https://cdn.specpick.com/images/photonics/snapcan_hsicamera_fitted1200x628.png712370

At the SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, Imec introduced the snapscan camera: a proprietary breakthrough system concept platform that combines a good signal to noise ratio with spatial and spectral resolution advantages of linescan hyperspectral imaging technology and the ability to acquire data-sets as easily as with a snapshot camera.

Based on the experience that was built up supporting different application types using both linescan and snapshot hyperspectral systems, imec has brought the best of its system-level hardware and software expertise together to create the snapscan camera concept. The snapscan exploits the high spectral and spatial resolution of imec’s hyperspectral linescan sensor, without the need for any external scanning movement: scanning is handled internally, using a miniaturized scanning stage. Full hyperspectral images can be acquired in a matter of a few seconds.

Currently, the maximal RAW spatial resolution that is possible to reach is 3650 x 2048 px (7 Mpx), with a spectral resolution of 150+ spectral bands within the 470 - 900 nm (visible to near-infrared, VNIR) wavelength range. Flat signal-to-noise ratios, as high as 200 over the full spectral range, have already been demonstrated thanks to software features that optimize the reconstruction and correction of hyperspectral data cubes.

The snapscan hyperspectral imaging camera products will be commercially available as from April 2017.