Color Charge-coupled Device Camera Research Articles

Detecting Defects on Solid Wood Panels Based on an Improved SSD Algorithm.

Wood is widely used in construction, the home, and art applications all over the world because of its good mechanical properties and aesthetic value. However, because the growth and preservation of wood are greatly affected by the environment, it often contains different types of defects that affect its performance and ornamental value. To solve the issues of high labor costs and low efficiency in the detection of wood defects, we used machine vision and deep learning methods in this work. A color charge-coupled device camera was used to collect the surface images of two types of wood from Akagi and Pinus sylvestris trees. A total of 500 images with a size of 200 × 200 pixels containing wood knots, dead knots, and checking defects were obtained. The transfer learning method was used to apply the single-shot multibox detector (SSD), a target detection algorithm and the DenseNet network was introduced to improve the algorithm. The mean average precision for detecting the three types of defects, live knots, dead knots and checking was 96.1%.

Use of Flame Color and Chemiluminescence for Early Detection of Lean Blowout in Gas Turbine Combustors at Different Levels of Fuel–Air Premixing

ABSTRACTLean combustion is adopted in the practical gas turbine combustors as it offers a solution to reduce the emission of NOx. But lean blowout (LBO) is considered as the main threat in taking the ultra-lean premixed combustion. LBO can also occur in aircraft engines during rapid decrease in speed or power. Although gas turbine flames can be of both premixed and partially premixed in nature, early detection of LBO of partially premixed flames has received relatively less attention compared to premixed flames. In this paper, attention has been focused on the early detection of LBO in combustors with different levels of premixing. Apart from that, a detail investigation on the electromagnetic emission of the flame is performed in order to have the insight of the dominating chemiluminescence. The primary chemiluminescence species, OH*, CH*,and C2*, are considered in this study. The flame dynamics is captured using spectral signal obtained from a spectrometer. Also, the spectrums of different colors, emitted by the flame at different conditions, are studied using both spectrometer and color Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera. At lean condition of the premixed flame, three narrowband emissions in the visible (VIS) range, namely, blue, violet, and indigo colors, are observed. Three primary parameters, , , and , are introduced based on the color ratios when numerator of the ratio is the intensity of red band. Near LBO, each of these parameters becomes significantly low. The observation range for this analysis is considered from stoichiometric condition to the extreme lean region, where LBO occurs. At the end, the behavior of the red, green, and blue color ratios toward the LBO using both camera and spectrometer is compared. The similarity between the results of camera and spectrometer indicates that flame imaging through commercial color CCD camera can provide a low cost, simple tool for LBO detection.

Outfield experiment of semiconductor laser jamming on color CCD camera

Outfield laser jamming experiment of color charge coupled device (CCD) irradiated by semiconductor laser was performed. The impact of incident power density I0 and the focus length f on laser jamming results was obtained. Laser jamming model of color CCD camera is set up, and theoretical proving and analysis on experimental results are completed. Laser jamming effects on color CCD camera irradiated by semiconductor laser is obvious, CCD surface appears obvious optical saturation and crosstalk phenomena, and optical saturation areas gradually enlarge with the increase of power density to target and the focus length f. Simulation results are basically coincident with experimental results, and it proves laser jamming model is correct. We argue that optical saturation phenomenon should be caused by laser diffraction effect, and the impact of the focus length f should be mainly due to laser energy truncated by the aperture. The conclusions have a reference value for color CCD in aerospace.

Navigation surgery for intraoperative sentinel lymph node detection using Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence real-time imaging in breast cancer

A new sensitive fluorescence imaging system was developed for the real-time identification of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with early breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a color charge-coupled device camera system for the intraoperative detection of SLNs and to determine its clinical efficacy and sensitivity in patients with operable breast cancer. We assessed a total of 168 patients diagnosed with or suspected of having early-stage breast cancer without metastasis in SLNs. The intraoperative detection of SLNs was performed using the conventional Indigo Carmine dye (indigotindisulfonate sodium) technique combined with a new Indocyanine green (ICG) imaging system (HyperEye Medical System: HEMS, MIZUHO IKAKOGYO, Japan) to map SLNs, in which the lymphatic vessels and SLNs were visualized transcutaneously with illuminating ICG fluorescence. Between January 2012 and May 2013, SLNs were successfully identified in all 168 patients (detection rate: 100%). By histopathology, the sensitivity was 93.8% for the detection of the metastatic involvement of SLNs (15 of 16 nodal-positive patients). After a median follow-up of 30.5 months, none of the patients presented with axillary recurrence. These results suggest that the HEMS imaging system is a feasible and effective method for the detection of SLNs in breast cancer. Furthermore, the HEMS device permitted the transcutaneous visualization of lymphatic vessels under light conditions, thus facilitating the identification and detection of SLNs without affecting the surgical procedure, together with a high sensitivity and specificity.

A Wood Color Classifier Based on CAV and SVM

A wood color grading method based on the characteristics of wood images and support vector machine(SVM). A high-performance color charge-coupled device camera captures color from wood samples and transmits images to the computer, then Hue from Munsell color system (HSI) and color vector angle (CVA) are used to characterize wood color of samples for the comparative purpose.These eigenvalues build two training sets,using support vector machine to establish the color classifiers,and test each classifier.The experimental results show that, the classification method based on the CVA and support vector machine can quickly and accurately estimate the level of the color of the wood materials, improve the level of automation and production efficiency in the wood processing.

Quantitative phase imaging of human red blood cells using phase-shifting white light interference microscopy with colour fringe analysis

We report quantitative phase imaging of human red blood cells (RBCs) using phase-shifting interference microscopy. Five phase-shifted white light interferograms are recorded using colour charge coupled device camera. White light interferograms were decomposed into red, green, and blue colour components. The phase-shifted interferograms of each colour were then processed by phase-shifting analysis and phase maps for red, green, and blue colours were reconstructed. Wavelength dependent refractive index profiles of RBCs were computed from the single set of white light interferogram. The present technique has great potential for non-invasive determination of refractive index variation and morphological features of cells and tissues.

Automatic recognition vision system guided for apple harvesting robot

In apple harvesting robot, the first key part is the machine vision system, which is used to recognize and locate the apples. In this paper, the procedure on how to develop an automatic recognition vision system guided for apple harvesting robot, is proposed. We first use a color charge coupled device camera to capture apple images, and then utilize an industrial computer to process images for recognising fruit. Meanwhile, the vector median filter is applied to remove the color images noise of apple, and images segmentation method based on region growing and color feature is investigated. After that the color feature and shape feature of image are extract, a new classification algorithm based on support vector machine for apple recognition is introduced to improve recognition accuracy and efficiency. Finally, these procedures proposed have been tested on apple harvesting robot under natural conditions in September 2009, and showed a recognition success rate of approximately 89% and average recognition time of 352ms.

A Simple Oxygen Sensor Imaging Method with White Light-Emitting Diode and Color Charge-Coupled Device Camera

A Simple Oxygen Sensor Imaging Method with White Light-Emitting Diode and Color Charge-Coupled Device Camera

Preliminary experience for the evaluation of the intraoperative graft patency with real color charge-coupled device camera system: an advanced device for simultaneous capturing of color and near-infrared images during coronary artery bypass graft☆

We developed a new color charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for the intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) angiography. This device consists of a combination of custom-made optical filters and an ultra-high sensitive CCD image sensor, which can detect simultaneously color and near-infrared (NIR) rays from 380 to 1200 nm. We showed a comparison between our system and other devices for the preliminary experience. We routinely performed both transit-time flowmetry (TFM) and color images for intraoperative assessment, thallium-scintigraphy for the early postoperative assessment, and then angiography after 1-year surgery. We also obtained intraoperative graft flows and images in 116 grafts. Although TFM indicated a graft patency, the CCD camera suspected perfusion failures in four grafts. Also the analysis of the ICG fluorescence intensity showed the significant hypoperfusion at the perfusion territory distal to the anastomosis (graft vs. perfusion territory; 230+/-26 vs. 156+/-13 a.u, P=0.02). When the CCD camera suspected a graft failure, CCD camera and angiography showed a comparable graft failure. The unique device that visualized ICG-enhanced structures against a background of natural myocardial color improved the visibility of abnormality in flow and perfusion. Our findings show that this device may become a standard intraoperative graft and perfusion assessment tool in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

Retinal vessel oximetry-calibration, compensation for vessel diameter and fundus pigmentation, and reproducibility

The purpose of this study was to measure the hemoglobin oxygenation in retinal vessels and to evaluate the sensitivity and reproducibility of the measurement. Using a fundus camera equipped with a special dual wavelength transmission filter and a color charge-coupled device camera, two monochromatic fundus images at 548 and 610 nm were recorded simultaneously. The optical densities of retinal vessels for both wavelengths and their ratio, which is known to be proportional to the oxygen saturation, were calculated. From 50-deg images, the used semiautomatic vessel recognition and tracking algorithm recognized and measured vessels of 100 microm or more in diameter. On average, arterial and venous oxygen saturations were measured at 98+/-10.1% and 65+/-11.7%, respectively. For measurements in the same vessel segments from the five images per subject, standard deviations of 2.52% and 3.25% oxygen saturation were found in arteries and veins, respectively. Respiration of 100% oxygen increased the mean arterial and venous oxygen saturation by 2% and 7% respectively. A simple system for noninvasive optical oximetry, consisting of a special filter in a fundus camera and software, was introduced. It is able to measure the oxygen saturation in retinal branch vessels with reproducibility and sensitivity suitable for clinical investigations.

Leptin Protects against 6-Hydroxydopamine-induced Dopaminergic Cell Death via Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling

The death of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in sporadic Parkinson disease is of unknown etiology but may involve altered growth factor signaling. The present study showed that leptin, a centrally acting hormone secreted by adipocytes, rescued dopaminergic neurons, reversed behavioral asymmetry, and restored striatal catecholamine levels in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) mouse model of dopaminergic cell death. In vitro studies using the murine dopaminergic cell line MN9D showed that leptin attenuated 6-OHDA-induced apoptotic markers, including caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and cytochrome c release. ERK1/2 phosphorylation (pERK1/2) was found to be critical for mediating leptin-induced neuroprotection, because inhibition of the MEK pathway blocked both the pERK1/2 response and the pro-survival effect of leptin in cultures. Knockdown of the downstream messengers JAK2 or GRB2 precluded leptin-induced pERK1/2 activation and neuroprotection. Leptin/pERK1/2 signaling involved phosphorylation and nuclear localization of CREB (pCREB), a well known survival factor for dopaminergic neurons. Leptin induced a marked MEK-dependent increase in pCREB that was essential for neuroprotection following 6-OHDA toxicity. Transfection of a dominant negative MEK protein abolished leptin-enhanced pCREB formation, whereas a dominant negative CREB or decoy oligonucleotide diminished both pCREB binding to its target DNA sequence and MN9D survival against 6-OHDA toxicity. Moreover, in the substantia nigra of mice, leptin treatment increased the levels of pERK1/2, pCREB, and the downstream gene product BDNF, which were reversed by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. Collectively, these data provide evidence that leptin prevents the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons by 6-OHDA and may prove useful in the treatment of Parkinson disease.

Measurement accuracy and Cerenkov removal for high performance, high spatial resolution scintillation dosimetry

With highly conformal radiation therapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, radiosurgery, and tomotherapy becoming more common in clinical practice, the use of these narrow beams requires a higher level of precision in quality assurance and dosimetry. Plastic scintillators with their water equivalence, energy independence, and dose rate linearity have been shown to possess excellent qualities that suit the most complex and demanding radiation therapy treatment plans. The primary disadvantage of plastic scintillators is the presence of Cerenkov radiation generated in the light guide, which results in an undesired stem effect. Several techniques have been proposed to minimize this effect. In this study, we compared three such techniques-background subtraction, simple filtering, and chromatic removal-in terms of reproducibility and dose accuracy as gauges of their ability to remove the Cerenkov stem effect from the dose signal. The dosimeter used in this study comprised a 6-mm(3) plastic scintillating fiber probe, an optical fiber, and a color charge-coupled device camera. The whole system was shown to be linear and the total light collected by the camera was reproducible to within 0.31% for 5-s integration time. Background subtraction and chromatic removal were both found to be suitable for precise dose evaluation, with average absolute dose discrepancies of 0.52% and 0.67%, respectively, from ion chamber values. Background subtraction required two optical fibers, but chromatic removal used only one, thereby preventing possible measurement artifacts when a strong dose gradient was perpendicular to the optical fiber. Our findings showed that a plastic scintillation dosimeter could be made free of the effect of Cerenkov radiation.

AE—Automation and Emerging Technologies: A Segmentation Algorithm for the Automatic Recognition of Fuji Apples at Harvest

An algorithm for the automatic recognition of Fuji apples on the tree was developed for a robotic harvesting system. The machine vision system was composed of a colour charge coupled device camera to capture apple images, and a personal computer to process images for recognising and locating the fruit. The fruit image was enhanced using the red colour difference because results showed that the fruit had the highest red colour difference among the objects in the image. The intensity histogram of the enhanced image had a bimodal distribution for the fruit portion and the background portion. The maximum grey level variance of the red colour difference between the fruit and the background determined the optimal threshold. The optimal threshold had the minimum probability between the peaks of the two distributions. Results of the segmentation using the optimal threshold showed a success rate of over 88%. However, the error rate was over 18% for images with the back lighting condition.

QUANTIFICATION OF 5-AMINOLEVULINIC ACID INDUCED FLUORESCENCE IMPROVES THE SPECIFICITY OF BLADDER CANCER DETECTION

5-Aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence endoscopy has outstanding sensitivity for detecting early stage bladder cancer. Nevertheless, a third of the lesions that show specific fluorescence are histologically benign. We decreased the false-positive rate of 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence endoscopy by incorporating protoporphyrin IX fluorescence quantification into the standard cystoscopy procedure. In 25 cases (53 biopsies) of a history of or suspicion for bladder cancer 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence endoscopy and fluorescence image quantification were performed. For fluorescence image quantification images obtained with a target integrating color charge-coupled device camera were digitized and stored in a personal computer. Red-to-blue ratios were calculated from fluorescence positive lesions and results were correlated with hematoxylin and eosin histology. Malignant fluorescence positive lesions showed significantly stronger fluorescence intensity than fluorescing lesions with benign histology. A threshold was established that decreased the false-positive rate by 30% without affecting sensitivity. Fluorescence image quantification is a new endoscopic method for objectively selecting multicolor fluorescence bladder lesion images for biopsy. It has the potential of eliminating human error by different surgeons with variable experience in fluorescence endoscopy.

Soot temperature and concentration measurements from colour charge coupled device camera images using a three-colour method

Soot temperature and concentration measurements from colour charge coupled device camera images using a three-colour method

Soot temperature and concentration measurements from colour charge coupled device camera images using a three-colour method

The three-colour method has been developed in order to turn chromatic information in charge coupled device (CCD) camera images of combustion into flame temperature and soot concentration measurements. The method showed the following advantages over the two-colour method from which it is derived: only one camera is needed; no further calibration is required once the response curve of the camera is known; it does not rely on light intensity but on ratios between colour components, making it easy to adapt to different operating points with different name brightness. The results on temperature evaluation were compared with a thermodynamic model, and better agreement was found in the late stages of the cycle, when the radiation from chemical reactions becomes negligible. The error analysis showed that the calculations for soot concentration are ill-conditioned, but when the results are integrated to give a soot loading the accuracy is improved and there is clear evidence of soot evolution and destruction during combustion.

Visualizing gene expression by whole-body fluorescence imaging.

Transgene expression in intact animals now can be visualized by noninvasive techniques. However, the instruments and protocols developed so far have been formidable and expensive. We describe here a system for rapidly visualizing transgene expression in major organs of intact live mice that is simple, rapid, and eminently affordable. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is expressed in the cells of brain, liver, pancreas, prostate, and bone, and its fluorescence is encoded in whole-body optical images. For low-magnification images, animals are illuminated atop a fluorescence light box and directly viewed with a thermoelectrically cooled color charge-coupled device camera. Higher-magnification images are made with the camera focused through an epi-fluorescence dissecting microscope. Both nude and normal mice were labeled by directly injecting 8 x 10(10) plaque-forming units/ml of adenoviral GFP in 20-100 microl PBS and 10% glycerol into either the brain, liver, pancreas, prostate, or bone marrow. Within 5-8 h after adenoviral GFP injection, the fluorescence of the expressed GFP in brain and liver became visible, and whole-body images were recorded at video rates. The GFP fluorescence continued to increase for at least 12 h and remained detectable in liver for up to 4 months. The system's rapidity of image acquisition makes it capable of real-time recording. It requires neither exogenous contrast agents, radioactive substrates, nor long processing times. The method requires only that the expressed gene or promoter be fused or operatively linked to GFP. A comparatively modest investment allows the study of the therapeutic and diagnostic potential of suitably tagged genes in relatively opaque organisms.

Whole-body optical imaging of green fluorescent protein-expressing tumors and metastases.

We have imaged, in real time, fluorescent tumors growing and metastasizing in live mice. The whole-body optical imaging system is external and noninvasive. It affords unprecedented continuous visual monitoring of malignant growth and spread within intact animals. We have established new human and rodent tumors that stably express very high levels of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) and transplanted these to appropriate animals. B16F0-GFP mouse melanoma cells were injected into the tail vein or portal vein of 6-week-old C57BL/6 and nude mice. Whole-body optical images showed metastatic lesions in the brain, liver, and bone of B16F0-GFP that were used for real time, quantitative measurement of tumor growth in each of these organs. The AC3488-GFP human colon cancer was surgically implanted orthotopically into nude mice. Whole-body optical images showed, in real time, growth of the primary colon tumor and its metastatic lesions in the liver and skeleton. Imaging was with either a trans-illuminated epifluorescence microscope or a fluorescence light box and thermoelectrically cooled color charge-coupled device camera. The depth to which metastasis and micrometastasis could be imaged depended on their size. A 60-microm diameter tumor was detectable at a depth of 0.5 mm whereas a 1, 800-microm tumor could be visualized at 2.2-mm depth. The simple, noninvasive, and highly selective imaging of growing tumors, made possible by strong GFP fluorescence, enables the detailed imaging of tumor growth and metastasis formation. This should facilitate studies of modulators of cancer growth including inhibition by potential chemotherapeutic agents.

Automated analysis of electrophoretic gels by image digitalization and processing

In this paper a system and method of automated analysis of electrophoresis gels by image digitalization and processing are reported. The image digitalization system is formed by a non-intensified colour charge-coupled device camera interfaced to a microcomputer through a frame grabber that allows image acquisition to be performed in real time. The illumination and image acquisition conditions will be discussed. A few different macro routines for image processing and data analysis were built. They were designed to cope specifically with the different requirements of the analysis of the different types of electrophoresis gel employed. After selection of the appropriate routine the automated evaluation process begins with digitalization and processing of the images in order to enhance the contrast of the images and to detect relevant features. The image-processing techniques employed include histogram equalization and contrast enhancement, noise reduction by low-pass Fourier filtering, edge enhancement and location by the application of differential operators, posterization or binarization, and blob analysis, matching and feature extraction. The obtained images are also compressed and stored on the patient's files for future reference.

The Development of a 1920 × 1080 Pixel Color CCD Camera Progressively Scanned at 60 Frames per Second

A progressively scanned video camera using two 1920 x 1080 charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors (made by Eastman Kodak) with square pixels in a 16:9 aspect ratio is under development. One sensor does not have color filters and the other has color stripe filters. Detail luminance is derived from one sensor; color and low-resolution luminance is derived from the other. The camera output is progressively scanned at 60 frames/sec. If digitized, the output bit rate would be 2.4 Gbits/sec. Consequently, subband coding will be used to compress the output to a bit stream that can be recorded on a D-1 or D-5 digital video recorder and still have enough head room for post-production processing. This paper will report on the status of the camera development and describe the options for providing good motion rendition without interlace artifacts by using progressive scan.