Real-time multispectral processing of biological objects images

Abstract

The spectral information, besides the spatial one, is very important in biology and medicine, as well as in many other areas. However the simultaneous analysis of the spatial and spectral information components is connected with certain difficulties which are caused primarily by the deficiencies of the devices which provide the spectral analysis (by light wavelengths) of images containing high spatial frequencies. We propose the method of biological objects images multispectral processing with rather high productivity. The device which provides this method performance includes a newly elaborated polychromic light source with real time controlled spectral composition for rough switching of the narrow spectral ranges, and acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) with wide angular aperture — for fine tuning of the selected sub-images wavelengths. The method and device practical configuration are considered and discussed. Also some features of AOTF required in the presented devices are analyzed. The possible information exchange between spectral and spatial information is also the subject of consideration as well the limitations of spectral and spatial resolving power. The experimental results connected with real time multispectral processing of tomographic images are presented and discussed. Also the possibilities of the method application for biology, medicine, and environment protection are considered.