Development status of novel spectral imaging techniques and application to traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a treasure of the Chinese nation,providing effective solutions to current medical requisites.Various spectral techniques are undergoing continuous development and provide new and reliable means for evaluating the efficacy and quality of TCM.Because spectral techniques are noninvasive,convenient,and sensitive,they have been widely applied to in vitro and in vivo TCM evaluation systems.In this paper,previous achievements and current progress in the research on spectral technologies(including fluorescence spectroscopy,photoacoustic imaging,infrared thermal imaging,laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy,hyperspectral imaging,and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy)are discussed.The advantages and disadvantages of each technology are also presented.Moreover,the future applications of spectral imaging to identify the origins,components,and pesticide residues of TCM in vitro are elucidated.Subsequently,the evaluation of the efficacy of TCM in vivo is presented.Identifying future applications of spectral imaging is anticipated to promote medical research as well as scientific and technological explorations.

Monitoring Soil Salt Content Using HJ-1A Hyperspectral Data: A Case Study of Coastal Areas in Rudong County, Eastern China

Hyperspectral data are an important source for monitoring soil salt content on a large scale. However, in previous studies, barriers such as interference due to the presence of vegetation restricted the precision of mapping soil salt content. This study tested a new method for predicting soil salt content with improved precision by using Chinese hyperspectral data, Huan Jing-Hyper Spectral Imager(HJ-HSI), in the coastal area of Rudong County, Eastern China. The vegetation-covered area and coastal bare flat area were distinguished by using the normalized differential vegetation index at the band length of 705 nm(NDVI705). The soil salt content of each area was predicted by various algorithms. A Normal Soil Salt Content Response Index(NSSRI) was constructed from continuum-removed reflectance(CR-reflectance) at wavelengths of 908.95 nm and 687.41 nm to predict the soil salt content in the coastal bare flat area(NDVI705 < 0.2). The soil adjusted salinity index(SAVI) was applied to predict the soil salt content in the vegetation-covered area(NDVI705 ≥ 0.2). The results demonstrate that 1) the new method significantly improves the accuracy of soil salt content mapping(R2 = 0.6396, RMSE = 0.3591), and 2) HJ-HSI data can be used to map soil salt content precisely and are suitable for monitoring soil salt content on a large scale.

About Some Aspects of Use of Optical Sensors for Monitoring the Aquatic Environment

Multi-channel polarization optical technology is increasingly used for prompt monitoring of water systems.Optical devices during the assessment of water quality determine the intensity of light through the studied aquatic environment.Spectrophotometric devices measure the spectrum of weakening of light through the aquatic environment.Spectroellipsometric devices receive spectra in vertical and horizontal polarizations.The presented article develops an adaptive optical hardware and image system for monitoring water bodies.The system is combined.It consists of 2 parts:1)automated spectrophotometer-refractometer,and 2)adaptive spectroellipsometer.The system is equipped with a corresponding algorithmic and software,including algorithms for identifying spectral curves,databases and knowledge of spectral curves algorithms for solving reverse problems.The presented system is original since it differs from modern foreign systems by a new method of spectrophotometric and spectroellipsometric measurements,an original elemental base of polarization optics and a comprehensive mathematical approach to assessing the quality of a water body.There are no rotating polarization elements in the system.Therefore,this makes it possible to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and,as a result,improve measurement stability and simplify multichannel spectrophotometers and spectroellipsometers.The proposed system can be used in various water systems where it is necessary to assess water quality or identify the presence of a certain set of chemical elements.

Application of gemstone spectral imaging for efficacy evaluation in hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization

AIM: To assess the value of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) in efficacy evaluation in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment.METHODS: Thirty patients with HCC underwent GSI, including nonenhanced, arterial, portalvenous and delayed phase scans, after TACE treatment. Arterial phase images were acquired with GSI for reconstruction of virtual nonenhanced images and color overlay images. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed in all these patients. Two blinded and independent readers evaluated the data in two reading sessions; standard nonenhanced, arterial, portalvenous, and delayed phase images were read in session A, and the optimal monochromatic images, iodine/water based images and spectrum features were read in session B. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated with the DSA data as the reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity were compared using the χ2 test.RESULTS: DSA revealed 154 lesions in 30 patients, and 100 of them had blood supply. Overall sensitivity and specificity were 72% (72/100) and 77.8% (42/54) for session A, and 97% (97/100) and 94.4% (51/54) for session B, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the two reading sessions were significantly different (χ2 = 23.04, χ2 = 7.11, P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional CT, GSI could significantly improve the detection of small and multiple lesions without increasing the radiation dose. Based on spectrum features, GSI could assess tumor homogeneity and more accurately identify residual tumors and recurrent or metastatic lesions during efficacy evaluation and follow-up in HCC after TACE treatment.

Incoherent digital holographic spectral imaging with high accuracy of image pixel registration

Fresnel incoherent correlation holography(FINCH) is a unique three-dimensional(3D) imaging technique which has the advantages of scanning-free,high resolution,and easy matching with existing mature optical systems.In this article,an incoherent digital holographic spectral imaging method with high accuracy of spectral reconstruction based on liquid crystal tunable filter(LCTF) and FINCH is proposed.Using the programmable characteristics of spatial light modulator(SLM),a series of phase masks,none of whose focal lengths changes with wavelength,is designed and made.For each wavelength of LCTF output,SLM calls three phase masks with different phase constants at the corresponding wavelength,and CCD records three holograms.The spectral images obtained by this method have a constant magnification,which can achieve pixel-level image registration,restrain image registration errors,and improve spectral reconstruction accuracy.The results show that this method can not only obtain the 3D spatial information and spectral information of the object simultaneously,but also have high accuracy of spectral reconstruction and excellent color reproducibility.

Feasibility Study for Applying Spectral Imaging for Wheat Grain Authenticity Testing in Pasta

Authentication of pasta is currently determined using molecular biology-based techniques focusing on DNA as the target analyte. Whilst proven to be effective, these approaches can be criticised as being destructive, time consuming, and requiring specialist instrument training. Advances in the field of multispectral imaging (MSI) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) have facilitated the development of compact imaging platforms with the capability to rapidly differentiate a range of materials (inclusive of grains and seeds) based on surface colour, texture and chemical composition. This preliminary investigation evaluated the applicability of spectral imaging for identification and quantitation of durum wheat grain samples in relation to pasta authenticity. MSI and HSI were capable of rapidly distinguishing between durum wheat and adulterant common wheat cultivars and assigning percentage adulteration levels characterised by low biases and good repeatability estimates. The results demonstrated the potential for spectral imaging based seed/grain adulteration testing to augment existing standard molecular approaches for food authenticity testing.

Double-AOTF-based aberration-free spectral imaging endoscopic system for biomedical applications

The problem of in vrivo photoluminescence diagnostics of the tissues acessible by endoscopes is discussed.The spectral imaging module attachable to conventional rigid and flexible medical endoscopes is developed and described.It is based on a double acousto-optical tunable filter(AOTF)and a specialized optical coupling system.The module provides wide field of view(FOV),absence of image distortions,random spectral access,fast spectral image acquisition at any wavelength in the visible range and accurate measurement of reflectance spectrum in each pixel of the image.Images of typical biomedical samples are presented and discussed.Their spectra are compared to the reference data.

Detection of illegally added drugs in dietary supplements by near-infrared spectral imaging

The application to detect ilally added drugs in dietary supplerments by near-infrared spectral imaging was studied with the focus on nifedipine,diclofenac and metformin.The method is based on near-infrared spectral images correlation cofficient to detect ilally added drugs.The results comply 100%with HPLC methods test results with no false positive results.

SPECTRAL IMAGING AND ANALYSIS TO YIELD TISSUE OPTICAL PROPERTIES

An introduction to the basics of spectral imaging as applied to biological tissues is presented.An example of a spectral image of a face is used to demonstrate the data and spectral analysis that specify the melanin content(M),blood content(B),tissue oxygen saturation(S),water content(W),fraction of scattering due to Rayleigh scattering(f)and due to Mie scattering(1−f),and the reduced scattering coefficient at 500-nm wavelength(µ
s 500 nm).The sensitivity of reflectance spectra to variation in the various parameters is illustrated.

Computational Spectral Imaging Based on Compressive Sensing

Spectral imaging is an important tool for a wide variety of applications. We present a technique for spectral imaging using computational imaging pattern based on compressive sensing （CS）. The spectral and spatial infor- mation is simultaneously obtained using a fiber spectrometer and the spatial light modulation without mechanical scanning. The method allows high-speed, stable, and sub sampling acquisition of spectral data from specimens. The relationship between sampling rate and image quality is discussed and two CS algorithms are compared.

Analysis of Spectral Characteristics Based on Optical Remote Sensing and SAR Image Fusion

Because of cloudy and rainy weather in south China, optical remote sens-ing images often can＇t be obtained easily. With the regional trial results in Baoying, Jiangsu province, this paper explored the fusion model and effect of ENVISAT/SAR and HJ-1A satel ite multispectral remote sensing images. Based on the ARSIS strat-egy, using the wavelet transform and the Interaction between the Band Structure Model （IBSM）, the research progressed the ENVISAT satel ite SAR and the HJ-1A satel ite CCD images wavelet decomposition, and low/high frequency coefficient re-construction, and obtained the fusion images through the inverse wavelet transform. In the light of low and high-frequency images have different characteristics in differ-ent areas, different fusion rules which can enhance the integration process of self-adaptive were taken, with comparisons with the PCA transformation, IHS transfor-mation and other traditional methods by subjective and the corresponding quantita-tive evaluation. Furthermore, the research extracted the bands and NDVI values around the fusion with GPS samples, analyzed and explained the fusion effect. The results showed that the spectral distortion of wavelet fusion, IHS transform, PCA transform images was 0.101 6, 0.326 1 and 1.277 2, respectively and entropy was 14.701 5, 11.899 3 and 13.229 3, respectively, the wavelet fusion is the highest. The method of wavelet maintained good spectral capability, and visual effects while improved the spatial resolution, the information interpretation effect was much better than other two methods.

A novel oil spill detection method from synthetic aperture radar imageries via a bidimensional empirical mode decomposition

Oil spills pose a major threat to ocean ecosystems and their health. Synthetic aperture radar（SAR） sensors can detect oil spills on the sea surface. These oil spills appear as dark spots in SAR images. However, dark formations can be caused by a number of phenomena. It is aimed to distinguishing oil spills or look-alike objects. A novel method based on a bidimensional empirical mode decomposition is proposed. The selected dark formations are first decomposed into several bidimensional intrinsic mode functions and the residue. Subsequently, 64 dimension feature sets are calculated using the Hilbert spectral analysis and five new features are extracted with a relief algorithm. Mahalanobis distances are then used for classification. Three data sets containing oil spills or look-alikes are used to test the accuracy rate of the method. The accuracy rate is more than 90%. The experimental results demonstrate that the novel method can detect oil spills validly and accurately.

Piecewise spectrally band-pass for compressive coded aperture spectral imaging

Coded aperture snapshot spectral imaging(CASSI) has been discussed in recent years. It has the remarkable advantages of high optical throughput, snapshot imaging, etc. The entire spatial-spectral data-cube can be reconstructed with just a single two-dimensional(2D) compressive sensing measurement. On the other hand, for less spectrally sparse scenes,the insufficiency of sparse sampling and aliasing in spatial-spectral images reduce the accuracy of reconstructed threedimensional(3D) spectral cube. To solve this problem, this paper extends the improved CASSI. A band-pass filter array is mounted on the coded mask, and then the first image plane is divided into some continuous spectral sub-band areas. The entire 3D spectral cube could be captured by the relative movement between the object and the instrument. The principle analysis and imaging simulation are presented. Compared with peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR) and the information entropy of the reconstructed images at different numbers of spectral sub-band areas, the reconstructed 3D spectral cube reveals an observable improvement in the reconstruction fidelity, with an increase in the number of the sub-bands and a simultaneous decrease in the number of spectral channels of each sub-band.

NEAR-INFRARED,BROAD-BAND SPECTRAL IMAGING OF THE HUMAN BREAST FOR QUANTITATIVE OXIMETRY:APPLICATIONS TO HEALTHY AND CANCEROUS BREASTS

We have examined ten human subjects with a previously developed instrument for near-infrared diffuse spectral imaging of the female breast.The instrument is based on a tandem,planar scan of two collinear optical fibers(one for illumination and one for collection)to image a gently compressed breast in a transmission geometry.The optical data collection features a spatial sampling of 25 points/cm2 over the whole breast,and a spectral sampling of 2 points/nm in the 650-900nm wavelength range.Of the ten human subjects examined,eight are healthy subjects and two are cancer patients with unilateral invasive ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ,respectively.For each subject,we generate second-derivative images that identify a network of highly absorbing structures in the breast that we assign to blood vessels.A previously developed paired-wavelength spectral method assigns oxygenation values to the absorbing structures displayed in the second-derivative images.The resulting oxygenation images feature average values over the whole breast that are significantly lower in cancerous breasts(69±14%,n=2)than in healthy breasts(85±7%,n=18)(p<0.01).Furthermore,in the two patients with breast cancer,the average oxygenation values in the cancerous regions are also significantly lower than in the remainder of the breast(invasive ductal carcinoma:49±11%vs 61±16%,p<0.01;ductal carcinoma in situ:58±8%vs 77±11%,p<0.001).

Semi-quantitative analysis on the content of berberine hydrochloride in compound berberine tablets with the fluorescence spectral imaging method

The content of berberine hydrochloride(BH)in compound berberine tablets(CBTs)is subject to strict requirements.Its content is usually measured based on chemical analysis.In this paper,the fluorescence spectral imaging method was used to study the relative content of BH from a physics perspective.By comparing the relative fluorescence intensity of self-made CBTs with di®erent mass percentages of BH,a linear positive relationship was observed between the BH content and the relative fluorescence intensity,and accordingly the quality of CBTs of different brands was evaluated.The results indicate that the fluorescence spectral imaging method can be a simple,fast and nondestructive semi-quantitative analysis method to determine the content of BH in CBTs,and this method has great potential in the quality control of CBTs.

NON-LINEAR SPECTRAL IMAGING MICROSCOPY STUDIES OF HUMAN HYPERTROPHIC SCAR

Skin scar is unique to humans,the major significant negative outcome sustained after thermal injuries,traumatic injuries,and surgical procedures.Hypertrophic scar in human skin is investigated using non-linear spectral imaging microscopy.The high contrast images and spectroscopic intensities of collagen and elastic fibers extracted from the spectral imaging of normal skin tissue,and the normal skin near and far away from the hypertrophic scar tissues in a 10-year-old patient case are obtained.The results show that there are apparent differences in the morphological structure and spectral characteristics of collagen and elastic fibers when comparing the normal skin with the hypertrophic scar tissue.These differences can be good indicators to differentiate the normal skin and hypertrophic scar tissue and demonstrate that non-linear spectral imaging microscopy has potential to noninvasively investigate the pathophysiology of human hypertrophic scar.

Agreement of angle closure assessments between gonioscopy, anterior segment optical coherence tomography and spectral domain optical coherence tomography

AIM: To determine angle closure agreements between gonioscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography(AS-OCT), as well as gonioscopy and spectral domain OCT(SD-OCT). A secondary objective was to quantify inter-observer agreements of AS-OCT and SD-OCT assessments.METHODS: Seventeen consecutive subjects(33 eyes)were recruited from the study hospital’s Glaucoma clinic.Gonioscopy was performed by a glaucomatologist masked to OCT results. OCT images were read independently by 2 other glaucomatologists masked to gonioscopy findings as well as each other’s analyses of OCT images.RESULTS: Totally 84.8% and 45.5% of scleral spurs were visualized in AS-OCT and SD-OCT images respectively(P 【0.01). The agreement for angle closure between AS-OCT and gonioscopy was fair at k =0.31(95% confidence interval, CI: 0.03-0.59) and k =0.35(95%CI: 0.07-0.63) for reader 1 and 2 respectively. The agreement for angle closure between SD-OCT and gonioscopy was fair at k =0.21(95% CI: 0.07-0.49) and slight at k =0.17(95% CI: 0.08-0.42) for reader 1 and 2 respectively. The inter-reader agreement for angle closure in AS-OCT images was moderate at 0.51(95% CI: 0.13-0.88). The inter-reader agreement for angle closure in SD-OCT images was slight at 0.18(95% CI: 0.08-0.45).CONCLUSION: Significant proportion of scleral spurs were not visualised with SD-OCT imaging resulting in weaker inter-reader agreements. Identifying other angle landmarks in SD-OCT images will allow more consistent angle closure assessments. Gonioscopy and OCT imaging do not always agree in angle closure assessments but have their own advantages, and should be used together and not exclusively.

Some Peculiarities of the Preprocessing of Spectral Data and Images

Remotely sensed spectral data and images are acquired under significant additional effects accompanying their major formation process, which greatly determine measurement accuracy. In order to be used in subsequent quantitative analysis and assessment, this data should be subject to preliminary processing aiming to improve its accuracy and credibility. The paper considers some major problems related with preliminary processing of remotely sensed spectral data and images. The major factors are analyzed, which affect the occurrence of data noise or uncertainties and the methods for reduction or removal thereof. Assessment is made of the extent to which available equipment and technologies may help reduce measurement errors.

Spatial-Temporal Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols via Airborne Spectral Imaging and Growing Hierarchical Self-Organizing Maps

Neural network analysis based on Growing Hierarchical Self-Organizing Map (GHSOM) is used to examine Spatial-Temporal characteristics in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), &Aring;ngstr&ouml;m Exponent (&Aring;E) and Precipitation Rate (PR) over selected East African sites from 2000 to 2014. The selected sites of study are Nairobi (1°S, 36°E), Mbita (0°S, 34°E), Mau Forest (0.0° - 0.6°S;35.1°E - 35.7°E), Malindi (2°S, 40°E), Mount Kilimanjaro (3°S, 37°E) and Kampala (0°N, 32.1°E). GHSOM analysis reveals a marked spatial variability in AOD and &Aring;E that is associated to changing PR, urban heat islands, diffusion, direct emission, hygroscopic growth and their scavenging from the atmosphere specific to each site. Furthermore, spatial variability in AOD, &Aring;E and PR is distinct since each variable corresponds to a unique level of classification. On the other hand, GHSOM algorithm efficiently discriminated by means of clustering between AOD, &Aring;E and PR during Long and Short rain spells and dry spell over each variable emphasizing their temporal evolution. The utilization of GHSOM therefore confirms the fact that regional aerosol characteristics are highly variable be it spatially or temporally and as well modulated by PR received over each variable.

Efficient spectral single-pixel imaging via Morton frequency-domain scanning [Invited]

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) captures two-dimensional images utilizing a sequence of modulation patterns and measurements recorded by a single-pixel detector. However, the sequential measurement of a scene is time-consuming, especially for high-spatial-resolution imaging. Furthermore, for spectral SPI, the enormous data storage and processing time requirements substantially diminish imaging efficiency. To reduce the required number of patterns, we propose a strategy by optimizing a Hadamard pattern sequence via Morton frequency domain scanning to enhance the quality of a reconstructed spectral cube at low sampling rates. Additionally, we expedite spectral cube reconstruction, eliminating the necessity for a large Hadamard matrix. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through both simulation and experiment,achieving sub-Nyquist sampling of a three-dimensional spectral cube with a spatial resolution of 256×256 pixels and181 spectral bands and a reduction in reconstruction time by four orders of magnitude. Consequently, our method offers an efficient solution for compressed spectral imaging.