A standoff chemical detection system was developed to rapidly detect trace chemicals on surfaces. In only 0.1 s, the system can measure the long-wave infrared (LWIR) spectral reflectance from a surface over the wavelength range of 7.5 – 10.5 μm with a spectral resolution of 2 cm-1. Under these conditions, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) > 100 was demonstrated at standoff distances of 0.5 – 1.5 m. As a detection example, saccharin was detected on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) at a surface concentration of 30 μg/cm2. The high-speed acquisition capability was made possible by combining a thermoelectrically cooled single-pixel HgCdTe (MCT) detector, advanced acquisition electronics, and fast-tuning external-cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs).
KEYWORDS: Contamination, Sensors, Long wavelength infrared, Quantum cascade lasers, Signal to noise ratio, Reflectivity, Image segmentation, Speckle, Chemical detection, Cameras
A hand-portable standoff trace chemical detection system was developed using a long-wave infrared (LWIR) microbolometer (MB) camera in combination with widely tunable external-cavity quantum cascade lasers. The system acquires hyperspectral images of the target surface’s reflectance in the LWIR portion of the “chemical fingerprint” band to allow for high-sensitivity detection and high-specificity identification of a wide range of surface chemicals. With a LiDAR-based autofocus, the system can measure targets at standoff distances as long as 15 m with clear chemical signatures in the resulting spectrum. Array scan measurements of powder and liquid chemicals at various standoff distances are presented and shown to enable the user to spatially locate trace contaminants on a variety of surfaces. Finally, the stability of the SNR is analyzed and shown to enable reference-free measurements, a significant step towards a versatile “point-and-click” LWIR-based standoff trace chemical detector.
A standoff trace chemical detection system (TCD) based on LWIR hyperspectral imaging has been developed to detect and identify a wide range of trace chemicals on a variety of shipping-related materials and surfaces. The system is able to perform the detection on a continuous stream of parcels as they move along a conveyor at speeds up to 400 ft/minute. Optical illumination is provided by miniature, widely tunable external-cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs) and the reflected light is captured using a high-speed HgCdTe camera. The acquired images are combined into a hyperspectral image cube (i.e., hypercube) by taking into account the velocity of the parcels. The system was mounted on a gantry looking down onto the parcels. A motorized camera lens with fast focusing of <0.1 s enabled the system to focus on the top surface of each parcel. The resulting hypercubes were then analyzed using efficient image segmentation and detection algorithms to identify and map the trace surface chemicals. Applications include the detection of trace amounts of explosives and opioids on parcels in shipping, sorting, and customs screening scenarios.
A standoff trace chemical detection system to detect vehicle-borne threats was developed using a long-wave infrared (LWIR) microbolometer (MB) camera in combination with widely tunable external-cavity quantum cascade lasers. The system acquires hyperspectral images of the target surface’s reflectance in the LWIR portion of the “chemical fingerprint” band to allow for high-sensitivity detection and high-specificity identification of a wide range of surface chemicals. By using a MB camera, as opposed to more expensive alternatives, the system is targeted for applications that require small size and low cost. This talk describes the design and performance of the prototype.
Three different prototypes of a standoff trace chemical detection system were developed under the IARPA SILMARILS Program in order to advance the technological readiness of this class of sensor. Two of the prototypes utilize a cryo-cooled mercury-cadmium telluride (MCT) camera to achieve high performance capability. The third prototype utilizes a low-cost microbolometer camera and is targeted for applications that require small size and low cost. Applications include vehicle and person borne suicide bombers, airport screening, package screening and customs screening. In this talk, we will discuss the design and performance of all three prototypes.
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