Hand held imaging spectrometer

A small hand held, battery operated imaging infrared spectrometer, Sherlock, has been developed by Pacific Advanced Technology. The Sherlock spectral imaging camera has been designed for remote gas leak detection, however, the architecture of the camera is versatile enough that it can be applied to numerous other applications such as homeland security, chemical/biological agent detection, medical and pharmaceutical applications, as well as standard research and development. This paper describes the Sherlock camera, theory of operation, shows current applications and touches on potential future applications for the camera. The Sherlock has an embedded Power PC and performs real-time-image processing function in an embedded FPGA. It has several I/O ports, Ethernet, FireWire, RS232 and thus can be easily controlled from a remote location. In addition, software upgrades can be performed over the Ethernet eliminating the need to send the camera back to the factory for a retrofit. Using the USB port a mouse and key board can be connected and the camera can be used in a laboratory environment as a stand alone imaging spectrometer.