Biomedical Imaging


Biomedical Imaging

Lumenera was recently in Birmingham, England exhibiting at the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS), an event that showcases new equipment and products from scientific and OEM imaging companies worldwide. Being a global company with cameras on all continents allows Lumenera to participate in international shows such as this one. Exhibiting at IBMS gave us the opportunity to visit with our U.K. customer base and channel partners, as well as a chance to showcase new products and technologies that are relevant to biomedical imaging.

Biomedical imaging is one of the most demanding vision applications as it is often critical to obtain high quality, clear and precise images in often low light, challenging situations. Within biomedical imaging, you also find a subset of applications that require high resolution and high speed, while maintaining the need for high quality and low noise images. These are often conflicting requirements that force system designers to settle on a compromised solution. That is until recently, thanks to the evolution in CCD technology which has led to a new generation of CCD image sensors. These new sensors (including Sony’s family of EXview ICX674, ICX694 and ICX814), can meet this challenging mix of performance requirements with little or no compromise. Sony has improved the performance of its EXview sensors with the release of EXview HAD II technology, which features significantly improved sensitivity and 2.8, 6 and 9 megapixel resolution. It is actually possible to run these sensors at full speed with a properly designed USB 3.0 interface, unleashing the full capabilities of these innovative image sensors by breaking through any speed limitations of lesser data interfaces. Interfaces such as FireWire or GigE are too slow, and CameraLink is cumbersome for a biomedical application. This combination of speed and resolution opens up a realm of imaging solutions for the most demanding biomedical applications such as digital pathology, live cell imaging, slide scanning and whole animal imaging.

It can be time consuming for imaging users to follow the fast pace of new technologies. New products are constantly emerging, combining technologies and features in a myriad of ways. For users to make a sound decision on which solution is right for them can turn into a herculean task. Conferences like IBMS are a unique occasion for attendees to discover and even experience the latest technology innovations in one practical location. Lumenera’s presence allowed us to contribute to the scientific community and share this information first-hand with our customers, which ultimately might offer them the unique imaging solution they are looking for. In this case, it gave us a chance to discuss and explore the imaging requirements of the vast number of biomedical applications that are found across the globe.