INSIDER Special Edition - Imaging Technology 03/21/11

In this edition:

• Microcamera the Size of a Grain of Salt Provides Razor-Sharp Images
• New Camera Lets Users See the Invisible
• Optical Microscope Could Solve the Cause of Viral Diseases
• Imaging System Controls Baking Process to Improve Bun Quality

Microcamera the Size of a Grain of Salt Provides Razor-Sharp Images

A new microcamera is no larger than coarsely ground salt, which is why it fits perfectly into the tip of the endoscope.
(© Awaiba GmbH)

In the future, there will be disposable endoscopes for minimally invasive operations on the human body. A new microcamera as tiny as a grain of salt will supply these razor-sharp pictures. Developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM) in Germany, the microcamera is disposable. Because they are expensive and are used multiple times, current microcameras have to be put through exhaustive cleaning procedures every time they are used. A new manufacturing process produces microcameras so inexpensively that doctors can dispose of endoscopes after using them only once.

Digital camera systems consist of a lens and a sensor that transforms the image into electrical signals. Electrical contacts on the sensor allow access to these signals and to the information of the image. Due to the way they are manufactured, these contacts are located between the sensor and the lens. The Fraunhofer researchers streamlined this process by developing a new way to access the electrical contacts. Now, the wiring process is faster and the entire camera system is smaller.

The tiny camera supplies razor-sharp pictures even with very thin endoscopes. The new microcamera is small enough for the tip of the endoscope, and has a resolution of 62,500 pixels. It transmits the image information through the endoscope via an electrical cable. The automotive industry is researching the possibility of replacing outside rearview mirrors on cars with microcameras.

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New Camera Lets Users See the Invisible

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have developed a handheld camera that uses millimeter and microwave signals to nonintrusively see inside materials and structures.

Technology similar to the type used in airport body scanners could soon be used to detect everything from defects in aerospace vehicles or concrete bridges, to skin cancer. Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have developed a handheld camera that uses millimeter and microwave signals to nonintrusively peek inside materials and structures in real time. The technology could be used to detect defects in thermal insulating materials in spacecraft heat insulating foam and tiles, and composite-strengthened concrete bridge members.

It could also help medical professionals detect and monitor a variety of skin conditions in humans, including cancer and burns, and could help homeland security personnel detect concealed contraband (such as weapons) or reduce the number of passenger pat-downs at airports. Even homeowners could see a direct benefit from the technology, as it potentially could be used to detect termite damage.

The compact system can produce synthetically focused images of objects - at different planes in front of the camera - at speeds of up to 30 images per second. A laptop computer then collects the signal and displays the image in real-time for review. The entire system, powered by a battery similar to the size used in laptops, can run for several hours. Currently the camera operates in the transmission mode, meaning objects must pass between a transmitting source and its collector to be reviewed. The team is developing a one-sided version of it, which will make it operate in a similar fashion to a video camera.

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Optical Microscope Could Solve the Cause of Viral Diseases

University of Manchester research associate Dr. Wei Guo uses the optical microscope, which could help understand the causes of many viruses and diseases.

A team of researchers from the University of Manchester (UK) has produced the world's most powerful optical microscope, which could help understand the causes of many viruses and diseases. The microscope shatters the record for the smallest object the eye can see, breaking the theoretical limit of optical microscopes. Previously, the standard optical microscope could only see items around one micrometer clearly.

By combining an optical microscope with a transparent microsphere, called the "microsphere nanoscope," the researchers can see 20 times smaller (50 nanometers) under normal lights. This is beyond the theoretical limit of optical microscopy. This increased capacity means the scientists could potentially examine the inside of human cells, and examine live viruses for the first time to see what causes them. Existing electron microscopes can only see the surface of a cell, rather than examining its structure, and there is no tool to see a live virus visually.

The scientists believe they can use the microscope to detect far smaller images in the future. The new method has no theoretical limit in the size of feature that can be seen. The new nano-imaging system is based on capturing optical, near-field virtual images, which are free from optical diffraction, and amplifying them using a microsphere, a tiny spherical particle that is further relayed and amplified by a standard optical microscope.

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Imaging System Controls Baking Process to Improve Bun Quality

Georgia Tech developed a production-line system that automatically inspects the quality of sandwich buns exiting the oven, and adjusts oven temperatures if it detects unacceptable buns. (GTRI)

Georgia Tech researchers developed a production-line system that automatically inspects the quality of sandwich buns exiting the oven, and adjusts oven temperatures if it detects unacceptable buns. During existing inspection processes, workers remove a sample of buns each hour to inspect their color. Based on this assessment, they manually adjust the oven temperature if the buns appear too light or too dark. But with more than 1,000 buns leaving a bakery production line every minute, there is a need for automated control to make more rapid corrections to produce buns of consistent color, size, shape, and seed coverage.

Made of stainless steel, the system is resistant to dust and water, and mounts to existing conveyor belts as wide as 50 inches. During testing, the system successfully inspected a variety of buns, including seeded and unseeded buns, different sized buns, and different top-bun shapes. As fresh-baked buns move along the production line, a digital camera captures an image of them. Items not measuring up in terms of color are identified by imaging software, and the color information is automatically sent to the oven controllers, which adjust the oven temperature to correct the issue.

The system also automatically records data including shape, seed distribution, size, and contamination to generate production reports that are immediately available for statistical process control. Another feature of the system is that the conveyor belt can be any color except the color of the buns. This allows the system to image buns on almost any conveyor belt surface or in pans.

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- Linda L. Bell, Editorial Director

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