An image sensor capable of recording both spectral and polarization properties of light using a single chip device includes an at least 2048 by 2048 array of superpixels. Each superpixel includes an array of spectral pixels, and an adjacent array of polarization pixels. Each spectral pixel includes a spectral filter and a stack of photodiodes, where each photodiode has a different quantum efficiency and is, therefore, sensitive to a different wavelength of light passed by the spectral filter. Each polarization pixel includes a polarization filter and a stack of photodiodes, similar to the spectral pixel photodiode stacks.

The present disclosure provides a scanning probe, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the scanning probe. The scanning probe includes a base and a micro-tip disposed on an end of the base, wherein at least a section of the micro-tip comprises a lateral surface with a concavely curved generatrix. In the method, an end of a probe precursor is immersed in a corrosive solution by having a length direction of the probe precursor inclined with a liquid surface of the corrosive solution. The probe precursor is corroded by the corrosive solution while a corrosion current of the corroding is monitored. The probe precursor is moved away from the corrosive solution after a magnitude of the corrosion current has a plunge. The apparatus includes a container containing the corrosive solution, and a driving device configured to move the probe precursor in the container through a fastener.

A processing apparatus combines a plurality of images based on a plurality of object images formed on an imaging plane of an image sensor by a plurality of lens units and to generate a combined image, and includes at least one processor or circuit that serves as an acquisition task configured to acquire information on a center position of each of the plurality of object images on the imaging plane, information on a correspondence relationship between the center position and positions of the plurality of images in the combined image, and conversion information for converting a first coordinate system in the imaging plane into a second coordinate system in the combined image, the conversion information being generated based on a correction function for correcting the plurality of object images, and a processing task configured to generate the combined image using the conversion information.

The present technology relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that perform appropriate exposure control, to thereby enable a desired object to be appropriately imaged. The present technology includes: an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels having different spectral characteristics; and an exposure control unit setting information associated with exposure control on the plurality of pixels depending on specification information for specifying a kind of a measurement target. Alternatively, the present technology includes: an imaging unit including a plurality of pixels having different spectral characteristics; and an exposure control unit setting information associated with exposure control on the plurality of pixels on the basis of a predicted output value of each of the plurality of pixels based on a spectral characteristic related to a measurement target. The present technology is applicable to an imaging apparatus which senses vegetation, for example.

An infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including a focal plane array (FPA) unit behind an optical window. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. One or more of the optical channels may be used in detecting objects on or near the optical window, to avoid false detections of said target species.

An optical device may include a plurality of sensor elements and a plurality of optical channels. The plurality of sensor elements may include a first set of sensor elements associated with a first wavelength range and a second set of sensor elements associated with a second wavelength range. The plurality of optical channels may include a first set of optical channels associated with the first wavelength range and a second set of optical channels associated with the second wavelength range. A first optical channel, of the first set of optical channels, may be disposed over a first sensor element, of the first set of sensor elements, and a second optical channel, of the second set of optical channels, may be disposed over a second sensor element, of the second set of sensor elements.

A spectral filter may include a plurality of filter arrays each including a plurality of unit filters having different center wavelengths from each other. Each of the plurality of unit filters may include a first metal reflection layer and a second metal reflection layer which are disposed to be apart from each other; a cavity including a first pattern and being arranged between the first metal reflection layer and the second metal reflection layer; and a lower pattern film being disposed under the first metal reflection layer and including a second pattern. In unit filters having a same center wavelength in each of the plurality of unit filters corresponding to the plurality of filter arrays, the first pattern of the cavity and the second pattern of the lower pattern film may vary according to a position of the unit filters.

The invention discloses a Trace Microanalysis Microscope System for high throughput screening. A multimodal imaging sensor arrangement acquires color, multispectral, hyperspectral and multi-directional polarized imaging, independently and in combinations thereof. In one aspect of this disclosure, the multimodal acquisition is combined with a plurality of sample illumination modes, further expanding the dimensionality of the generated data. In another aspect of this invention, machine learning-based methods combining and comparing a- priori data with the acquired multimodal data space, provide unique identifiers for the composition of the analyzed target objects. In yet another aspect of this invention, projection mapping of the identified compositional features navigates secondary sampling for subsequent analyses.

A hyperspectral infrared imaging system includes optical components, multi-color focal plane array or arrays, readout electronics, control electronics, and a computing system. The system measures a limited number of spatial and spectral points during image capture and the full dataset is computationally generated.

System and method for narrowing the transmission curves obtained using a spectral imager in which spectral images are acquired using a MEMS Fabri-Perot (FP) tunable filter. A method includes acquiring a first plurality of broad-band spectral images associated with respective MEMS FP etalon states and processing the first plurality of broad-band spectral images into a second plurality of narrow-band spectral images.