Infrared imaging system for simultaneous generation of temperature, emissivity and fluorescence images

The method for determining temperature, fluorescence and reflectivity (or emissivity) of a surface of interest through detection and measurement of emitted infrared flux, comprising the steps of:

• providing detecting means adapted to measure emitted infrared flux for each unit of said surface in the 4-15 .mu.m wavelength band;
• providing modulating means adapted to selectively modulate said detecting means over a plurality of pre-selected spectral segments across said 4-15 .mu.m wavelength band and wherein said plurality of pre-selected spectral segments is at least 5 in number;
• detecting through the use of said detecting means the value of emitted infrared flux of each pixel of said surface for each of said pre-selected spectral segments;
• providing a series of algorithms as a function of temperature of an ideal black body emitter, wavelength of emissivity of said surface, temperature of the surrounding environment, wavelength of the light of the environment, wavelength of exciting photons of fluorescence, and wavelength fluorescent emission, the solution of which determines temperature, reflectivity (or emissivity) and fluorescence of said surface;
• providing computing means adapted to communicate with said detecting means and to deconvolute said emitted infrared flux into temperature, fluorescence and reflectivity for each of said pixels of said surface through the use of the provided algorithms;
• generating an image of the distribution of said deconvoluted values of temperature, reflectivity (or emissivity) and fluorescence for said surface of interest.