Spectral imaging system

An imaging spectroscopy system comprising:

• a spectral illuminator which during operation emits light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• optics for directing the light emitted by the spectral illuminator to form an illumination pattern on a sample, wherein during operation the sample interacts with the illumination pattern to produce signal light;
• an imaging detector positioned to detect and spatially resolve the signal light from the sample;
• and
• a computer coupled to the spectral illuminator and the imaging detector, wherein during operation the computer generates a color image of the sample and an image of the sample for a selected spectral weighting function based on data produced by the detector.

An imaging spectroscopy system comprising:

• a spectral illuminator which during operation emits light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• optics for directing the light emitted by the spectral illuminator to form an illumination pattern on a sample, wherein during operation the sample interacts with the illumination pattern to produce signal light;
• an imaging detector positioned to detect and spatially resolve the signal light from the sample;
• and
• a computer coupled to the spectral illuminator and the imaging detector, wherein during operation the computer generates a color image of the sample and a full image cube of the sample.

An imaging spectroscopy system comprising:

• a spectral illuminator which during operation emits light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• optics for directing the light emitted by the spectral illuminator to form an illumination pattern on a sample, wherein during operation the sample interacts with the illumination pattern to produce signal light;
• an imaging detector positioned to detect and spatially resolve the signal light from the sample;
• and
• a computer coupled to the spectral illuminator and the imaging detector, wherein during operation the computer determines at least one spectral weighting function based on data produced by the detector.

An imaging spectroscopy system comprising:

• a spectral illuminator which during operation emits light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• optics for directing the light emitted by the spectral illuminator to form an illumination pattern on a sample, wherein during operation the sample interacts with the illumination pattern to produce signal light;
• an imaging detector positioned to detect and spatially resolve the signal light from the sample;
• and
• a computer coupled to the spectral illuminator and the imaging detector, wherein during operation and in response to a user-selected spectral weighting function, the computer causes the spectral illuminator to emit light corresponding to a calibrated spectral weighting function that compensates the selected spectral weighting function for the spectral response of the imaging spectroscopy system.

An imaging spectroscopy method comprising:

• providing light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• scrambling the light to spatially homogenize the light from the different spectral bands;
• forming an illumination pattern derived from the spatially homogenized light on a sample, wherein the illumination pattern is substantially free of variations as a function of wavelength within the predefined spectral range;
• and
• spatially resolving an image of the sample produced by its interaction with the illumination pattern.

An imaging spectroscopy method comprising:

• providing light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• forming an illumination pattern derived from the light on a sample;
• spatially resolving an image of the sample produced by its interaction with the illumination pattern for each of multiple intensity distributions of the spectral bands;
• and
• generating a color image of the sample and an image of the sample for a selected spectral weighting function based on the spatially-resolved images.

An imaging spectroscopy method comprising:

• providing light in a plurality of spectral bands within a predefined spectral range, with the intensity of light in each spectral band being independently adjustable;
• forming an illumination pattern derived from the light on a sample;
• spatially resolving an image of the sample produced by its interaction with the illumination pattern for each of multiple intensity distributions of the spectral bands;
• and
• determining a spectral index indicating the presence of a certain trait in the sample based on the spatially resolved images.

A method of imaging comprising:

• obtaining images of a first sample at a plurality of pure spectral bands by controlling a spectral illuminator to sequentially produce light in each of said plurality of pure spectral bands and recording images of the first sample under these conditions using an imaging detector;
• determining one or more spectral weighting functions that indicate a property or attribute of a sample, using the images of the first sample;
• and
• measuring the value of one or more of said spectral weighting functions in a subsequent sample by repeating the following steps for each of said one or more spectral weighting functions:
• i) adjusting the spectral illuminator to produce light whose spectral flux distribution is based upon the spectral weighting function;
• ii) illuminating the sample with light from the spectral illuminator as adjusted in step (i);
• and
• (iii) recording an image of the second sample under these illumination conditions using the imaging detector.

A method of spectral imaging comprising:

• obtaining reference images at a plurality of pure spectral bands by controlling a spectral illuminator to sequentially produce light in each of said plurality of pure spectral bands and recording an image under these conditions using an imaging detector;
• calibrating the system spectral response using the reference images;
• and
• measuring the value of one or more spectral weighting functions in the sample by repeating the following steps for each spectral weighting function:
• i) adjusting the spectral illuminator to produce light whose spectral flux distribution is based upon the calibration data and the spectral weighting function;
• ii) illuminating the sample with light from the spectral illuminator as adjusted in step (i);
• and
• (iii) recording an image of the sample under these illumination conditions using the imaging detector,
• wherein each of said one or more spectral weighting functions indicates a property or attribute of the sample.