemispherical field. Lens distortion is removed, and a corrected "flat" view appears on a monitor. Key elements are a high resolution charge coupled device (CCD), image correction circuitry and a microcomputer for image processing. The system can be adapted to existing installations. Applications include security and surveillance, teleconferencing, imaging, virtual reality, broadcast video and military operations. Omniview technology is now called IPIX. The company was founded in 1986 as TeleRobotics International, became Omniview in 1995, and changed its name to Interactive Pictures Corporation in 1997.

Performance of the e2v 1.2 GPix cryogenic camera for the J-PAS 2.5m survey telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robbins, M. S.; Bastable, M.; Bates, A.; Dryer, M.; Eames, S.; Fenemore-Jones, G.; Haddow, G.; Jorden, P. R.; Lane, B.; Marin-Franch, A.; Mortimer, J.; Palmer, I.; Puttay, N.; Renshaw, R.; Smith, M.; Taylor, K.; Tearle, J.; Weston, P.; Wheeler, P.; Worley, J.

2016-08-01

The J-PAS project will perform a five-year survey of the northern sky from a new 2.5m telescope in Teruel, Spain. In this paper the build and factory testing of the commercially supplied cryogenic camera is described. The 1.2 Giga-pixel focal plane is contained within a novel liquid-nitrogen cooled vacuum cryostat, which maintains the flatness for the cooled, 0.45m diameter focal plane to better than 27 μm peak to valley. The cooling system controls the focal plane to a temperature of -100°C with a variation across the focal plane of better than 2.5oC and a stability of better than +/- 0.5 °C over the long periods of operation required. The proximity drive electronics achieves total system level noise performance better than 5 e- from the 224-channel CCD system.

SoundView: an auditory guidance system based on environment understanding for the visually impaired people.

PubMed

Nie, Min; Ren, Jie; Li, Zhengjun; Niu, Jinhai; Qiu, Yihong; Zhu, Yisheng; Tong, Shanbao

2009-01-01

Without visual information, the blind people live in various hardships with shopping, reading, finding objects and etc. Therefore, we developed a portable auditory guide system, called SoundView, for visually impaired people. This prototype system consists of a mini-CCD camera, a digital signal processing unit and an earphone, working with built-in customizable auditory coding algorithms. Employing environment understanding techniques, SoundView processes the images from a camera and detects objects tagged with barcodes. The recognized objects in the environment are then encoded into stereo speech signals for the blind though an earphone. The user would be able to recognize the type, motion state and location of the interested objects with the help of SoundView. Compared with other visual assistant techniques, SoundView is object-oriented and has the advantages of cheap cost, smaller size, light weight, low power consumption and easy customization.

Multimodal optical setup based on spectrometer and cameras combination for biological tissue characterization with spatially modulated illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baruch, Daniel; Abookasis, David

2017-04-01

The application of optical techniques as tools for biomedical research has generated substantial interest for the ability of such methodologies to simultaneously measure biochemical and morphological parameters of tissue. Ongoing optimization of optical techniques may introduce such tools as alternative or complementary to conventional methodologies. The common approach shared by current optical techniques lies in the independent acquisition of tissue's optical properties (i.e., absorption and reduced scattering coefficients) from reflected or transmitted light. Such optical parameters, in turn, provide detailed information regarding both the concentrations of clinically relevant chromophores and macroscopic structural variations in tissue. We couple a noncontact optical setup with a simple analysis algorithm to obtain absorption and scattering coefficients of biological samples under test. Technically, a portable picoprojector projects serial sinusoidal patterns at low and high spatial frequencies, while a spectrometer and two independent CCD cameras simultaneously acquire the reflected diffuse light through a single spectrometer and two separate CCD cameras having different bandpass filters at nonisosbestic and isosbestic wavelengths in front of each. This configuration fills the gaps in each other's capabilities for acquiring optical properties of tissue at high spectral and spatial resolution. Experiments were performed on both tissue-mimicking phantoms as well as hands of healthy human volunteers to quantify their optical properties as proof of concept for the present technique. In a separate experiment, we derived the optical properties of the hand skin from the measured diffuse reflectance, based on a recently developed camera model. Additionally, oxygen saturation levels of tissue measured by the system were found to agree well with reference values. Taken together, the present results demonstrate the potential of this integrated setup for diagnostic and research applications.

Video semaphore decoding for free-space optical communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Last, Matthew; Fisher, Brian; Ezekwe, Chinwuba; Hubert, Sean M.; Patel, Sheetal; Hollar, Seth; Leibowitz, Brian S.; Pister, Kristofer S. J.

2001-04-01

Using teal-time image processing we have demonstrated a low bit-rate free-space optical communication system at a range of more than 20km with an average optical transmission power of less than 2mW. The transmitter is an autonomous one cubic inch microprocessor-controlled sensor node with a laser diode output. The receiver is a standard CCD camera with a 1-inch aperture lens, and both hardware and software implementations of the video semaphore decoding algorithm. With this system sensor data can be reliably transmitted 21 km form San Francisco to Berkeley.

Mars Exploration Rover Navigation Camera in-flight calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soderblom, Jason M.; Bell, James F.; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Joseph, Jonathan; Wolff, Michael J.

2008-06-01

The Navigation Camera (Navcam) instruments on the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) spacecraft provide support for both tactical operations as well as scientific observations where color information is not necessary: large-scale morphology, atmospheric monitoring including cloud observations and dust devil movies, and context imaging for both the thermal emission spectrometer and the in situ instruments on the Instrument Deployment Device. The Navcams are a panchromatic stereoscopic imaging system built using identical charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors and nearly identical electronics boards as the other cameras on the MER spacecraft. Previous calibration efforts were primarily focused on providing a detailed geometric calibration in line with the principal function of the Navcams, to provide data for the MER navigation team. This paper provides a detailed description of a new Navcam calibration pipeline developed to provide an absolute radiometric calibration that we estimate to have an absolute accuracy of 10% and a relative precision of 2.5%. Our calibration pipeline includes steps to model and remove the bias offset, the dark current charge that accumulates in both the active and readout regions of the CCD, and the shutter smear. It also corrects pixel-to-pixel responsivity variations using flat-field images, and converts from raw instrument-corrected digital number values per second to units of radiance (W m-2 nm-1 sr-1), or to radiance factor (I/F). We also describe here the initial results of two applications where radiance-calibrated Navcam data provide unique information for surface photometric and atmospheric aerosol studies.

Dynamic light scattering microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dzakpasu, Rhonda

An optical microscope technique, dynamic light scattering microscopy (DLSM) that images dynamically scattered light fluctuation decay rates is introduced. Using physical optics we show theoretically that within the optical resolution of the microscope, relative motions between scattering centers are sufficient to produce significant phase variations resulting in interference intensity fluctuations in the image plane. The time scale for these intensity fluctuations is predicted. The spatial coherence distance defining the average distance between constructive and destructive interference in the image plane is calculated and compared with the pixel size. We experimentally tested DLSM on polystyrene latex nanospheres and living macrophage cells. In order to record these rapid fluctuations, on a slow progressive scan CCD camera, we used a thin laser line of illumination on the sample such that only a single column of pixels in the CCD camera is illuminated. This allowed the use of the rate of the column-by-column readout transfer process as the acquisition rate of the camera. This manipulation increased the data acquisition rate by at least an order of magnitude in comparison to conventional CCD cameras rates defined by frames/s. Analysis of the observed fluctuations provides information regarding the rates of motion of the scattering centers. These rates, acquired from each position on the sample are used to create a spatial map of the fluctuation decay rates. Our experiments show that with this technique, we are able to achieve a good signal-to-noise ratio and can monitor fast intensity fluctuations, on the order of milliseconds. DLSM appears to provide dynamic information about fast motions within cells at a sub-optical resolution scale and provides a new kind of spatial contrast.

Sentinel lymph node detection in gynecologic malignancies by a handheld fluorescence camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsch, Ole; Szyc, Lukasz; Muallem, Mustafa Zelal; Ignat, Iulia; Chekerov, Radoslav; Macdonald, Rainer; Sehouli, Jalid; Braicu, Ioana; Grosenick, Dirk

2017-02-01

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging using indocyanine green (ICG) as a tracer is a promising technique for mapping the lymphatic system and for detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) during cancer surgery. In our feasibility study we have investigated the application of a custom-made handheld fluorescence camera system for the detection of lymph nodes in gynecological malignancies. It comprises a low cost CCD camera with enhanced NIR sensitivity and two groups of LEDs emitting at wavelengths of 735 nm and 830 nm for interlaced recording of fluorescence and reflectance images of the tissue, respectively. With the help of our system, surgeons can observe fluorescent tissue structures overlaid onto the anatomical image on a monitor in real-time. We applied the camera system for intraoperative lymphatic mapping in 5 patients with vulvar cancer, 5 patients with ovarian cancer, 3 patients with cervical cancer, and 3 patients with endometrial cancer. ICG was injected at four loci around the primary malignant tumor during surgery. After a residence time of typically 15 min fluorescence images were taken in order to visualize the lymph nodes closest to the carcinomas. In cases with vulvar cancer about half of the lymph nodes detected by routinely performed radioactive SLN mapping have shown fluorescence in vivo as well. In the other types of carcinomas several lymph nodes could be detected by fluorescence during laparotomy. We conclude that our low cost camera system has sufficient sensitivity for lymphatic mapping during surgery.

Research-grade CMOS image sensors for remote sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saint-Pe, Olivier; Tulet, Michel; Davancens, Robert; Larnaudie, Franck; Magnan, Pierre; Martin-Gonthier, Philippe; Corbiere, Franck; Belliot, Pierre; Estribeau, Magali

2004-11-01

Imaging detectors are key elements for optical instruments and sensors on board space missions dedicated to Earth observation (high resolution imaging, atmosphere spectroscopy...), Solar System exploration (micro cameras, guidance for autonomous vehicle...) and Universe observation (space telescope focal planes, guiding sensors...). This market has been dominated by CCD technology for long. Since the mid-90s, CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) have been competing with CCDs for consumer domains (webcams, cell phones, digital cameras...). Featuring significant advantages over CCD sensors for space applications (lower power consumption, smaller system size, better radiations behaviour...), CMOS technology is also expanding in this field, justifying specific R&D and development programs funded by national and European space agencies (mainly CNES, DGA and ESA). All along the 90s and thanks to their increasingly improving performances, CIS have started to be successfully used for more and more demanding space applications, from vision and control functions requiring low-level performances to guidance applications requiring medium-level performances. Recent technology improvements have made possible the manufacturing of research-grade CIS that are able to compete with CCDs in the high-performances arena. After an introduction outlining the growing interest of optical instruments designers for CMOS image sensors, this paper will present the existing and foreseen ways to reach high-level electro-optics performances for CIS. The developments and performances of CIS prototypes built using an imaging CMOS process will be presented in the corresponding section.

Progress On The Thomson Scattering Diagnostic For The Helicon Plasma Experiment (HPX)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, A.; Emami, T.; Davies, R.; Frank, J.; Hopson, J.; Karama, J.; James, R. W.; Hopson, J.; Paolino, R. N.; Sandri, E.; Turk, J.; Wicke, M.; Cgapl Team

2017-10-01

A high-performance spectrometer utilizing volume-phase-holographic (VPH) grating and a charge coupled device (CCD) camera with a range of 380-1090 nm and resolution of 1024x1024 has been assembled on HPX at the Coast Guard Academy Plasma Laboratory (CGAPL). This spectrometer will collect doppler shifted photons, emitted from the plasma by the first harmonic (1064 nm) of a 2.5 J Nd:YAG laser. Direct measurements of the plasma's temperature and density will be determined using HPX's Thomson Scattering (TS) single spatial point diagnostic system. A zero order half wave plate rotates the polarization of the second harmonic TS laser beam when operating at a wavelength of 532 nm. A linear actuated periscope has been constructed to remotely redirect the beam so that 532 and 1064 nm wavelengths can both be used. TS has the capability of determining plasma properties on short time scales and will be used to create a robust picture of the internal plasma parameters. Operating at both 532 and 1064 nm results in a self-consistent measurement and better use our existing spectrometer and soon to be constructed polychrometer. A prototype spectrometer has been constructed to explore the Andor CCD camera's resolution and sensitivity. The current status of the diagnostic development, spectrometer, and collection optics system will be reported. Supported by U.S. DEPS Grant [HEL-JTO] PRWJFY17.

Cooling the dark energy camera instrument

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmitt, R.L.; Cease, H.; /Fermilab

2008-06-01

DECam, camera for the Dark Energy Survey (DES), is undergoing general design and component testing. For an overview see DePoy, et al in these proceedings. For a description of the imager, see Cease, et al in these proceedings. The CCD instrument will be mounted at the prime focus of the CTIO Blanco 4m telescope. The instrument temperature will be 173K with a heat load of 113W. In similar applications, cooling CCD instruments at the prime focus has been accomplished by three general methods. Liquid nitrogen reservoirs have been constructed to operate in any orientation, pulse tube cryocoolers have been usedmore » when tilt angles are limited and Joule-Thompson or Stirling cryocoolers have been used with smaller heat loads. Gifford-MacMahon cooling has been used at the Cassegrain but not at the prime focus. For DES, the combined requirements of high heat load, temperature stability, low vibration, operation in any orientation, liquid nitrogen cost and limited space available led to the design of a pumped, closed loop, circulating nitrogen system. At zenith the instrument will be twelve meters above the pump/cryocooler station. This cooling system expected to have a 10,000 hour maintenance interval. This paper will describe the engineering basis including the thermal model, unbalanced forces, cooldown time, the single and two-phase flow model.« less

X-ray microbeam stand-alone facility for cultured cells irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bożek, Sebastian; Bielecki, Jakub; Wiecheć, Anna; Lekki, Janusz; Stachura, Zbigniew; Pogoda, Katarzyna; Lipiec, Ewelina; Tkocz, Konrad; Kwiatek, Wojciech M.

2017-03-01

The article describes an X-ray microbeam standalone facility dedicated for irradiation of living cultured cells. The article can serve as an advice for such facilities construction, as it begins from engineering details, through mathematical modeling and experimental procedures, ending up with preliminary experimental results and conclusions. The presented system consists of an open type X-ray tube with microfocusing down to about 2 μm, an X-ray focusing system with optical elements arranged in the nested Kirckpatrick-Baez (or Montel) geometry, a sample stand and an optical microscope with a scientific digital CCD camera. For the beam visualisation an X-ray sensitive CCD camera and a spectral detector are used, as well as a scintillator screen combined with the microscope. A method of precise one by one irradiation of previously chosen cells is presented, as well as a fast method of uniform irradiation of a chosen sample area. Mathematical models of beam and cell with calculations of kerma and dose are presented. The experiments on dose-effect relationship, kinetics of DNA double strand breaks repair, as well as micronuclei observation were performed on PC-3 (Prostate Cancer) cultured cells. The cells were seeded and irradiated on Mylar foil, which covered a hole drilled in the Petri dish. DNA lesions were visualised with γ-H2AX marker combined with Alexa Fluor 488 fluorescent dye.

THE DARK ENERGY CAMERA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flaugher, B.; Diehl, H. T.; Alvarez, O.

2015-11-15

The Dark Energy Camera is a new imager with a 2.°2 diameter field of view mounted at the prime focus of the Victor M. Blanco 4 m telescope on Cerro Tololo near La Serena, Chile. The camera was designed and constructed by the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration and meets or exceeds the stringent requirements designed for the wide-field and supernova surveys for which the collaboration uses it. The camera consists of a five-element optical corrector, seven filters, a shutter with a 60 cm aperture, and a charge-coupled device (CCD) focal plane of 250 μm thick fully depleted CCDs cooled inside a vacuummore » Dewar. The 570 megapixel focal plane comprises 62 2k × 4k CCDs for imaging and 12 2k × 2k CCDs for guiding and focus. The CCDs have 15 μm × 15 μm pixels with a plate scale of 0.″263 pixel{sup −1}. A hexapod system provides state-of-the-art focus and alignment capability. The camera is read out in 20 s with 6–9 electron readout noise. This paper provides a technical description of the camera's engineering, construction, installation, and current status.« less

The Dark Energy Camera

DOE PAGES

Flaugher, B.

2015-04-11

The Dark Energy Camera is a new imager with a 2.2-degree diameter field of view mounted at the prime focus of the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope on Cerro Tololo near La Serena, Chile. The camera was designed and constructed by the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration, and meets or exceeds the stringent requirements designed for the wide-field and supernova surveys for which the collaboration uses it. The camera consists of a five element optical corrector, seven filters, a shutter with a 60 cm aperture, and a CCD focal plane of 250-μm thick fully depleted CCDs cooled inside a vacuum Dewar.more » The 570 Mpixel focal plane comprises 62 2k x 4k CCDs for imaging and 12 2k x 2k CCDs for guiding and focus. The CCDs have 15μm x 15μm pixels with a plate scale of 0.263" per pixel. A hexapod system provides state-of-the-art focus and alignment capability. The camera is read out in 20 seconds with 6-9 electrons readout noise. This paper provides a technical description of the camera's engineering, construction, installation, and current status.« less

Phase shifting white light interferometry using colour CCD for optical metrology and bio-imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upputuri, Paul Kumar; Pramanik, Manojit

2018-02-01

Phase shifting white light interferometry (PSWLI) has been widely used for optical metrology applications because of their precision, reliability, and versatility. White light interferometry using monochrome CCD makes the measurement process slow for metrology applications. WLI integrated with Red-Green-Blue (RGB) CCD camera is finding imaging applications in the fields optical metrology and bio-imaging. Wavelength dependent refractive index profiles of biological samples were computed from colour white light interferograms. In recent years, whole-filed refractive index profiles of red blood cells (RBCs), onion skin, fish cornea, etc. were measured from RGB interferograms. In this paper, we discuss the bio-imaging applications of colour CCD based white light interferometry. The approach makes the measurement faster, easier, cost-effective, and even dynamic by using single fringe analysis methods, for industrial applications.

An imaging system for PLIF/Mie measurements for a combusting flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wey, C. C.; Ghorashi, B.; Marek, C. J.; Wey, C.

1990-01-01

The equipment required to establish an imaging system can be divided into four parts: (1) the light source and beam shaping optics; (2) camera and recording; (3) image acquisition and processing; and (4) computer and output systems. A pulsed, Nd:YAG-pummped, frequency-doubled dye laser which can freeze motion in the flowfield is used for an illumination source. A set of lenses is used to form the laser beam into a sheet. The induced fluorescence is collected by an UV-enhanced lens and passes through an UV-enhanced microchannel plate intensifier which is optically coupled to a gated solid state CCD camera. The output of the camera is simultaneously displayed on a monitor and recorded on either a laser videodisc set of a Super VHS VCR. This videodisc set is controlled by a minicomputer via a connection to the RS-232C interface terminals. The imaging system is connected to the host computer by a bus repeater and can be multiplexed between four video input sources. Sample images from a planar shear layer experiment are presented to show the processing capability of the imaging system with the host computer.

Mosaic CCD method: A new technique for observing dynamics of cometary magnetospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saito, T.; Takeuchi, H.; Kozuba, Y.; Okamura, S.; Konno, I.; Hamabe, M.; Aoki, T.; Minami, S.; Isobe, S.

1992-01-01

On April 29, 1990, the plasma tail of Comet Austin was observed with a CCD camera on the 105-cm Schmidt telescope at the Kiso Observatory of the University of Tokyo. The area of the CCD used in this observation is only about 1 sq cm. When this CCD is used on the 105-cm Schmidt telescope at the Kiso Observatory, the area corresponds to a narrow square view of 12 ft x 12 ft. By comparison with the photograph of Comet Austin taken by Numazawa (personal communication) on the same night, we see that only a small part of the plasma tail can be photographed at one time with the CCD. However, by shifting the view on the CCD after each exposure, we succeeded in imaging the entire length of the cometary magnetosphere of 1.6 x 10(exp 6) km. This new technique is called 'the mosaic CCD method'. In order to study the dynamics of cometary plasma tails, seven frames of the comet from the head to the tail region were twice imaged with the mosaic CCD method and two sets of images were obtained. Six microstructures, including arcade structures, were identified in both the images. Sketches of the plasma tail including microstructures are included.

Calculation of lens alignment errors using the ray transfer matrices for the lens assembly system with an autocollimator and a rotation stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Jiyoung; Cho, Sungwhi; Joo, Won Don; Jang, Sangdon

2017-08-01

One of the most popular methods for high precision lens assembly of an optical system is using an autocollimator and a rotation stage. Some companies provide software for calculating the state of the lens along with their lens assembly systems, but the calculation algorithms used by the software are unknown. In this paper, we suggest a calculation method for lens alignment errors using ray transfer matrices. Alignment errors resulting from tilting and decentering of a lens element can be calculated from the tilts of the front and back surfaces of the lens. The tilt of each surface can be obtained from the position of the reticle image on the CCD camera of the autocollimator. Rays from a reticle of the autocollimator are reflected from the target surface of the lens, which rotates with the rotation stage, and are imaged on the CCD camera. To obtain a clear image, the distance between the autocollimator and the first lens surface should be adjusted according to the focusing lens of the autocollimator and the lens surfaces from the first to the target surface. Ray propagations for the autocollimator and the tilted lens surfaces can be expressed effectively by using ray transfer matrices and lens alignment errors can be derived from them. This method was compared with Zemax simulation for various lenses with spherical or flat surfaces and the error was less than a few percent.

Development of a vision-based pH reading system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hur, Min Goo; Kong, Young Bae; Lee, Eun Je; Park, Jeong Hoon; Yang, Seung Dae; Moon, Ha Jung; Lee, Dong Hoon

2015-10-01

pH paper is generally used for pH interpretation in the QC (quality control) process of radiopharmaceuticals. pH paper is easy to handle and useful for small samples such as radio-isotopes and radioisotope (RI)-labeled compounds for positron emission tomography (PET). However, pHpaper-based detecting methods may have some errors due limitations of eye sight and inaccurate readings. In this paper, we report a new device for pH reading and related software. The proposed pH reading system is developed with a vision algorithm based on the RGB library. The pH reading system is divided into two parts. First is the reading device that consists of a light source, a CCD camera and a data acquisition (DAQ) board. To improve the accuracy of the sensitivity, we utilize the three primary colors of the LED (light emission diode) in the reading device. The use of three colors is better than the use of a single color for a white LED because of wavelength. The other is a graph user interface (GUI) program for a vision interface and report generation. The GUI program inserts the color codes of the pH paper into the database; then, the CCD camera captures the pH paper and compares its color with the RGB database image in the reading mode. The software captures and reports information on the samples, such as pH results, capture images, and library images, and saves them as excel files.

Improved Measurement of Ejection Velocities From Craters Formed in Sand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cintala, Mark J.; Byers, Terry; Cardenas, Francisco; Montes, Roland; Potter, Elliot E.

2014-01-01

A typical impact crater is formed by two major processes: compression of the target (essentially equivalent to a footprint in soil) and ejection of material. The Ejection-Velocity Measurement System (EVMS) in the Experimental Impact Laboratory has been used to study ejection velocities from impact craters formed in sand since the late 1990s. The original system used an early-generation Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera; custom-written software; and a complex, multicomponent optical system to direct laser light for illumination. Unfortunately, the electronic equipment was overtaken by age, and the software became obsolete in light of improved computer hardware.

Autonomous spectrographic system to analyse the main elements of fireballs and meteors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espartero, Francisco Ángel; Martínez, Germán; Frías, Marta; Montes Moya, Francisco Simón; Castro-Tirado, Alberto Javier

2018-01-01

We present a meteor observation system based on imaging CCD cameras, wide-field optics and a diffraction grating. This system is composed of two independent spectrographs with different configurations, which allows us to capture images of fireballs and meteors with several fields of view and sensitivities. The complete set forms a small autonomous observatory, comprised of a sealed box with a sliding roof, weather station and computers for data storing and reduction. Since 2014, several meteors have been studied using this facility, such as the Alcalá la Real fireball recorded on 30 September 2016.

Collaborated measurement of three-dimensional position and orientation errors of assembled miniature devices with two vision systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaodong; Zhang, Wei; Luo, Yi; Yang, Weimin; Chen, Liang

2013-01-01

In assembly of miniature devices, the position and orientation of the parts to be assembled should be guaranteed during or after assembly. In some cases, the relative position or orientation errors among the parts can not be measured from only one direction using visual method, because of visual occlusion or for the features of parts located in a three-dimensional way. An automatic assembly system for precise miniature devices is introduced. In the modular assembly system, two machine vision systems were employed for measurement of the three-dimensionally distributed assembly errors. High resolution CCD cameras and high position repeatability precision stages were integrated to realize high precision measurement in large work space. The two cameras worked in collaboration in measurement procedure to eliminate the influence of movement errors of the rotational or translational stages. A set of templates were designed for calibration of the vision systems and evaluation of the system's measurement accuracy.

Design of a multispectral, wedge filter, remote-sensing instrument incorporating a multiport, thinned, CCD area array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demro, James C.; Hartshorne, Richard; Woody, Loren M.; Levine, Peter A.; Tower, John R.

1995-06-01

The next generation Wedge Imaging Spectrometer (WIS) instruments currently in integration at Hughes SBRD incorporate advanced features to increase operation flexibility for remotely sensed hyperspectral imagery collection and use. These features include: a) multiple linear wedge filters to tailor the spectral bands to the scene phenomenology; b) simple, replaceable fore-optics to allow different spatial resolutions and coverages; c) data acquisition system (DAS) that collects the full data stream simultaneously from both WIS instruments (VNIR and SWIR/MWIR), stores the data in a RAID storage, and provides for down-loading of the data to MO disks; the WIS DAS also allows selection of the spectral band sets to be stored; d) high-performance VNIR camera subsystem based upon a 512 X 512 CCD area array and associated electronics.

Quasi-Speckle Measurements of Close Double Stars With a CCD Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harshaw, Richard

2017-01-01

CCD measurements of visual double stars have been an active area of amateur observing for several years now. However, most CCD measurements rely on “lucky imaging” (selecting a very small percentage of the best frames of a larger frame set so as to get the best “frozen” atmosphere for the image), a technique that has limitations with regards to how close the stars can be and still be cleanly resolved in the lucky image. In this paper, the author reports how using deconvolution stars in the analysis of close double stars can greatly enhance the quality of the autocorellogram, leading to a more precise solution using speckle reduction software rather than lucky imaging.

The HRSC on Mars Express: Mert Davies' Involvement in a Novel Planetary Cartography Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberst, J.; Waehlisch, M.; Giese, B.; Scholten, F.; Hoffmann, H.; Jaumann, R.; Neukum, G.

2002-12-01

Mert Davies was a team member of the HRSC (High Resolution Stereo Camera) imaging experiment (PI: Gerhard Neukum) on ESA's Mars Express mission. This pushbroom camera is equipped with 9 forward- and backward-looking CCD lines, 5184 samples each, mounted in parallel, perpendicular to the spacecraft velocity vector. Flight image data with resolutions of up to 10m/pix (from an altitude of 250 km) will be acquired line by line as the spacecraft moves. This acquisition strategy will result in 9 separate almost completely overlapping image strips, each of them having more than 27,000 image lines, typically. [HRSC is also equipped with a superresolution channel for imaging of selected targets at up to 2.3 m/pixel]. The combined operation of the nadir and off-nadir CCD lines (+18.9°, 0°, -18.9°) gives HRSC a triple-stereo capability for precision mapping of surface topography and for modelling of spacecraft orbit- and camera pointing errors. The goals of the camera are to obtain accurate control point networks, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in Mars-fixed coordinates, and color orthoimages at global (100% of the surface will be covered with resolutions better than 30m/pixel) and local scales. With his long experience in all aspects of planetary geodesy and cartography, Mert Davies was involved in the preparations of this novel Mars imaging experiment which included: (a) development of a ground data system for the analysis of triple-stereo images, (b) camera testing during airborne imaging campaigns, (c) re-analysis of the Mars control point network, and generation of global topographic orthoimage maps on the basis of MOC images and MOLA data, (d) definition of the quadrangle scheme for a new topographic image map series 1:200K, (e) simulation of synthetic HRSC imaging sequences and their photogrammetric analysis. Mars Express is scheduled for launch in May of 2003. We miss Mert very much!

Automatic Recognition Of Moving Objects And Its Application To A Robot For Picking Asparagus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baylou, P.; Amor, B. El Hadj; Bousseau, G.

1983-10-01

After a brief description of the robot for picking white asparagus, a statistical study of the different shapes of asparagus tips allowed us to determine certain discriminating parameters to detect the tips as they appear on the silhouette of the mound of earth. The localisation was done stereometrically with the help of two cameras. As the robot carrying the system of vision-localisation moves, the images are altered and decision cri-teria modified. A study of the image from mobile objects produced by both tube and CCD came-ras was carried out. A simulation of this phenomenon has been achieved in order to determine the modifications concerning object shapes, thresholding levels and decision parameters in function of the robot speed.

SpUpNIC (Spectrograph Upgrade: Newly Improved Cassegrain) on the South African Astronomical Observatory's 74-inch telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crause, Lisa A.; Carter, Dave; Daniels, Alroy; Evans, Geoff; Fourie, Piet; Gilbank, David; Hendricks, Malcolm; Koorts, Willie; Lategan, Deon; Loubser, Egan; Mouries, Sharon; O'Connor, James E.; O'Donoghue, Darragh E.; Potter, Stephen; Sass, Craig; Sickafoose, Amanda A.; Stoffels, John; Swanevelder, Pieter; Titus, Keegan; van Gend, Carel; Visser, Martin; Worters, Hannah L.

2016-08-01

SpUpNIC (Spectrograph Upgrade: Newly Improved Cassegrain) is the extensively upgraded Cassegrain Spectrograph on the South African Astronomical Observatory's 74-inch (1.9-m) telescope. The inverse-Cassegrain collimator mirrors and woefully inefficient Maksutov-Cassegrain camera optics have been replaced, along with the CCD and SDSU controller. All moving mechanisms are now governed by a programmable logic controller, allowing remote configuration of the instrument via an intuitive new graphical user interface. The new collimator produces a larger beam to match the optically faster Folded-Schmidt camera design and nine surface-relief diffraction gratings offer various wavelength ranges and resolutions across the optical domain. The new camera optics (a fused silica Schmidt plate, a slotted fold flat and a spherically figured primary mirror, both Zerodur, and a fused silica field-flattener lens forming the cryostat window) reduce the camera's central obscuration to increase the instrument throughput. The physically larger and more sensitive CCD extends the available wavelength range; weak arc lines are now detectable down to 325 nm and the red end extends beyond one micron. A rear-of-slit viewing camera has streamlined the observing process by enabling accurate target placement on the slit and facilitating telescope focus optimisation. An interactive quick-look data reduction tool further enhances the user-friendliness of SpUpNI

Performance Characterization of the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) CCD Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joiner, Reyann; Kobayashi, Ken; Winebarger, Amy; Champey, Patrick

2014-01-01

The Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter (CLASP) is a sounding rocket instrument currently being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), and other partners. The goal of this instrument is to observe and detect the Hanle effect in the scattered Lyman-Alpha UV (121.6nm) light emitted by the Sun's chromosphere. The polarized spectrum imaged by the CCD cameras will capture information about the local magnetic field, allowing for measurements of magnetic strength and structure. In order to make accurate measurements of this effect, the performance characteristics of the three on- board charge-coupled devices (CCDs) must meet certain requirements. These characteristics include: quantum efficiency, gain, dark current, read noise, and linearity. Each of these must meet predetermined requirements in order to achieve satisfactory performance for the mission. The cameras must be able to operate with a gain of 2.0+/- 0.5 e--/DN, a read noise level less than 25e-, a dark current level which is less than 10e-/pixel/s, and a residual non- linearity of less than 1%. Determining these characteristics involves performing a series of tests with each of the cameras in a high vacuum environment. Here we present the methods and results of each of these performance tests for the CLASP flight cameras.

Development of small and inexpensive digital data acquisition systems using a microcontroller-based approach†

PubMed Central

Naivar, Mark A.; Wilder, Mark E.; Habbersett, Robert C.; Woods, Travis A.; Sebba, David S.; Nolan, John P.; Graves, Steven W.

2014-01-01

Fully digital data acquisition systems for use in flow cytometry provide excellent flexibility and precision. Here, we demonstrate the development of a low cost, small, and low power digital flow cytometry data acquisition system using a single microcontroller chip with an integrated analog to digital converter (ADC). Our demonstration system uses a commercially available evaluation board making the system simple to integrate into a flow cytometer. We have evaluated this system using calibration microspheres analyzed on commercial, slow-flow, and CCD based flow cytometers. In our evaluations, our demonstration data system clearly resolves all eight peaks of a Rainbow microsphere set on both a slow-flow flow cytometer and a retrofitted BD FACScalibur, which indicates it has the sensitivity and resolution required for most flow cytometry applications. It is also capable of millisecond time resolution, full waveform collection, and selective triggering of data collection from a CCD camera. The capability of our demonstration system suggests that the use of microcontrollers for flow cytometry digital data-acquisition will be increasingly valuable for extending the life of older cytometers and provides a compelling data-system design approach for low-cost, portable flow cytometers. PMID:19852060

Development of small and inexpensive digital data acquisition systems using a microcontroller-based approach.

PubMed

Naivar, Mark A; Wilder, Mark E; Habbersett, Robert C; Woods, Travis A; Sebba, David S; Nolan, John P; Graves, Steven W

2009-12-01

Fully digital data acquisition systems for use in flow cytometry provide excellent flexibility and precision. Here, we demonstrate the development of a low cost, small, and low power digital flow cytometry data acquisition system using a single microcontroller chip with an integrated analog to digital converter (ADC). Our demonstration system uses a commercially available evaluation board making the system simple to integrate into a flow cytometer. We have evaluated this system using calibration microspheres analyzed on commercial, slow-flow, and CCD-based flow cytometers. In our evaluations, our demonstration data system clearly resolves all eight peaks of a Rainbow microsphere set on both a slow-flow flow cytometer and a retrofitted BD FACScalibur, which indicates it has the sensitivity and resolution required for most flow cytometry applications. It is also capable of millisecond time resolution, full waveform collection, and selective triggering of data collection from a CCD camera. The capability of our demonstration system suggests that the use of microcontrollers for flow cytometry digital data-acquisition will be increasingly valuable for extending the life of older cytometers and provides a compelling data-system design approach for low-cost, portable flow cytometers.

Accuracy Potential and Applications of MIDAS Aerial Oblique Camera System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madani, M.

2012-07-01

Airborne oblique cameras such as Fairchild T-3A were initially used for military reconnaissance in 30s. A modern professional digital oblique camera such as MIDAS (Multi-camera Integrated Digital Acquisition System) is used to generate lifelike three dimensional to the users for visualizations, GIS applications, architectural modeling, city modeling, games, simulators, etc. Oblique imagery provide the best vantage for accessing and reviewing changes to the local government tax base, property valuation assessment, buying & selling of residential/commercial for better decisions in a more timely manner. Oblique imagery is also used for infrastructure monitoring making sure safe operations of transportation, utilities, and facilities. Sanborn Mapping Company acquired one MIDAS from TrackAir in 2011. This system consists of four tilted (45 degrees) cameras and one vertical camera connected to a dedicated data acquisition computer system. The 5 digital cameras are based on the Canon EOS 1DS Mark3 with Zeiss lenses. The CCD size is 5,616 by 3,744 (21 MPixels) with the pixel size of 6.4 microns. Multiple flights using different camera configurations (nadir/oblique (28 mm/50 mm) and (50 mm/50 mm)) were flown over downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Boresight fights for 28 mm nadir camera were flown at 600 m and 1,200 m and for 50 mm nadir camera at 750 m and 1500 m. Cameras were calibrated by using a 3D cage and multiple convergent images utilizing Australis model. In this paper, the MIDAS system is described, a number of real data sets collected during the aforementioned flights are presented together with their associated flight configurations, data processing workflow, system calibration and quality control workflows are highlighted and the achievable accuracy is presented in some detail. This study revealed that the expected accuracy of about 1 to 1.5 GSD (Ground Sample Distance) for planimetry and about 2 to 2.5 GSD for vertical can be achieved. Remaining systematic errors were modeled by analyzing residuals using correction grid. The results of the final bundle adjustments are sufficient to enable Sanborn to produce DEM/DTM and orthophotos from the nadir imagery and create 3D models using georeferenced oblique imagery.

Upgrading and testing program for narrow band high resolution planetary IR imaging spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wattson, R. B.; Rappaport, S.

1977-01-01

An imaging spectrometer, intended primarily for observations of the outer planets, which utilizes an acoustically tuned optical filter (ATOF) and a charge coupled device (CCD) television camera was modified to improve spatial resolution and sensitivity. The upgraded instrument was a spatial resolving power of approximately 1 arc second, as defined by an f/7 beam at the CCD position and it has this resolution over the 50 arc second field of view. Less vignetting occurs and sensitivity is four times greater. The spectral resolution of 15 A over the wavelength interval 6500 A - 11,000 A is unchanged. Mechanical utility has been increased by the use of a honeycomb optical table, mechanically rigid yet adjustable optical component mounts, and a camera focus translation stage. The upgraded instrument was used to observe Venus and Saturn.

Microwave transient analyzer

DOEpatents

Gallegos, Cenobio H.; Ogle, James W.; Stokes, John L.

1992-01-01

A method and apparatus for capturing and recording indications of frequency content of electromagnetic signals and radiation is disclosed including a laser light source (12) and a Bragg cell (14) for deflecting a light beam (22) at a plurality of deflection angles (36) dependent upon frequency content of the signal. A streak camera (26) and a microchannel plate intensifier (28) are used to project Bragg cell (14) output onto either a photographic film (32) or a charge coupled device (CCD) imager (366). Timing markers are provided by a comb generator (50) and a one shot generator (52), the outputs of which are also routed through the streak camera (26) onto the film (32) or the CCD imager (366). Using the inventive method, the full range of the output of the Bragg cell (14) can be recorded as a function of time.

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons with an imaging camera and its implications to spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Wei, Wanchun; Broussard, Leah J.; Hoffbauer, Mark Arles; ...

2016-05-16

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is demonstrated using an imaging charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A spatial resolution less than 15μm has been achieved, which is equivalent to a UCN energy resolution below 2 pico-electron-volts through the relation δE=m 0gδx. Here, the symbols δE, δx, m 0 and g are the energy resolution, the spatial resolution, the neutron rest mass and the gravitational acceleration, respectively. A multilayer surface convertor described previously is used to capture UCNs and then emits visible light for CCD imaging. Particle identification and noise rejection are discussed through the use of light intensity profile analysis. Asmore » a result, this method allows different types of UCN spectroscopy and other applications.« less

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons with an imaging camera and its implications to spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, Wanchun; Broussard, Leah J.; Hoffbauer, Mark Arles

Position-sensitive detection of ultracold neutrons (UCNs) is demonstrated using an imaging charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. A spatial resolution less than 15μm has been achieved, which is equivalent to a UCN energy resolution below 2 pico-electron-volts through the relation δE=m 0gδx. Here, the symbols δE, δx, m 0 and g are the energy resolution, the spatial resolution, the neutron rest mass and the gravitational acceleration, respectively. A multilayer surface convertor described previously is used to capture UCNs and then emits visible light for CCD imaging. Particle identification and noise rejection are discussed through the use of light intensity profile analysis. Asmore » a result, this method allows different types of UCN spectroscopy and other applications.« less

A surgical navigation system for non-contact diffuse optical tomography and intraoperative cone-beam CT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daly, Michael J.; Muhanna, Nidal; Chan, Harley; Wilson, Brian C.; Irish, Jonathan C.; Jaffray, David A.

2014-02-01

A freehand, non-contact diffuse optical tomography (DOT) system has been developed for multimodal imaging with intraoperative cone-beam CT (CBCT) during minimally-invasive cancer surgery. The DOT system is configured for near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) using a collimated 780 nm laser diode and a nearinfrared CCD camera (PCO Pixelfly USB). Depending on the intended surgical application, the camera is coupled to either a rigid 10 mm diameter endoscope (Karl Storz) or a 25 mm focal length lens (Edmund Optics). A prototype flatpanel CBCT C-Arm (Siemens Healthcare) acquires low-dose 3D images with sub-mm spatial resolution. A 3D mesh is extracted from CBCT for finite-element DOT implementation in NIRFAST (Dartmouth College), with the capability for soft/hard imaging priors (e.g., segmented lymph nodes). A stereoscopic optical camera (NDI Polaris) provides real-time 6D localization of reflective spheres mounted to the laser and camera. Camera calibration combined with tracking data is used to estimate intrinsic (focal length, principal point, non-linear distortion) and extrinsic (translation, rotation) lens parameters. Source/detector boundary data is computed from the tracked laser/camera positions using radiometry models. Target registration errors (TRE) between real and projected boundary points are ~1-2 mm for typical acquisition geometries. Pre-clinical studies using tissue phantoms are presented to characterize 3D imaging performance. This translational research system is under investigation for clinical applications in head-and-neck surgery including oral cavity tumour resection, lymph node mapping, and free-flap perforator assessment.

Modeling Pluto-Charon Mutual Events. 2; CCD Observations with the 60 in. Telescope at Palomar Mountain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buratti, B. J.; Dunbar, R. S.; Tedesco, E. F.; Gibson, J.; Marcialis, R. L.; Wong, F.; Bennett, S.; Dobrovolskis, A.

1995-01-01

We present observations of 15 Pluto-Charon mutual events which were obtained with the 60 in. telescope at Palomar Mountain Observatory. A CCD camera and Johnson V filter were used for the observations, except for one event that was observed with a Johnson B filter, and another event that was observed with a Gunn R filter. We observed two events in their entirety, and three pairs of complementary mutual occultation-transit events.

New nova candidate in M81

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henze, M.; Sala, G.; Jose, J.; Figueira, J.; Hernanz, M.

2016-06-01

We report the discovery of a new nova candidate in the M81 galaxy on 16x200s stacked R filter CCD images, obtained with the 80 cm Ritchey-Chretien F/9.6 Joan Oro telescope at Observatori Astronomic del Montsec, owned by the Catalan Government and operated by the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Spain, using a Finger Lakes PL4240-1-BI CCD Camera (with a Class 1 Basic Broadband coated 2k x 2k chip with 13.5 microns sq. pixels).

Miniature Spatial Heterodyne Raman Spectrometer with a Cell Phone Camera Detector.

PubMed

Barnett, Patrick D; Angel, S Michael

2017-05-01

A spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) with millimeter-sized optics has been coupled with a standard cell phone camera as a detector for Raman measurements. The SHRS is a dispersive-based interferometer with no moving parts and the design is amenable to miniaturization while maintaining high resolution and large spectral range. In this paper, a SHRS with 2.5 mm diffraction gratings has been developed with 17.5 cm -1 theoretical spectral resolution. The footprint of the SHRS is orders of magnitude smaller than the footprint of charge-coupled device (CCD) detectors typically employed in Raman spectrometers, thus smaller detectors are being explored to shrink the entire spectrometer package. This paper describes the performance of a SHRS with 2.5 mm wide diffraction gratings and a cell phone camera detector, using only the cell phone's built-in optics to couple the output of the SHRS to the sensor. Raman spectra of a variety of samples measured with the cell phone are compared to measurements made using the same miniature SHRS with high-quality imaging optics and a high-quality, scientific-grade, thermoelectrically cooled CCD.

New technology and techniques for x-ray mirror calibration at PANTER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freyberg, Michael J.; Budau, Bernd; Burkert, Wolfgang; Friedrich, Peter; Hartner, Gisela; Misaki, Kazutami; Mühlegger, Martin

2008-07-01

The PANTER X-ray Test Facility has been utilized successfully for developing and calibrating X-ray astronomical instrumentation for observatories such as ROSAT, Chandra, XMM-Newton, Swift, etc. Future missions like eROSITA, SIMBOL-X, or XEUS require improved spatial resolution and broader energy band pass, both for optics and for cameras. Calibration campaigns at PANTER have made use of flight spare instrumentation for space applications; here we report on a new dedicated CCD camera for on-ground calibration, called TRoPIC. As the CCD is similar to ones used for eROSITA (pn-type, back-illuminated, 75 μm pixel size, frame store mode, 450 μm micron wafer thickness, etc.) it can serve as prototype for eROSITA camera development. New techniques enable and enhance the analysis of measurements of eROSITA shells or silicon pore optics. Specifically, we show how sub-pixel resolution can be utilized to improve spatial resolution and subsequently the characterization of of mirror shell quality and of point spread function parameters in particular, also relevant for position reconstruction of astronomical sources in orbit.

Method for eliminating artifacts in CCD imagers

DOEpatents

Turko, B.T.; Yates, G.J.

1992-06-09

An electronic method for eliminating artifacts in a video camera employing a charge coupled device (CCD) as an image sensor is disclosed. The method comprises the step of initializing the camera prior to normal read out and includes a first dump cycle period for transferring radiation generated charge into the horizontal register while the decaying image on the phosphor being imaged is being integrated in the photosites, and a second dump cycle period, occurring after the phosphor image has decayed, for rapidly dumping unwanted smear charge which has been generated in the vertical registers. Image charge is then transferred from the photosites and to the vertical registers and read out in conventional fashion. The inventive method allows the video camera to be used in environments having high ionizing radiation content, and to capture images of events of very short duration and occurring either within or outside the normal visual wavelength spectrum. Resultant images are free from ghost, smear and smear phenomena caused by insufficient opacity of the registers and, and are also free from random damage caused by ionization charges which exceed the charge limit capacity of the photosites. 3 figs.

A high-resolution line sensor-based photostereometric system for measuring jaw movements in 6 degrees of freedom.

PubMed

Hayashi, T; Kurokawa, M; Miyakawa, M; Aizawa, T; Kanaki, A; Saitoh, A; Ishioka, K

1994-01-01

Photostereometry has widely been applied to the measurement of mandibular movements in 6 degrees of freedom. In order to improve the accuracy of this measurement, we developed a system utilizing small LEDs mounted on the jaws in redundant numbers and a 5000 pixel linear charge-coupled device (CCD) as a photo-sensor. A total of eight LEDs are mounted on the jaws, in two sets of four, by means of connecting facebows, each weighing approximately 55 g. The position of the LEDs are detected in three-dimensions by two sets of three CCD cameras, located bilaterally. The position and orientation of the mandible are estimated from the positions of all LEDs measured in the sense of least-squares, thereby effectively reducing the measurement errors. The static overall accuracy at all tooth and condylar points was considered to lie within 0.19 and 0.34 mm, respectively, from various accuracy verification tests.

100-kHz shot-to-shot broadband data acquisition for high-repetition-rate pump-probe spectroscopy.

PubMed

Kanal, Florian; Keiber, Sabine; Eck, Reiner; Brixner, Tobias

2014-07-14

Shot-to-shot broadband detection is common in ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. Taking advantage of the intensity correlation of subsequent laser pulses improves the signal-to-noise ratio. Finite data readout times of CCD chips in the employed spectrometer and the maximum available speed of mechanical pump-beam choppers typically limit this approach to lasers with repetition rates of a few kHz. For high-repetition (≥ 100 kHz) systems, one typically averages over a larger number of laser shots leading to inferior signal-to-noise ratios or longer measurement times. Here we demonstrate broadband shot-to-shot detection in transient absorption spectroscopy with a 100-kHz femtosecond laser system. This is made possible using a home-built high-speed chopper with external laser synchronization and a fast CCD line camera. Shot-to-shot detection can reduce the data acquisition time by two orders of magnitude compared to few-kHz lasers while keeping the same signal-to-noise ratio.

Performance measurement of commercial electronic still picture cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Wei-Feng; Tseng, Shinn-Yih; Chiang, Hwang-Cheng; Cheng, Jui-His; Liu, Yuan-Te

1998-06-01

Commercial electronic still picture cameras need a low-cost, systematic method for evaluating the performance. In this paper, we present a measurement method to evaluating the dynamic range and sensitivity by constructing the opto- electronic conversion function (OECF), the fixed pattern noise by the peak S/N ratio (PSNR) and the image shading function (ISF), and the spatial resolution by the modulation transfer function (MTF). The evaluation results of individual color components and the luminance signal from a PC camera using SONY interlaced CCD array as the image sensor are then presented.

Soft x-ray imager (SXI) onboard the NeXT satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuru, Takeshi Go; Takagi, Shin-Ichiro; Matsumoto, Hironori; Inui, Tatsuya; Ozawa, Midori; Koyama, Katsuji; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Hayashida, Kiyoshi; Miyata, Emi; Ozawa, Hideki; Touhiguchi, Masakuni; Matsuura, Daisuke; Dotani, Tadayasu; Ozaki, Masanobu; Murakami, Hiroshi; Kohmura, Takayoshi; Kitamoto, Shunji; Awaki, Hisamitsu

2006-06-01

We give overview and the current status of the development of the Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) onboard the NeXT satellite. SXI is an X-ray CCD camera placed at the focal plane detector of the Soft X-ray Telescopes for Imaging (SXT-I) onboard NeXT. The pixel size and the format of the CCD is 24 x 24μm (IA) and 2048 x 2048 x 2 (IA+FS). Currently, we have been developing two types of CCD as candidates for SXI, in parallel. The one is front illumination type CCD with moderate thickness of the depletion layer (70 ~ 100μm) as a baseline plan. The other one is the goal plan, in which we develop back illumination type CCD with a thick depletion layer (200 ~ 300μm). For the baseline plan, we successfully developed the proto model 'CCD-NeXT1' with the pixel size of 12μm x 12μm and the CCD size of 24mm x 48mm. The depletion layer of the CCD has reached 75 ~ 85μm. The goal plan is realized by introduction of a new type of CCD 'P-channel CCD', which collects holes in stead of electrons in the common 'N-channel CCD'. By processing a test model of P-channel CCD we have confirmed high quantum efficiency above 10 keV with an equivalent depletion layer of 300μm. A back illumination type of P-channel CCD with a depletion layer of 200μm with aluminum coating for optical blocking has been also successfully developed. We have been also developing a thermo-electric cooler (TEC) with the function of the mechanically support of the CCD wafer without standoff insulators, for the purpose of the reduction of thermal input to the CCD through the standoff insulators. We have been considering the sensor housing and the onboard electronics for the CCD clocking, readout and digital processing of the frame date.