Single device for gas and flame detection, imaging and measurement, and drift correction method thereof

A device for imaging radiation from a scene, the radiation including at least a separate first and second wavelength region, the scene including at least one of a first and second material, the first material having spectral characteristics in the first wavelength region and the second material having spectral characteristics in the second wavelength region, the device comprising:

• (a) a detector of the radiation from the scene, the detector including a plurality of detector elements, each detector element including a first and second detector element region, each of the first detector element regions being sensitive to radiation in the first wavelength region and each of the second detector element regions being sensitive to radiation in the second wavelength region;
• (b) an image forming optical component for forming an image of the scene on the detector, the radiation being imaged simultaneously onto the plurality of detector elements, such that the imaged radiation on each of the first detector element regions includes radiation in the first wavelength region and the imaged radiation on each of the second detector element regions includes radiation in the second wavelength region;
• and
• (c) an electronic circuitry arrangement electronically coupled to the detector, the electronic circuitry arrangement configured to:
• (i) produce a pixel signal from each respective detector element region, each of the pixel signals including information associated with the absorption or emission of radiation in one of the respective wavelength regions by each of the first and second materials, and
• (ii) determine the presence or absence of the first and second materials based on the produced pixel signals.

A method for reducing drift induced by at least one changing environment feature when imaging radiation from a scene, the radiation including at least a separate first and second wavelength region, the method comprising:

• (a) focusing, over a duration of time, radiation from the scene through an image forming optical component onto a first region of a detector to produce at least a first pixel signal, the image forming optical component being positioned within a first enclosure volume;
• (b) positioning a blackbody radiation source proximate to the image forming optical component;
• (c) projecting radiation from the blackbody radiation source onto a second region of the detector to produce a second pixel signal, the first and second regions of the detector being non-overlapping regions and, the radiation from the blackbody radiation source being continuously projected onto the second region of the detector over the duration of time for which the radiation from the scene is focused onto the first region of the detector;
• and
• (d) modifying the first pixel signal based in part on a predetermined function to produce a modified pixel signal, the predetermined function defining a relationship between a change in the second pixel signal and a change in the first pixel signal induced by the at least one changing environment feature.