A new wireless handheld spectrometer could make it practical to obtain spectral images of daily objects. The new device can detect wavelengths in the range of 400 to 676 nanometers at 186 spots simultaneously.
The device can detect oxygen concentration in the blood, calculates the quality of meat and identifying fruit that is the perfect ripeness.
In the study, the researchers describe how to make the new pencil-like spectrometer and demonstrate its ability to acquire spectral images of bananas, pork and a person’s hand.
“The easiest way to use a spectrometer is to wave it over the part of the body or object being examined,” said first author Fuhong Cai, Hainan University, China.
The new spectrometer uses a CMOS camera that transmits images wirelessly to a smartphone. This approach helps the researchers to build a cylindrical spectral imaging device.
Scanning process
However, the new scanning process develops a series of spectral images that sent to a smartphone or a computer, where software joins the spectral images into a 3D spectral image data cube.
By testing the spectrometer, the researchers detect banana ripeness and levels of iron proteins in pork. They also used it to scan a person’s hand.
From the 3D spectral images, the researchers could distinguish five fingers and saw the differences in hemoglobin distribution in various parts of the hand.
“We develop and distributed spectral cameras that could use for a wide range of ocean surveys,” said Cai.
The new pencil-like spectrometer uses all commercially-available components can purchase less than $300 (US).
Although, using commercially available components to make the prototype anyone can assemble the device. It also places some limits on resolution and sensitivity.
“We expect significant spectral resolution improvements in the future by using an improved camera with a long focal length lens,” said. “These improvements would expand the applications for the device.”
Source: [The Optical Society]
Journal Source: [Biomedical Optics Express]
