Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source For Multispectral Imaging Applications

Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source for
Multispectral Imaging Applications
A PROJECT REPORT
Submitted by
ANITA MARY PETER
in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

0f
MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
OPTOELECTRONICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PHOTONICS
COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COCHIN 682022
June-2015
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PHOTONICS
COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Project Work Report entitled ‘Design and Evaluation of
LED Illumination Source for Multispectral Imaging Applications’ submitted by
Ms Anita Mary Peter (Reg No: 95713000), is the record of bonafide work carried out
by her under the guidance of Dr. Samuel Varghese at R&D SFO Technologies in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree of Master of Technology in
Optoelectronics & Laser Technology from International School of Photonics, Cochin
University of Science and Technology during the period from July 2014 – June 2015.
Supervising Guide Director

Dr. Samuel Varghese Dr M. Kailasnath
Project Manager International School of Photonics
SFO Technologies Pvt. Ltd. CUSAT
ABSTRACT
Multispectral imaging, which extends the number of imaging channels beyond the
conventional three, has demonstrated to be beneficial for a wide range of
applications. Its ability of acquiring images beyond the visible range and
applicability in many different application domains lead to the design and the
development of a number of multispectral imaging technologies and systems.
Among these systems Light Emitting Diode (LED) illumination based multispectral
imaging (LEDMSI) has received much attention in recent years due to its fast
computer controlled switching ability, robustness and cost effectiveness. Scene
illumination is important to successful spectral imaging. This is an often-
overlooked issue and is one of the main reasons for measurement performance
being compromised.Given different modes of illumination to choose from, it is
important to be able to compare them in a general and in many situations specific
to a certain application of interest. In this paper, we evaluate two of the
important types of illumination for the rapidly growing LED based multispectral
imaging systems This work provides a framework for the evaluation of ring
illumination for LED based multispectral imaging systems with different ring
diameters and varying number of light emitting diodes for uniform illumination,
which, would be very helpful in identifying the most appropriate technique or
system for a given application.
CONTENTS
Chapter:1
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….…..1
1.1 Objective and Scope of Project………………………............…….……….…..3
1.2 Thesis Outline…………………………………………………............……..………..3
Chapter:2
Literature Survey……………………….…………………………………………….….5
2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….............……...……5
2.2 Multispectral Imaging System……………………………............…........…....7
2.3 Multispectral Imaging methods and approaches used…...........….....9
2.4 LED Illumination Based MSI System..........................................................12
Chapter:3
System Description......................................………………………...…………....14
3.1 Linear Fiber Coupled Illumination……………………….............………............14
3.2 Ring Illumination……………………………………………….....................................15
3.3 Wavelength Selection……………………………………................................………16
3.4 Selection of collimating lenses……….............………………………..............…..18
3.5 Filters……………………………………………………………..........................................18
3.6 Dichroic Beamsplitters…………………………………….............…….....................19
3.7 Final Source Structure……………………………………….............……..................20
Chapter:4
Optical Simulation and Evaluation........……….………………………………22
4.1 Linear Illumination Model………………..............………………………................22
4.2 Ring Illumination……………………………………………...............……...................30
4.3 Results and Discussion............................................................................................52
Chapter:5
System Design and Evaluation ……….........………………….………………...54
5.1 Circuit Design...................................………………...........……………………………..54
5.2 Switching Circuit........................................................................................................58
5.3 Experimental Setup...................................................................................................59
Chapter:6
Applications……………………………………………….........................................66
6.1 Estimation of Blood Analytes for Non Invasive Tissue Analysis....66
Chapter:7
Conclusion and Future Scope....................................................................77
References..............................................................................................................78
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who gave me
the possibility to complete this report. My thanks are due to the Director Dr. M
Kailasnath and International School of Photonics, CUSAT for having provided all facilities
that helped to proceed in this mission.
I take this opportunity to place on record my indebtedness to Dr. Suresh Nair,

Chief Technology Officer, R&D, SFO Technologies Pvt Ltd for giving me the opportunity
to carry out this investigation at SFO Technologies.
I express my sincerest gratitude to my project guide, Dr Samuel Varghese,

Project Manager R&D SFO Technologies whose constant support and guidance from the
very beginning through all stages till date is the very soul of this project.
I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of the
team of engineers at SFO Technologies, especially Mr Robin, Mr. Siju Lal, Ms Jinnu Jose
and all others for their timely help and support.
I express my warm thanks to all the teachers and staff at CUSAT especially Prof
Radhakrishnan for their constant support and appreciation.
And finally, I thank my family, friends and the one above all of us, the
omnipresent god, for all blessings, for giving me the strength and support throughout.
Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source for Multispectral Imaging Applications
Chapter 1
Introduction
Multispectral imaging (MSI) is the synergistic combination of imaging and spectroscopy.

Spectroscopy is the technique of breaking light down into its composite colors to
identify the composition of the object. Multispectral images are data-rich, revealing
things beyond our human vision by combining ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence, narrow-
band color and penetrating near-infrared (NIR) images.
Multispectral Imaging(MSI), originated from remote sensing and has been explored for
various applications by NASA. The use of imaging techniques for scene evaluation has
become a key method for nondestructive, remote evaluation. Conventional imaging,
whether monochrome or color, depends upon the spatial resolution of the image. If the
image is blurred or too fuzzy then the viewer cannot determine exactly where or what
the object under view is. Multispectral imaging adds significant additional information
to the brightness analysis of a scene by adding the light intensity as a function of
wavelength, its spectrum, from each image’s spatial position. This additional spectral
dimension can be rapidly and straightforwardly analyzed to provide an image-contrast
capability that is not present in a normal scene-brightness approach.
In the early 1970s, the remote sensing satellite, LandSat I, was the first to provide
multispectral images of the Earth's surface using reflectance spectroscopy.
With the advantage of acquiring two-dimensional images across a wide range of

electromagnetic spectrum, Multispectral or Hyperspectral Imaging has been applied to
numerous areas, including archaeology and art conservation, vegetation and water
resource control, food quality and safety control, forensic medicine, crime scene
detection, biomedicine, etc.
As an emerging imaging modality for medical applications, it offers great potential for
noninvasive disease diagnosis and surgical guidance.
International School of Photonics 1

Scene illumination is important to successful spectral imaging. This is an often-

overlooked issue and is one of the main reasons for measurement performance being
compromised. Simply said, if one cannot get any light or enough light into the imaging
system, it doesn't matter how good the system is spectrally, spatially or otherwise; it
will not measure what is required by the user. The efficient delivery of light of required
wavelength is an important aspect of multispectral imaging. The optical and spectral
characteristics of a multispectral imaging system are determined largely by the
application requirements.
Light Emitting Diode (LED) illumination based multispectral imaging (LEDMSI) has
received much attention in recent years due to its fast computer controlled switching
ability, robustness and cost effectiveness. The primary hindrance in using LEDs as an
illumination source for multispectral imaging was the limited wavelengths and
comparatively very low intensity.
In recent times, the availability of many different colour and high intensity LEDs with
peak wavelengths spanning the whole visual range and even infrared and ultraviolet
region has made the construction of more effective multispectral imaging systems
possible and with little effort.
In a typical LEDMSI system a set of N different types of LED are selected, each colour
LED is illuminated in a sequence and a camera captures images under the illuminated
LEDs one at a time, thus producing a N band multispectral image. Such a system
modulates the illumination and provides a multispectral light source. LEDMSI can be
used in several applications like biometrics, medical bioimaging, film scanner and
cultural heritage.
After a basic study into the general aspect of multispectral imaging and its approaches
we will focus into the LED multispectral imaging system specifically to the illumination
part. Given different illumination types, it is important to evaluate and compare the
performance and the quality of these systems. This is useful in identifying a suitable
system to be used for a given application and its requirement.

1.1 Objective and Scope of project
The objective of this project is study and design an LED based source for a simple and
low cost Multispectral Imaging System for applications mainly in the biomedical field.
The objective is
 To design and simulate the two sources – a ring source and a fiber source - using
optical simulation software zemax
 Characterize the source properties with respect to the following factors
• Effect of properties of light emitting diodes on the system performance
• Effect of ring diameter for uniform illumination
 Hardware implementation of the ring illumination source
 Develop a prototype of a portable multispectral imaging system with ring
illumination and sequential switching for instantaneous imaging at multiple
wavelengths.
 To evaluate the possible field of application for the illumination systems.
Illumination using LEDs can greatly reduce the size and weight of the MSI system and
ensures higher efficiency. It also provides increased lifetime and low cost systems which
can also be portable.
1.2 Thesis Outline

identify the composition of the object. Multispectral images are data-rich, revealing
things beyond our human vision by combining ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence, narrow-
band color and penetrating near-infrared (NIR) images.
Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the concept of LED based multispectral imaging

and its possible applications. It also lists out the objectives and the scope of the project.

The objective of this project is to study two types of configuration using LEDs for the
illumination of a Multispectral Imaging System, one proposed as a linear fiber coupled
delivery system and the other as a ring illumination system.
Illumination using LEDs can greatly reduce the size and weight of the MSI system and
ensures higher efficiency. It also provides increased lifetime and low cost systems which
can also be portable.
Chapter 2 comprises the literature survey on multispectral imaging and the different
types of existing multispectral imaging systems.
Chapter 3 deals with the proposed system description.
Chapter 4 details the simulation of the sources using the optical simulation software
Zemax. The led source parameters are varied and the results are determined using
zeemax.
Chapter 5 consists of the system design for the system, the circuit design and
experimental setup. The power supply, led driver circuit and switching circuit design are
detailed in this chapter.
Chapter 6 explains an application 2D estimate of blood analytes using the 680, 780 and
800nm wavelengths.
Chapter 7 is the conclusion and possible future developments.

Chapter 2
Literature Survey
2.1 Introduction

identify the composition of the object. Multispectral images carry information about a
number of spectral bands: from three components per pixel for colour images to several
hundreds of bands for hyperspectral images. MSI can obtain a high-resolution optical
spectrum for each image pixel, resulting in a series of images of the same field of view
that are acquired at different wavelengths.
The power of multispectral imaging is already leveraged in a wide variety of research

applications. Multispectral images are data-rich, revealing things beyond our human
vision by combining ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence, narrow-band color and penetrating
near-infrared (NIR) images. However, until recently, there has not been a feasible way
to scale this technology for production-volume portable devices or high-speed
inspection in specific commercial and industrial applications.
Fig 2.1.1: Multispectral Image

There are basically two main types of spectral imaging techniques in use currently :
hyperspectral imaging and multispectral imaging. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI), which
acquires spectral images in a large number of narrow spectral bands, produces high
spectral accuracy. However, the acquisition time, complexity and cost of these systems
are generally quite high compared to multispectral systems. Multispectral imaging (MSI)
on the other hand acquires images in a limited number of relatively wide spectral bands,
and the spectral reflectance functions are obtained from the sensor responses using an
estimation algorithm. Multispectral imaging provides cheaper and faster solutions
compared to hyperspectral imaging with good enough quality for many applications.
The table below shows the different modes of imaging that exist currently and that
which are proposed to exist in the future.
Table 2.1 Different Modes of Imaging
Mode Number of Spectral Spectral Resolution Availability

Bands
Imaging None None, sensitivity Now
depends on
detector spectral
response
Multispectral Few to tens Medium, many Now
tens of nm
Hyperspectral Hundreds to Narrow, few nm Now
~thousands
Emerging technology
Ultraspectral Thousands Very narrow but very expensive
and processor
hungry
Full spectrum
Thousands to Very narrow Proposed technology
Full spectrum "continuous spectra" and data
over full optical processing system
spectral range from
UV to IR

Advantages of Multispectral Imaging
Multispectral imaging has many advantages over traditional three channel (usually RGB)
color imaging.
• It is less prone to metamerism.

• Produces higher color accuracy
• Unlike digital cameras, it is not limited to the visual range, rather can also be
used in near infrared, infrared and ultraviolet spectrum as well, depending
on the sensor responsivity range.
• Spectral reflectance of a scene which represents the unique property of an
object, can be recovered from the images acquired with the spectral imaging
systems.
2.2 Multispectral Imaging System
Multispectral imaging systems are developing rapidly because of their strong potential
in many domains of application, such as remote sensing, astronomy, physics, museum,
cosmetics, medicine, high-accuracy colour printing, computer graphics...
A multispectral imaging system can be separated into two sections
 Illumination System and
 Image Acquisition System
Illumination System
The illumination system is used for illuminating the sample. Typically it consist of a light
source which can be a broadband source such as mercury or halogen lamp or a narrow
band source such as laser diode or light emitting diode.
It also consist of filters for selecting particular wavelengths and collimation optics to get
a collimated beam and to reduce divergence in case of illuminating a small sample. In
order to combine multiple wavelengths dichroic beamsplitters can be used. The delivery
of light can be direct or through a fiber bundle depending on the application.

Image Acquisition System
The image acquisition system means the mechanism for capturing the multispectral
image. It typically consists of a monochrome or RGB camera. Filter wheels or
electronically tuned filters can also be used in front of the camera to select appropriate
wavelength.
The output of the image acquisition system can be spectral images at single wavelength
or a combination of wavelengths which are to be processed using relevant processing
software to extract the relevant information.
A synchronizing system can be used in case of sequential illumination which

synchronizes the illumination system with that of image acquisition.
Fig 2.2.1 Sections of Multispectral Imaging System

2.3 Multispectral imaging methods and approaches used
In this section, briefly described are the conventional systems, and the three new
promising fast and practical multispectral imaging systems: stereo camera (StereoMSI),
filter array (FAMSI), and LEDMSI of we focus into the illumination part of the LED
Multispectral Imaging System.
2.3.1 Filter wheel based MSI (FWMSI) system:
The conventional approach to acquiring multispectral imaging data is to use a white

light source, such as a halogen or mercury-xenon lamp, and band-pass filters to select
appropriate wavelengths. Filter wheels are typically used to provide switching of filters,
with the wheel generating a series of triggers that instruct a camera when to capture
each frame.
In a typical FWMSI system, there are two possibilities such as filter wheel in front of the
camera and filter wheel at the source end.
Camera with Filter wheel: Here, n number of images of a scene is acquired by a

monochrome camera, with each of the filters in the rotating filter wheel placed in front
of the camera sensor or the lens of the camera. It acquires an n-band image in n
exposures.
Fig 2.3.1 Monochrome camera with filter wheel

Filters at Source: The filter wheel is placed in front of the broadband source in this case.
Only light of the required wavelength selected by the bandpass filters illuminates the
scene and image is captured by a synchronized camera.
The spectrum coverage of the filter wheel based MSI is limited by the filters used. Also
the system speed is low because of the time taken to rotate the filter wheel and hence it
is not suitable for images in motion. The cameras are not able to acquire images at their
maximum frame rate. Another major disadvantage is that it requires moving parts.
As concerned with the White Light Broadband Source, it does not have uniform spectral
density, such that certain wavelengths may be less powerful than others. Also there is
the danger of sample heating and phototoxicity from high intensity broadband
illumination.
For applications where scenes are static and where accuracy is more important but not
the speed, classic FWMSI systems could be used.
2.3.2 Tuned Filter based MSI (TFMSI) system
In a typical TFMSI system, n number of images of a scene is captured by a monochrome

camera in n exposures, one each with a narrow (or somewhat wide) band filter
activated with a tunable filter (TF).
Electronic tunable filters such as an acousto-optic tunable filter and liquid crystal
tunable filters (LCTFs) are quiet, fast, compact, and stable and demonstrate increased
spectral selectivity, spectral purity, and flexibility.
Liquid crystal tunable filters (LCTFs) are optical filters that use electronically controlled
liquid crystal (LC) elements to transmit a selectable wavelength of light and exclude
others.
LCTFs are often used in multispectral imaging because of their high image quality and
rapid tuning over a broad spectral range. Another type of solid-state tunable filter is the
Acousto Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF), based on the principles of the acousto-optic
modulator. In comparison to LCTFs, AOTFs enjoy a much faster tuning speed
(microseconds versus milliseconds) and broader wavelength ranges. However, since
they rely on the acousto-optic effect of sound waves to diffract and shift the frequency

of light, imaging quality is comparatively poor, and the optical design requirements are
more stringent.
The disadvantages include low light throughput, increased cost and complexity of
system and inappropriate capture if significant sample or camera movement occurs
during the acquisition
Fig 2.3.2 Liquid crystal tunable filter and acousto optic tunable filter.
2.3.3 Stereo camera based MSI (StereoMSI) system
This is a single shot StereoMSI system. The system is built from a digital stereo camera
and two optimal filters, placed in front of the two lenses of the camera. The challenge
with this system is the occlusion and the registration of the images from the two
cameras.
The use of stereo camera increases the system cost and complexity and the pixel by
pixel registration of an image is rarely possible.
By limiting its use to flat surfaces such as paintings, and with the use of an appropriate
image registration technique, the issues could be mitigated reasonably well. It also has
the limitation with the number of wavelengths that can be used.

2.3.4 Filter array based MSI (FAMSI) system
FAMSI systems extend the trichromatic color filter array (CFA) employed in the
conventional digital color imaging to n-bands. With the filter array technique, the filter
is mounted on a common image sensor. This also allows single shot acquisition of a
multispectral image. However, these systems require demosaicing in order to estimate
missing band values in every pixel.
Fig 2.3.3 Filter array based sensor and demonaiced images
2.4 LED illumination based MSI (LEDMSI) system:
Unlike the previous systems, the LEDMSI is based on active illumination, where images
are captured by illuminating the scene with n different predefined narrow band color
LED light sources. In a typical LEDMSI system a set of N different types of LED are
selected, each colour LED is illuminated in a sequence and a camera captures images

under the illuminated LEDs one at a time, thus producing a N band multispectral image.
Such a system modulates the illumination and provides a multispectral light source.
LEDMSI is considered a fast way of multispectral imaging, as the whole process can be
controlled electronically. The system speed is limited only by the maximum frame rate
of the camera.
LED illumination based multispectral imaging can be used in several applications like
biometrics, medical imaging and film Scanner.
This has got much attention in recent years because of the advantages of the LEDs: fast
computer controlled switching ability, robustness, and cost effectiveness.
Fig:2.4.1 LED Source for multispectral imaging system

Chapter 3
System Description
In recent times, the availability of light emitting diodes in a wide variety of wavelengths
from ultraviolet to infrared, and optical power ranging from few milliwatts to hundreds
of hundreds of milliwatts, it becomes a very viable solution to use light emitting diodes
for illumination in multispectral imaging.
Here two types of illumination methods are discussed a linear fiber illumination which
has primary application in endoscopy and a ring illumination with more focus given to
the ring illumination system with detailed study of the illumination characteristics with
respect to the viewing angle, diameter of the ring and height of illumination.
3.1 Linear Fiber Coupled Illumination
Here, the light from the different LEDs are made to traverse to a single path through
different optics and then coupled to a fiber.
The light from different leds are combined to a single path using wavelength selective
dichroic beamsplitters. The number of beamsplitters used depend upon the number of
wavelengths to be combined. Before the beamsplitter the light from the leds should be
collimated using suitable lenses so as to minimize the loss of light and to ensure efficient
delivery and coupling to fiber.
The use of filters is not a necessity. It is the choice of the user depending upon the
application. Usually leds provide a spectral bandwith of around a few tens of
nanometres. A filter can be used if there is need for very narrow spectral bandwidth in

the range of nanometres. Finally the light is coupled to a fiber bundle using focussing
lenses.
The basic structure for the source is
Fig 3.1 Basic source structure of linear fiber coupled led illumination
3.2 Ring Illumination
The ring illumination is practically the simplest type of illumination that can be
implemented and with minimum cost because it does not require any additional
collimating or focussing optics. The leds are usually arranged in a single ring or in more
than one concentric rings. The only requirement is to arrange the different types of leds
so that they provide nearly uniform illumination with the required power at a specified
distance. The number of leds and size of ring depends on the application and the size of
the camera since the camera is placed at the center and the leds around as a ring and
the name ring illumination. The importance of ring illumination is the presence of
camera at the center so that perpendicular image can be obtained with equal intensity
from all pixels and correct dimension.

The basic source structure is
Fig 3.2 Basic structure for ring illumination
3.3 Wavelength selection
A key parameter of any multispectral system is the definition of the set of discrete
wavelengths selected to illuminate the surface under inspection. This set of wavelengths
is specific for each problem, as it depends strongly in the diffuse reflectance
characteristics of the surface in regard to the application under consideration.
The number of bands and the wavelengths used depend entirely on the application. It
can vary from three to tens of wavelengths.
A visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) range are desirable in many applications. The VIS
range is from 380 to 780 nm. The components are reproduced as grayscale images or an
RGB color image.
The NIR range is from 780 to 2500 nm. The components are reproduced as grayscale
images or any three components can be taken and used as R,G,B components. i.e.
pseudocolor reproduction. The NIR light penetrate deeper in materials, e.g. paint or
tissue, and may show information invisible by a human eye.
For fluorescent multispectral imaging the wavelength which fluoresce the specific
chromophore may be used. Usually wavelengths in UV and blue region produce much of
the natural fluorescence. In addition, the contrast agent may be injected and

propagated into blood or lymphatic vessels. For example, idocyanine green gives a
fluorescent light at 830 nm after the exciting illumination at 780 nm. The fluorescent
light highlights the vessels in the NIR image. This is used for analysis in medicine.
For the present analysis we use three wavelengths in red near infrared region. The
primary field of application for these wavelengths is in bioimaging specifically skin image
analysis. This is proposed in view of the wide range of applications and possible future
aspects of skin imaging.The selected wavelengths are 680nm, 780nm and 800nm.
Three high power leds of the desired wavelengths is selected for fiber coupled
illumination system since only a single led is used. For the ring type illumination mode
low power leds of the above wavelengths each having different beam angles are
selected so as to study how properties of leds affect the source and optimize it.
Table 3.3.1 LED Specification – Fiber Coupled Illumination
Required Available Total Optical Voltage Half

Current
Wavelength Wavelength Power (V) Viewing
(mA)
(nm) (nm) (mW) Angle
680 680 130 600 2.5 62

780 780 290 800 2.5 63
800 810 320 800 2.3 66
Table 3.3.2 LED Specification – Ring Illumination
Required Available Total Optical Voltage Half

Current
Wavelength Wavelength Power (V) Viewing
(mA)
(nm) (nm) (mW) Angle
680 680 5.5 20 1.8 35

780 770 5.5 20 1.55 12
800 810 20 50 1.55 7

3.4 Selection of Collimating Lenses
Since the output of an LED is highly divergent, collimating optics are

necessary.Collimation is required to minimize the loss of optical power in the path from
the led to the fiber. A well-collimated beam has minimal divergence and will not
converge at any point in the beam path.
Compared to spherical lenses, aspheric condenser lenses introduce less aberration,

offer larger apertures, higher NA, and lower f/d Ratio
Hence an aspheric condense lens is used to collimate the light from each LED.
Specifications
■ Diameter : 25mm
■ Clear Aperture : 22.5mm
■ Focal Length : 20mm
■ Focal Length Tolerance: 5%
■ Surface Quality: 60-40 Scratch-Dig
■ Glass: B270 Optical Crown Glass Fig 3.4 Aspheric condenser lens
3.5 Filters
The use of filters is optional. The light from the LED has a spectral bandwidth of few tens
of nanometres. If a very narrow spectral bandwidth is required for specific application
filters can be used.
Three hard coated bandpass filters of the required wavelength as above are selected.
These hard coated bandpass filters provide better transmission, steeper cut on and cut
off slopes, greater blocking, and increased durability when compared to standard line of
bandpass filters

Table 3.5.1 Filter Specification
Center
Wave- Blocking FWHM Diameter Clear Mounted Substrate
length Region Aperture Thickness Thickness
680nm 200 - 673 nm, 13nm 25mm 21.5mm 5mm 2mm

686 - 1200 nm
780nm 200 - 752 nm, 10nm 25mm 21.5mm 3.5mm 2mm
808 - 1200 nm
800nm 200 - 771 nm, 10nm 25mm 21.5mm 3.5mm 2mm

829 - 1200 nm
3.6 Dichroic Beamsplitters
Dichroic mirrors/beamsplitters spectrally separate light by transmitting and reflecting

light as a function of wavelength. Transmission and reflection are 50% at the cutoff
wavelength. A longpass dichroic mirror is highly reflective below the cutoff wavelength
and highly transmissive above it, while a shortpass dichroic mirror is highly transmissive
below the cutoff wavelength and highly reflective above it.
Dichroic mirrors/beamsplitters can be used to combine a beam that has a wavelength

(or wavelength range) shorter than the cutoff wavelength with a beam that has a
wavelength (or wavelength range) longer than the cutoff wavelength while minimizing
intensity losses.
For a 3 wavelength system two beam splitters are required to combine the wavelengths.
The requirements for the two beam splitters are
 Beamsplitter 1 – Cutoff wavelength between 680 and 780nm

 Beamsplitter 2 – Cutoff wavelength between 780 and 800nm with very narrow
transition region

The two selected beamsplitters are
Table 3.6.1 Beam splitter specification
Cutoff Type Transmission Reflection Substrate

Wavelength Band Band Thickness
791nm Shortpass Tavg > 90% Ravg > 90% 1.05mm

687 - 787 nm 795 - 940 nm
757nm Longpass Tavg > 93% Ravg > 98% 1.05mm

768 - 1100 nm 450 - 746 nm
3.7 Final Source Structure
The final source structure was determined after considering all the component optics
required.
The source structure for fiber delivery is a bit complex and requires a number of
components for collimating and combining beam to the required path. The optimum
distance between the components for maximum efficiency is determined by simulating
in zemax.
The ring structure is rather simple. Leds of each wavelength were placed on the ring to
provide a uniform illumination. The source can be studied by varying the number of leds
and the diameter of the ring and then studying the performance of the system.

Fig 3.7 Final source structure for linear fiber coupled delivery system.

Chapter 4
Optical Simulation and Evaluation
The two source structures were simulated using the optical ray tracing software Zemax.
Zemax is an optical design program that is used to design and analyze illumination
systems as well as, imaging systems such as camera lenses. It works by ray tracing—
modelling the propagation of rays through an optical system. It can model the effect of
optical elements such as simple lenses, aspheric lenses, gradient index lenses, mirrors,
and diffractive optical elements, and can produce standard analysis diagrams such as
spot diagrams and ray-fan plots. Zemax can also model the effect of optical coatings on
the surfaces of components
The simulation using sources can be done using the non sequential ray tracing model in
the zemax. In non-sequential ray tracing the order of components mentioned is not the
order in which computation takes place. The order of computation is determined by the
rays on the go.
The high power leds are modelled as radial sources. Radial sources provide the nearest
approximation to the light emitted by the leds. And also since we are using wide angle
LEDs without lenses, it is a very close approximation as a radial source. The relative
radial intensity for each led can be obtained from the data sheet.
4.1 Linear Source Model
In the linear source model, there are two important parts, the collimation of light by the
aspheric condenser lenses and the wavelength selective reflection and transmission by
the beamsplitter.

The aspheric condenser lenses can be modelled as an even asphere lens in zemax. The
radius of curvature, conic and aspheric coefficients are obtained from the data sheet.
Diameter - 25mm
Radius of curvature - 10.5mm
Conic - -0.6
Fig 4.1.1 LED with aspheric lens NSC shaded model
The filter can be modelled by using a cylindrical volume with dimensions of the filter.
The optical properties are defined using a coating which carries the transmission data of
the filter and also by defining the material of the substrate which is uv fused silica for a
hardcoated bandpass filter.
The most important part in the modelling is to model the dichroic beamsplitter. The
dichroic beam splitter is made by dichroic coating on the reflective side and
antireflection coating on all other sides. So the dichroic beamsplitter can be modelled by
defining a coating which consist of the optical properties of the beamsplitter on the
reflective side and defining an antireflection coating for all the other sides.

Fig 4.1.2 Source model for fiber illumination Non-sequential Editor
Fig 4.1.3 Source model for fiber illumination

Each led is switched on sequentially, hence it is better to view the path of each led
independently and its intensity after two beamsplitters.
The layout rays were chosen to be 1000 for a good preview and the analysis rays were
chosen to be 10000000 for near perfect analysis.
LED 780nm
Optical Power Output of 780nm Led = 290mW
Fig 4.1.4 LED 780nm path Non-sequential component editor
Fig 4.1.5 LED 780nm path NSC Shaded Model

It is evident from viewing the ray pattern in the NSC shaded model that the rays coming
out of the second beamsplitter is nearly uniform and it does not further undergo any
deviation after the aspheric lens.
The detector is placed at a distance of 10mm from the second beamsplitter to view the
intensity pattern at that point.
Fig 4.1.6 Detector View of led 780nm after second beamsplitter
The total power detected is 96.7 mW
This shows a loss of around 193.3mW, most of which is lost because of the wide viewing
angle of the LED.

LED 810nm
Fig 4.1.8 LED 810nm path NSC Shaded Model

Fig 4.1.9 Detector View of led 810nm after second beamsplitter
The total power detected is 56.2 mW

Here the loss of power can be partly attributed to the presence of 800nm bandpass
filter.
LED 680nm

Half viewing angle = 62

Figure 4.1.11 LED 680nm path NSC Shaded Model
Figure 4.1.12 Detector View of led 680nm after second beamsplitter

The total power detected is 44mW

4.2 Ring Illumination
For ring illumination three leds of wavelength 680nm, 780nm and 800nm in the
relatively lower power range is chosen. The three leds are selected with different
viewing angles to study the effect of viewing angles for uniform illumination.
4.2.1 LED Modelling
The three different leds have different physical and optical characteristics. Therefore the
leds are modelled for efficient simulation of the characteristics. The three leds were
modelled in Zemax giving a good replica of the illumination pattern of each led. Each led
has different viewing angle which is the primary parameter influencing the illumination
pattern, that was corrected by changing the led lens. The narrow viewing angle is the
result of the lenses present in front of the led emitter.
680nm LED
(a) (b)
(c)
Fig4.2.1.1 680nm (a) Original LED (b) LED model (c) LED Emission

780nm LED
(a) (b)
(c)
800nm LED
(a) (b)
(c)

4.2.2 LED Ring Simulation
LED Ring Characteristics with Different Ring Diameters
The light emitting diodes are arranged in a ring with varying diameters. The number of
leds are varied to study the change in power and the uniform illuminated area. Here
uniform illuminated area is taken as area with power 10% deviation from the peak
power detected. The uniform area is specified as side of a square.
680nm LED
Power of each LED is 5.5mW.

The viewing angle is 70 degrees.
The detector plane is taken to be at a distance of 5cm.
Ring Diameter – 1cm
(a) (b) (c)
Fig 4.2.2.1 680nm Illumination pattern for a 1cm diameter ring (a) 2 led (b) 3 led (c) 4
led
Table 4.2.2.1 680nm LED ring- 1cm diameter
No of leds 2 3 4
Peak power(uW) 233 347 467
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm) 1.4 1.4 1.4

Fig 4.2.2.2 Plot 680nm Led ring – 1cm diameter
Ring Diameter – 2 cm
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
led (d) 5 led (e) 6 led (f) 7 led (g) 8 led

No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW)
213 321 427 535 641 748 860
Uniform Illuminated Square
Area (cm) 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Ring Diameter -3 cm
(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f) (g)
No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 185 278 371 464 574 663 860
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm) 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6

Ring Diameter -4 cm
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
No of leds 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 159 247 326 410 489 571 640
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)
1.8 1.6 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9

Ring Diameter -5 cm
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)

No of leds 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 141 198 260 324 388 454 519
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm) 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5
780nm LED
Power of each LED is 5.5mW.


(a) (b) (c)
led
No of leds
2 3 4
Peak power(uW)
0.849 1.27 1.7
Uniform Illuminated Square
Area (cm) 0.7 0.7 0.7

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
Fig 4.2.2.13 780nm Illumination pattern for a 2 cm diameter ring (a) 2 led (b) 3 led (c) 4
No of leds 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW)
0.602 0.906 1.21 1.5 1.81 2.1 2.4
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)
0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)

No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 0.493 0.576 0.709 0.883 1.04 1.21 1.37
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm) 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW)
0.473 0.517 0.59 0.648 0.764 0.9 1.37
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)

No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 0.465 0.495 0.541 0.59 0.625 0.7 0.808
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)
810nm LED
Power of each LED is 20 mW.


(a) (b) (c)
Fig 4.2.2.21 810nm Illumination pattern for a 1 cm diameter ring (a) 2 led (b) 3 led (c) 4
led
No of leds 2 3 4
Peak power(uW) 5.3 7.7 10.3
Uniform Illuminated

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
Fig 4.2.2.23 810nm Illumination pattern for a 2 cm diameter ring (a) 2 led (b) 3 led (c)
4 led (d) 5 led (e) 6 led (f) 7 led (g) 8 led
No of leds 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 4.2 5 5.9 7.1 9.5 12.1 13.6
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm) 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)

No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 3.5 3.7 4.2 5 5.8 6.6 7.4
Uniform Illuminated
(a) (b) (c) (d)

(e) (f) (g)
No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW) 3.9 3.97 4.27 4.43 4.8 5.4 6
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)

(a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g)
Fig 4.2.2.29810nm Illumination pattern for a 5cm diameter ring (a) 2 led (b) 3 led (c) 4
No of leds
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Peak power(uW)
3.9 3.94 3.96 4.21 4.42 4.56 4.87
Uniform Illuminated
Square Area (cm)

4.3 Results and Discussion
The radiant intensity from the three types of leds at wavelengths 680nm, 780nm and
800nm were evaluated in rings of different diameter ranging from 1cm to 5cm. The
number of leds in each ring was also varied and the resultant radiation pattern is shown
in the graphs.
It is evident from the graphs that leds with greater viewing angle as in the case of the
680nm led, has a more uniform gradient spread.
The graph plotted for the number of leds against the uniform illumination area for
different ring diameters shows that the uniformly illuminated area (here taken as 10%
deviation from the peak detected power) is dependent on the size of the ring only and is
independent of the number of LEDs as it can be seen that the uniform illuminated area
remains fairly constant for a particular type of led at a specific ring diameter. The
increase in the number of leds increases the total power that falls on the area.

It can be seen that for leds with very small viewing angle as seen for 780nm and 810nm
led with viewing angle 24 degrees and 14 degrees respectively, as the ring diameter
increases there is no uniform illumination in the center of the ring. This can be
compensated by using concentric rings
Therefore it can be concluded that there is a tradeoff between the no of leds used and
the viewing angle of the light emitting diode. For applications where illumination of a
very small area with concentrated higher intensity is required smaller viewing angles can
be used and it requires more number of light emitting diodes.
Another major concern is the size of the camera used for the multispectral illumination
system as can be seen for viewing angle less than 24 degrees in the case of 780nm and
810nm led inorder to ensure uniform illumination the size of the camera at the center of
the ring should be less than 3cm.

Chapter 5
System Design and Evaluation
5.1 Circuit Design
Circuit Design Section involves design of two major circuits for the system. The first one
is the design of the LED driver circuit. The LEDs are sensitive devices. It is always
necessary to limit the current or voltage below the maximum or else it will lead to burn
out of the led if the current increases beyond limit. Also for efficient long term
operation, the led driver circuit is essential. In addition a constant power supply must
also be designed for the led driving circuit. The second one is the design of the switching
and synchronizing circuit. The leds have to be switched sequentially in a definite time
interval depending on the frame rate of the camera and the application. Hence a
switching circuit should be designed to sequentially switch on the LEDs.
5.1.1 Driver Circuit Design
The driver circuit is designed provide constant power to the LED even when the input
power conditions vary.
There is also one other important requirement in our driver circuit to provide variation
of led intensity from maximum to minimum. This can be done by varying the power to
the LED within the maximum limit.
Here in this design ,we use 3 AL8807A for driving LEDs. The AL8807A is a step-down
DC/DC converter designed to drive LEDs with a constant current. The device can drive
up to 9 white high brightness LEDs in series from a voltage source of 6V to 36V. Figure
below is the pin diagram of AL8807A.

Fig 5.1.1.1 Pin Diagram of AL8807A
Features
 LED Driving Current up to 1A/ 1.3A
 Better than 5% Accuracy
 High Efficie ncy Up to 96%
 Optimally Controlled Switching Speeds
 Operating Input Voltage from 6V to 36V
 Wide Analog Input Range for Dimming Control (>10:1)
 Built-in Protection Features:
Open-Circuit LED protection
LED Chain Short Circuited
Over-Temperature Protection
AL8807A Operation
Fig 5.1.1.2 Typical Application Circuit of AL8807A

The AL8807A is a hysteretic LED current switching regulator sometimes known as an

equal ripple switching regulator. In normal operation, when voltage is applied at +VIN
(See Figure 31), the AL8807A internal switch is turned on. Current starts to flow through
sense resistor R1, inductor L1, and the LEDs. The current ramps up linearly, and the
ramp rate is determined by the input voltage +VIN, and the inductor L1.
This rising current produces a voltage ramp across R1. The internal circuit of the
AL8807A senses the voltage across R1 and applies a proportional voltage to the input of
the internal comparator.
When this voltage reaches an internally set upper threshold, the internal switch is
turned off. The inductor current continues to flow through R1, L1, the LEDs and the
schottky diode D1, and back to the supply rail, but it decays, with the rate of decay
determined by the forward voltage drop of the LEDs and the schottky diode.
This decaying current produces a falling voltage at R1, which is sensed by the AL8807A.
A voltage proportional to the sense voltage across R1 is applied at the input of the
internal comparator. When this voltage falls to the internally set lower threshold, the
internal switch is turned on again.
This switch-on-and-off cycle continues to provide the average LED current set by the
sense resistor R1, with a switching current determined by the input voltage and LED
chain voltage.
Design – LED Current Control
With the CTRL pin open circuit, the LED current is determined by the resistor, R1,
connected between VIN and SET. The nominal average output current in the LED(s) is
defined as:
ILED = VTH
R1
where VTH is nominally 100mV
Resistor selection
VTH = 100mV
R1= VTH
ILED

Diode Selection
For maximum efficiency and performance, the rectifier (D1) should be a fast low
capacitance Schottky diode with low reverse leakage at the maximum operating voltage
and temperature. The Schottky diode also provides better efficiency than silicon PN
diodes, due to a combination of lower forward voltage and reduced recovery time.It is
important to select parts with a peak current rating above the peak coil current and a
continuous current rating higher than the maximum output load current. In particular, it
is recommended to have a diode voltage rating at least 15% higher than the operating
voltage to ensure safe operation during the switching and a current rating at least 10%
higher than the average diode current. The power rating is verified by calculating the
power loss through the diode.Schottky diodes, e.g. B240 or B140, with their low forward
voltage drop and fast reverse recovery, are the ideal choice for AL8807A applications.
Inductor Selection
Recommended inductor values for the AL8807A are in the range 33μH to 100μH.For this
driver circuit it is decided to take 50 μH by considering input volage and number of LEDs
in each string.
Fig 5.1.1.3 Driver Circuit

Power Supply
A power supply capable of rendering 15V constant output is required for the ideal
operation of the driver circuit since the input voltage is designd to be 15V.
Circuit below shows a standard 15V power supply. The input can be taken from any 85-
265V AC power supply.
Figure 5.1.1.4 15V Power supply
5.2 Switching Circuit
The switching circuit is designed so that instantaneous imaging of the three wavelengths
is possible. This avoids the possible deviation in pixel position due to slight movement of
the imaging portion.
Here the switching circuit is designed with a time separation of 100ms. Each set of led is
switched on for a period of 100ms. The timing is controlled by the clock signal given by
the 555 timer circuit. The clock is designed for a total time period of 100ms.

The images can be captured by synchronising the camera with the switching of each led
or by capturing in video mode and separating each individual frames.
Fig 5.2.1 Switchig Circuit
5.3 Experimental Setup
The led ring was developed using 6 leds of each type to study the variation in
illumination and confirm the simulation results.
The astable multivibrator is designed with LM555 to produce 100ms pulses which are
fed to the clock pin of decade counter. The decade counter produce output pulses at its
output pins in a ripple fashion when each clock pulse comes. The first, third and fifth
pins are connected to 3 different wavelength LEDs respectively.
The image below shows the switching circuit implemented on breadboard for testing
and the corresponding outputs of the clock circuit and the decade counter on the CRO
screen.

Fig 5.3.1 Switching circuit set up and waveform while testing
(a) (b)
Fig 5.3.2: CRO waveforms of 100ms pulse (a) astable and (b) decade counter
Fig 5.3.3: LED Ring and illumination

Fig 5.3.4 Experimental setup to measure the spatial distribution of led light.
The uniformity and spatial distribution of the led light was measured using the power
meter from thorlabs. The led ring is fixed and the detector is moved to obtain the light
intensity at different points.
(a) (b)
Fig 5.3.5 (a)Detector of power meter fixed on a movable stand (b) detected power
displayed in the device

Fig 5.3.6 Measurement of radiant intensity
Illumination Pattern Experimental and Simulation
The ring structure was formed with 6 led each of all 3 wavelengths. The radiation
intensity measured in experiment is compared with that of the simulation results.
(a)

(b)
Fig5.3.7 Plot of radial power distribution 810nm led (a) experimental (b) simulation
(a)

(b)
400
350
Radiation Intensity (mW)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
-4.5
-3.5
-2.5
-1.5
-0.5
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0.5
1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5
0
Radial Distance
(a)

(b)
The above plotted graphs show that the experimental results are in confirmation with
the simulation results.

Chapter 6
Applications
6.1 Estimation of Blood Analytes for Non Invasive Tissue Analysis
Under normal physiological conditions the cells in tissue will be supplied with the
necessary oxygen, this is regulated through the blood supply and the oxygen saturation
of the hemoglobin. Several physiological and patho-physiological processes may
influence the blood flow to the skin. Non-invasive optical imaging techniques have been
investigated to image skin lesions for mass screening to detect and analyse the
morphological changes associated with tumorigenesis, thereby improving patient
diagnosis accuracy. Deeper subsurface information, such as subcutaneous pigmentation
and increased blood flow (angiogenesis) are critical factors in early stage skin cancers
detection like melanoma. Non- invasive Multispectral imaging at visible and NIR
wavelengths provides estimates of main chromophores in tissue.
Fig 6.1.1 :Schematic drawing of the skin with its blood vessels and a schematic drawing of
the optical path of an incident beam

Figure 6.1.1 shows a schematic drawing of the blood vessels in the human skin. The skin is a
complex multilayered organ which covers the whole body. The skin can be roughly divided
into three layers: epidermis, dermis and the hypodermis.
Interaction of light with skin tissue
Light that enters the skin undergoes multiple internal reflections, scattering, and absorption
events depending on the chromophores encountered. Attenuation of light in tissue is
described, according to light transport theory, by the equation,
where I is the reflected light intensity, I0 the incident light intensity, μeff the effective
attenuation coefficient and d is the optical path length in tissue.
Main chromophores in blood tissue are Hb, HbO2, melanin etc. The light incident on the
skin tissue eventually gets diffused across the layers of the skin and backscattered light
photon energy forms an image of the skin and skin lesion. Figure below shows
absorption spectra of main chromophores in tissue.
Fig 6.1.2 Absorption spectra of main chromophores, spotted values at 680nm, 780nm,
800nm in black
Absorption of HbO2 and Hb varies depending on wavelength. As wavelength increases in

the 680 nm to 800 nm range, absorption of Hb decreases while absorption of HbO2
increases. Melanin absorption is found maximum at 680nm.Thus, by comparing the

localized absorption difference between two or more wavelength ranges, we should obtain
a measure how much spectral distortion is caused by blood absorption .The absorption rate
of Hb, HbO2 can be used for estimation of haemoglobin content in blood which in turn
results in diagnostics of different diseases such early stage cancer detection.
Block diagram
Analysis based on the measurement of reflectance, at multiple specific wavelengths.

Multiple LED sources operating at different wavelengths are sequentially excited. The
reflected light intensity is detected using a single large area CMOS imager. This is
repeated for each wavelength, within a time slot of milliseconds. Image processing is
conducted in the PC using MATLAB.
For the estimation of main chromophores present in the skin tissue ie oxyhemoglobin,
deoxyhemoglobinand melanin by linear mixing model at least 3 wavelengths are
required. In this proposed model 680nm,780nm and 800 nm LEDs are used for obtaining
multispectral images of skin lesion.
USB Camera is connected to a PC and operated in video mode. Using MATLAB, frames
captured from the video. Distance between lens and target should be small as possible
to get good image (approximately 5 cm for uniform illumination). A switching circuit

sequentially energized each wavelength group of LEDs, such that it will alternately
produced equal duration pulses of diffuse illumination centered at selected wavelengths
.The switching time of each LED sting is decided in accordance with camera frame rate.
As matlab program runs, the camera received a trigger signal, captures video and began
integration of frames. Multichromophore estimation can be done in MATLAB by using
modified lamberts law and Linear mixing model.
Table 6.1 Optical properties of tissue at specific wavelengths
Wavelength Optical properties

680nm Peak absorption of melanin
780nm Very deep penetration in tissue
Very deep penetration in tissue, almost equal absorption for
800nm deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin
System model
Fig 6.1.3 Proposed system

The set up for the proposed system is shown above. Source and detector are arranged
in the same plane such that it can be used as a single module. Linear polarizer placed in
front of LED ring will polarize the incident light to linearly polarized. The light incident on
the sample will change its polarization if it undergo diffused reflection and reaches the
CMOS camera module operated in video mode through cross polarizer. Image
acquisition and further processing is controlled by MATLAB software
Image Acquisition and Processing
Image acquisition and processing of image is done by using MATLAB in PC or laptop. In

matlab the video sequence acquired through USB camera module and converts it into
frames. Then required images are saved as per the above design. i.e., save frames in
each 100 ms for further processing. Image processing is required for the estimation of
Hb, HbO2 and oxygen saturation under a lesion area.
The flowchart for video acquisition and frame capture is shown below.

Multichromophore estimation -Image processing
The images obtained at 3 wavelengths 680nm, 780nm and 800nm are needed to
process using linear mixing model in order to get 2D estimate of melanin , Hb , HbO2
and oxygen saturation in that lesion area. The 3 images of lesion at different
wavelengths are to be normalized with skin images without lesion of corresponding
wavelengths in order to get absorption due to additional chromophores in lesion area.
The normalization can be done by making use of modified Beer-Lamberts law.
This normalized image at each wavelength shows the linear combination of absorption
due to additional chromophores ,oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and melanin
present in that imaging lesion area. The greyscale image intensity thus proportional to
unknown estimate of chromophores and absorption coefficient of each chromophore at
each wavelength. To find the unknown estimates, we have to solve 3 linear equations by
absorption coefficients and 3 images.
To find an estimate of the total relative absorption for Hb and HbO2 across the 100 nm
between 680 nm and 780 nm, we compute a linear approximation of the area
underneath the absorption curve for each chromophore, modified by the amount of
that chromophore as follows:
Hb = 0.5([Hb]μ680Hb + [Hb]μ780Hb )(100 nm)

HbO2 = 0.5([HbO2 ]μ680HbO2 + [HbO2 ]μ780HbO2 )(100 nm)
The HbO2 estimate itself relates to how much spectral absorption is caused by HbO2,
and therefore, is a measure of blood oxygen saturation (SO2).
Total blood is simply HbO2 + Hb, therefore, our normalized ratiometric measurement of
percent oxygen saturation in the blood is the following:
R =HbO2/(HbO2 + Hb)
All of the aforementioned equations are evaluated pixel by pixel, resulting in 2-D
solutions for estimates of [HbO2 ], [Hb], and R.

Hence, the linear assumption is made on a pixel-by-pixel basis, which allows for
inhomogeneously distributed chromophores in the x-y plane. Inhomogeneity can still be
present along the z-axis, however at present we assume a homogenous mixture which is
visible from images of the skin surface.
Tissue analysis can be done by analyzing the 2D estimates by considering the fact that
there will be increased blood flow to the lesion due to angiogenesis, if there is any
malignancy . So there will be comparable estimate of oxyhemoglobin along with
melanin estimate in that area. For benign lesion there will be no or poor estimate of
extra blood chromophore when compared with melanin estimate
Linear mixing model
Since the major chromophores in the skin are melanin, HbO2, and Hb, the total
absorption is a function of the unknown amount of melanin [Mel], oxyhemoglobin
[HbO2], and deoxyhemoglobin [Hb]:
where μaMel ( λ), μaHbO2 ( λ), μaHb ( λ) are the wavelength-dependent absorption
coefficients of melanin, HbO2 , and Hb, respectively.
With three unknowns, three equations, or three images taken at different wavelengths (
ie, 680nm,780nm and 800nm) are needed to estimate the amounts of each
chromophore . Given the absorption coefficients of melanin, HbO2, and Hb, the linear
system defined by the three equations can be used to estimate [Mel], [HbO2], and [Hb]
present under the area imaged by the pixel. The [HbO2] estimate itself relates to how
much spectral absorption is caused by HbO2, and therefore, is a measure of blood
oxygen content. Another method of visualization is to compute a ratiometric
measurement defining the blood oxygen saturation, [SO2], relative to the total amount
of blood.
Beer’s Law
As light propagates through a turbid medium such as the skin, the intensity of light
decreases due to absorption and scattering interactions with the medium. The extent of
these interactions are characterized by the absorption and scattering coefficients, μa
and μs. At the simplest level, μa is related to a change in light intensity by the Beer–

Lambert law (or Beer’s law for short), which states that for light transmitted through a
medium over a path length of l is,
I/I0 =eμal
where the incident light intensity is I0, and the transmitted light intensity is I. Because
Beer’s law only takes into account attenuated effects of absorption, not scattering,
many attempts have been made to introduce and quantify the scattering corrections
needed for Beer’s law .Such corrections can be mathematically complex, through
reliance on solutions to the radiative transfer equation or other modeling. For highly
scattering media, such as biological tissue, the diffusion equation is often used as an
approximation of the radiative transport equation, where the dominant term in its
solution for a semi-infinite slab is approximated by
where ɸ(l) is the fluence rate, C is a constant and
Consequently, an approximate scattering-corrected equation to Beer’s Law may be

written as:
I/I0 =eμeff l
The light intensity I is the intensity value which is directly read by a CCD detector, and
can thus be likened to the image pixel value at each pixel location. Similarly, the incident
light intensity I0 may be represented by the intensity of the same pixel in an image of
skin background. In practice, a background image would be acquired on the patient on a
nearby patch of skin, right next to the lesion. By normalizing with respect to this
background, melanin absorption due to the patient’s skin colour is effectively cancelled
out which eliminates this potential variable from analysis. Thus in the normalized image
defined by I/I0, any additional melanin or blood due to the lesion itself will be visible as
dark regions (I/I0<1), whereas the skin surrounding the lesion will have I=I0
approximately equal to 1. In this simplified model, l represents the depth of a
homogenous absorbing object adjacent to the skin surface. Furthermore, since the
model is a pixelated image-based representation, the relevant equation variables I, I0,

μa, and l are all functions of pixel location (x; y), and can therefore vary heterogeneously
in the x-y plane.
The ―true‖ relationship between the background corrected image I/I0 and μa is defined
as an unknown function f:
Fig 6.1.4Handheld imaging probe with polariser
Fig 6.1.5 Experimental set up for real time multispectral imaging

Experiment Results
Some of the multispectral images of tissue and the estimation of total melanin,HbO2 , Hb
and their oxygen saturation images are shown below. Multispectral images at
680nm,780nm and 800 nm wavelength of a comparatively fair skin tissue is shown below.
The pixel intensity of melanin estimate obtained is less than hemoglobin indicates the
presence of low melanin in fair skin. Here multichromophore separation is done without
normalizing with background skin image which results in the total estimate of each
chromphore in that area.
Fig 6.1.6 Multispectral images of fingers with fair skin at (a) 680 nm, (b) 780 nm,and
(c) 800 nm. (d) surface reflectance image. (e) melanin estimate. (f) HbO2 estimate. (g)
Hb estimate. (h) Ratiometric image R.
Similarly the MSI images taken at these wavelengths on a palm area also proves the
decrease in melanin on that area when compared to hemoglobin. Also the MSI images
at the wrist portion,there is slight increase in pixel intensity at the vein areas of
deoxyhemoglobin estimate.

Fig 6.1.7: Multispectral images of palm at (a) 680 nm, (b) 780 nm,and (c) 800 nm. (d)
surface reflectance image. (e) melanin estimate. (f) HbO2 estimate. (g) Hb estimate.
(h) Ratiometric image R.
Fig 6.1.8 Multispectral images of wrist portion at (a) 680 nm, (b) 780 nm,and (c) 800
nm. (d) surface reflectance image. (e) melanin estimate. (f) HbO2 estimate. (g) Hb
estimate. (h) Ratiometric image R.

Chapter 7
Conclusion and Future Scope
The need of multispectral imaging source was studied and two source models for
different applications were suggested and simulated in Zemax. The radiant intensity
from the three types of leds at wavelengths 680nm, 780nm and 800nm were evaluated
in rings of different diameter ranging from 1cm to 5cm. The number of leds in each ring
was also varied and the resultant radiation pattern was evaluated.
From the results, it can be concluded that there is a tradeoff between the no of leds
used and the viewing angle of the light emitting diode. For leds with smaller viewing
angle more number of leds are to used for uniform illumination of an area.
Further, as the viewing angle of the led decreases, the application is limited to smaller
areas and another limitation is posed by the size of the camera.
A sequentially switching multispectral imaging source comprising the three wavelengths

was developed.
This study can be extended to evaluate the source characteristics with the use of
polariser and cross polariser. Also the multispectral source can be extended to higher
number of wavelengths for more spectral information.

References
1. Hyperspectral Imaging Spectroscopy A Look at Real-Life Applications
John R. Gilchrist, Gilden Photonics Ltd.; Timo Hyvärinen, Spectral Imaging Ltd.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multispectral_image
3. Multispectral Imaging for Your Application

By Steve Smith, PhD, Pixelteq, Golden, Colo
4. Adaptive Illumination Source for Multispectral Vision System Applied to

Material Discrimination
Olga M. Conde, Adolfo Cobo, Paulino Cantero, David Conde, Jesús Mirapeix,
Ana M. Cubillas, José M. López-Higuera Photonics Engineering Group, Dep.
TEISA, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander,
Spain
5. How Are LED Illumination Based Multispectral Imaging Systems Influenced by

Different Factors?
Image and Signal Processing Lecture Notes in Computer Science Volume
8509, 2014, pp 61-71 Raju Shrestha, Jon Yngve Hardeberg
6. Evaluation and comparison of multispectral imaging systems

Raju Shrestha and Jon Yngve Hardeberg The Norwegian Colour and Visual
Computing Laboratory, Gjøvik University College, Norway
7. Multispectral imaging using LED illumination and an RGB camera

Raju Shrestha and Jon Yngve Hardeberg The Norwegian Colour and Visual
Computing Laboratory, Gjøvik University College, Norway
8. Multispectral Filter Arrays: Recent Advances and Practical Implementation

Pierre-Jean Lapray, XingboWang, Jean-Baptiste Thomas and Pierre Gouton

9. http://www.thorlabs.com/
10. http://biomedicaloptics.spiedigitallibrary.org/article.aspx?articleid=1816617
11. Multispectral Transillumination Imaging of Skin Lesions for Oxygenated and

Deoxygenated Hemoglobin Measurement and Hb distribution in the skin, as
well as a ratiometric measurement descriptive of the relative oxygen
saturation level of the blood volume. Brian D’Alessandro, Atam P. Dhawan
12. "Multispectral Optical Imaging of Skin-Lesions for Detection of Malignant

Melanomas," A. P. Dhawan, B. D'Alessandro, S. Patwardhan, and N. Mullani,
13. https://www.zemax.com/

Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source For Multispectral Imaging Applications

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source For Multispectral Imaging Applications

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design and Evaluation of LED Illumination Source for

Multispectral Imaging Applications

ANITA MARY PETER

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

OPTOELECTRONICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PHOTONICS

COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COCHIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Supervising Guide Director

I take this opportunity to place on record my indebtedness to Dr. Suresh Nair,

I express my sincerest gratitude to my project guide, Dr Samuel Varghese,

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is the synergistic combination of imaging and spectroscopy.

With the advantage of acquiring two-dimensional images across a wide range of

International School of Photonics 1

Scene illumination is important to successful spectral imaging. This is an often-

International School of Photonics 2

1.1 Objective and Scope of project

1.2 Thesis Outline

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is the synergistic combination of imaging and spectroscopy.

Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the concept of LED based multispectral imaging

International School of Photonics 3

Chapter 3 deals with the proposed system description.

Chapter 7 is the conclusion and possible future developments.

International School of Photonics 4

Multispectral imaging (MSI) is the synergistic combination of imaging and spectroscopy.

The power of multispectral imaging is already leveraged in a wide variety of research

Fig 2.1.1: Multispectral Image

International School of Photonics 5

Table 2.1 Different Modes of Imaging

Mode Number of Spectral Spectral Resolution Availability

International School of Photonics 6

Advantages of Multispectral Imaging

• It is less prone to metamerism.

2.2 Multispectral Imaging System

A multispectral imaging system can be separated into two sections

 Illumination System and

 Image Acquisition System

International School of Photonics 7

Image Acquisition System

A synchronizing system can be used in case of sequential illumination which

Fig 2.2.1 Sections of Multispectral Imaging System

International School of Photonics 8

2.3 Multispectral imaging methods and approaches used

2.3.1 Filter wheel based MSI (FWMSI) system:

The conventional approach to acquiring multispectral imaging data is to use a white

Camera with Filter wheel: Here, n number of images of a scene is acquired by a

Fig 2.3.1 Monochrome camera with filter wheel

International School of Photonics 9

2.3.2 Tuned Filter based MSI (TFMSI) system

In a typical TFMSI system, n number of images of a scene is captured by a monochrome

International School of Photonics 10

2.3.3 Stereo camera based MSI (StereoMSI) system

International School of Photonics 11

2.3.4 Filter array based MSI (FAMSI) system

Fig 2.3.3 Filter array based sensor and demonaiced images

2.4 LED illumination based MSI (LEDMSI) system:

International School of Photonics 12

Fig:2.4.1 LED Source for multispectral imaging system

International School of Photonics 13

3.1 Linear Fiber Coupled Illumination

International School of Photonics 14

The basic structure for the source is

3.2 Ring Illumination