Method and apparatus for interactive hyperspectral image subtraction

A method for obtaining a spectral image of first specie from a chemical image of said first specie in combination with a second specie, comprising:

• providing a chemical image of a mixture of the first and second specie, the chemical image defined by a frame having a plurality of pixels;
• identifying, for each of the first and second species, an appropriate Raman wavelength;
• defining a background wavelength for the frame;
• identifying pixels defined only by background wavelength;
• identifying pixels defined by the peak Raman wavelength of the first specie or the second specie;
• identifying a plurality of remaining pixels, the remaining pixels identifying a combination of the first and second species;
• and
• forming a spectral image for the first specie.

An apparatus for obtaining a spectral image of a first specie from a chemical image of said first specie with a second specie, comprising:

• an illumination source for illuminating the sample with a plurality of excitation photons and producing a plurality of interacted photons;
• an optical device for receiving and directing the plurality of interacted photons to an imaging device for forming a chemical image define by at least one frame having a plurality of pixels;
• and
• a processor in communication with the imaging device, the processor adapted to execute instructions for
• identifying, for each of the first and second species, an appropriate Raman wavelength;
• defining at least one background wavelength for the frame;
• identifying pixels defined only by background wavelength;
• identifying pixels defined only by the first specie or the second specie;
• identifying the remaining pixels, the remaining pixels defined by at least a combination of the first and second species;
• and
• forming a spectral image for the first specie.