<title>Nondestructive thermal analysis with portable pyroelectric television camera</title>

Abstract

Pyroelectric Vidicons have been commercially available for approximately fifteen years. Approximately 10 years ago I.S.I. Group, Inc. began manufacturing a television camera system incorporating the Pyroelectric Vidicon tube. Until this time most systems had been custom fabricated, for a specific application. The early camera systems were large, bulky, and difficult to use. These initial camera designs were updated to make them more user oriented and to generally simplify their operation. The original Thermal Imaging systems were comprised of a camera head, (which incorporates the tube), a camera control unit, (which incorporates all the necessary control electronics), separated by a camera control cable. These systems found many different applications, but had been restricted to areas where 110 Volt, 60Hz AC power was available. Within the past few years a new camera system has been developed. This camera system is completely portable, battery powered, and light weight. This camera systems now permits thermal analysis in areas that are remotely located. These camera systems produce images which are displayed on standard television equipment. No coolant is required to cool the detector. These camera systems respond only to thermal energy radiated by an object and no signal is produced by visible light.