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Analysis of calcium sparks in cardiomyocytes can provide valuable information about functional changes of calcium handling in health and disease. As a part of the calcium sparks analysis, sparks detection and characterization is necessary. Here, we describe a new open-source platform for automatic calcium sparks detection from line scan confocal images. The developed software is tailored for detecting only calcium sparks, allowing us to design a graphical user interface specifically for this task. The software enables detecting sparks automatically as well as adding, removing, or adjusting regions of interest marking each spark. The results of the analysis are stored in an SQL database, allowing simple integration with statistical tools. We have analyzed the performance of the algorithm using a large set of synthetic images with varying spark sizes and noise levels and also compared the analysis results with results obtained by software established in the field. The use of our software is illustrated by an analysis of the effect of isoprenaline (ISO) on spark frequency, amplitude, and spatial and temporal characteristics. For that, cardiomyocytes from C57BL/6 mice were used. We demonstrated an increase in spark frequency, tendency of having larger spark amplitudes, sparks with a longer duration, and occurrence of multiple sparks from the same site in the presence of ISO. We also show that the duration and the width of sparks with the same amplitude were similar in the absence and presence of ISO. The software was released as an open source repository and is available for free use and collaborative development.

c-plane ZnO films were eptiaxially grown on c-GaN/sapphire substrate by MOCVD. Cathodoluminescence (CL) line scan was performed on the cross-sectional ZnO/GaN films. These CL spectra shapes show a variation along the growth direction with a peak position shift, which can be divided into three stages. The study of the three stages reflects the growth mode alteration from the interface between ZnO and GaN to the surface. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A new apparatus is designed and fabricated for rapid heating and quenching (RHQ) process of Nb/Al precursor short wires. As the primary step, Nb/Al precursor with large Nb/Al filaments is manufactured through rod-in-tube (RIT) method to study the RHQ parameters. This apparatus could heat Nb/Al precursor short wire up to about 2000 °C in 10 ms-100 ms and then quench the wire into molten gallium. Results of line scan from SEM-EDS show that Nb3Al is formed in short wires. Tests show that the zero-resistance temperature of Nb3Al short wire is about 17.7 K, which also indicates that stoichiometric Nb3Al is formed. However, the critical current (IC) is only 1.8 A at 10.2 K. The low ICcan be explained by the low volume ratio of superconducting Nb3Al and lots of voids along the wire. Further optimization and improvements will be performed.

This paper presents a study of the extraction of the diffusion length in the normal-collector configuration with finite thickness with the use of the electron beam-induced current (EBIC) line scan. The EBIC data used were obtained from a commercially available device simulator. It was found that the surface recombination at the free surfaces affects the EBIC data, and therefore also affects the value of the extracted diffusion length and the linearization coefficient α. The effects of the surface recombination at the free surfaces and the sample thickness on the diffusion length extracted and the linearization coefficient α were researched and are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, the conditions at the free surfaces for a direct and accurate extraction of the bulk diffusion length at different sample thicknesses are suggested.

A noncontacting velocimetry technique based on line scan sensor arrays is proposed. Auto-correlation method is the mainly velocity measurement algorithm before. In my research, I will introduce a novel spatial filtering method based on line scan sensor for noncontacting velocimetry. When used for measuring a vehicles velocity, the variation of the distance between the sensor and the road may cause a primary source of errors. In this paper, an adaptive Double-channel optical system is recommended to eliminate the errors, and we verify the effectiveness of the design in theory.

Line scan camera has been widely used in the area of inspection of glass, film, fabric, iron, PCB and etc. due to the high resolution and the high speed. We developed the line scan based vision system to inspect tangled and cut-off status of yarn in the manufacturing process. The original image is binarized with a proper threshold, and the gap distances in the yarn are measured in real time, so finally the status of the process is decided by the maximum value of the gap distance. All procedures are executed in real time by realization of multi-processed threads. By implementation of this system, the error of the yarn in manufacturing process can be precedently monitored and the loss of the yarn is decreased efficiently.

Membrane-localized receptor proteins are involved in many signaling cascades, and diffusion and oligomerization are key processes controlling their activity. In order to study these processes in living cells, fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy techniques have been developed that allow the quantification of concentration levels, diffusion rates, and interactions between fluorescently labeled receptor proteins at the nanomolar concentration level. This chapter presents a brief introduction to the technique and a protocol to measure and quantify the diffusion and oligomerization of human histamine1 receptor complexes in living HeLa cells using line-scanning fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy.

Pavement texture is an important indicator of road serviceability. Pavement texture is directly linked to pavement and tire skid resistance and to traffic safety for the public. Therefore, most transportation agencies require texture data for their pavement management information systems. Current methods for measuring pavement texture that use high-speed distance sensors or three-dimensional line scan devices have shown limitations for data stability. Problems caused by vehicle vibration, bad data from optical sensors, and, most important, speed dependency related to the sensor sampling time or exposure time either make the texture results unreliable or reveal noticeable errors. The influence of speed on network-level texture data collection was studied, and a highspeed, high-precision three-dimensional texture system was developed. The experiment confirmed that improper selection of a sensor with large exposure time would result in speed dependency on measured texture data. Because the system developed in the study adopted a very small exposure time for each sampling, it could produce accurate texture data that are largely independent of vehicle speed.

We present the rationale for and the observational description of ASPECS: The ALMA SPECtroscopic Survey in the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field (UDF), the cosmological deep field that has the deepest multi-wavelength data available. Our overarching goal is to obtain an unbiased census of molecular gas and dust continuum emission in high-redshift (z$>$0.5) galaxies. The $\sim$1$'$ region covered within the UDF was chosen to overlap with the deepest available imaging from HST. Our ALMA observations consist of full frequency scans in band 3 (84-115 GHz) and band 6 (212-272 GHz) at approximately uniform line sensitivity ($L'_{\rm CO}\sim$2$\times$10$^{9}$ K km/s pc$^2$), and continuum noise levels of 3.8 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$ and 12.7 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$, respectively. The molecular surveys cover the different rotational transitions of the CO molecule, leading to essentially full redshift coverage. The [CII] emission line is also covered at redshifts $6.0, Comment: Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal, incorporating the first round of referee comments

In this paper we propose a low-cost high-speed imaging line scan system. We replace an expensive industrial line scan camera and illumination with a custom-built set-up of cheap off-the-shelf components, yielding a measurement system with comparative quality while costing about 20 times less. We use a low-cost linear (1D) image sensor, cheap optics including a LED-based or LASER-based lighting and an embedded platform to process the images. A step-by-step method to design such a custom high speed imaging system and select proper components is proposed. Simulations allowing to predict the final image quality to be obtained by the set-up has been developed. Finally, we applied our method in a lab, closely representing the real-life cases. Our results shows that our simulations are very accurate and that our low-cost line scan set-up acquired image quality compared to the high-end commercial vision system, for a fraction of the price., 2015 International Conference on Image Processing Theory, Tools and Applications (IPTA)

The acquisition of three-dimensional surface data plays an increasingly important role in the industrial sector. Numerous 3D shape measurement techniques have been developed. However, there are still limitations and challenges in fast measurement of large-scale objects or high-speed moving objects. The innovative line scan technology opens up new potentialities owing to the ultra-high resolution and line rate. To this end, a sensor for in-motion continuous 3D shape measurement based on dual line-scan cameras is presented. In this paper, the principle and structure of the sensor are investigated. The image matching strategy is addressed and the matching error is analyzed. The sensor has been verified by experiments and high-quality results are obtained.

Since its first report on graphite, atomic stick–slip friction has been widely observed on various crystalline surfaces in atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. Theoretically, one can extract the key intrinsic interface parameters, e.g., functional shape of the atomic interaction potential energy, thermal hopping frequency and effective damping coefficient, from statistics of the atomic stick–slip data. However, this approach is seriously impeded by the lack of a reliable method to extract the physically meaningful statistical data. In this work, we present an easy and robust approach to reconstruct the atomic stick–slip process such that individual slip events with arbitrary slip distance can be automatically identified, while the slip forces and true tip position can be obtained simultaneously. By implementing the new scheme for both one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulated data and real AFM experiments, we clearly demonstrate that this new method can reliably resist noise interference while accurately preserving the essential thermodynamic information. The new technique enables the physical process of atomic friction to be unveiled with far more details and provides a new paradigm for examining the statistics of atomic processes in sliding interfaces.

Calibration of line-scan cameras for precision measurement should have large calibration volume and be flexible in the actual measurement field. In this paper, we present a high-precision calibration method. Instead of using a large 3D pattern, we use a small planar pattern and a precalibrated matrix camera to obtain plenty of points with a suitable distribution, which would ensure the precision of the calibration results. The matrix camera removes the necessity of precise adjustment and movement and links the line-scan camera to the world easily, both of which enhance flexibility in the measurement field. The method has been verified by experiments. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method gives a practical solution to calibrate line scan cameras for precision measurement.

To achieve comprehensive online quality and safety inspection of fruits, whole-surface sample presentation and imaging regimes must be considered. Specifically, sample presentation method for round objects is under development to achieve effective whole-surface sample evaluation based on the use of a single hyperspectral line-scan imaging device. In this paper, a whole-surface round-object imaging method using hyperspectral line-scan imaging techniques is presented.

This paper presented a method for subsurface food inspection using a newly developed line-scan spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) technique. A 785 nm laser was used as a Raman excitation source. The line-shape SORS data was collected in a wavenumber range of 0–2815 cm i 1 using a detection module consisting of an imaging spectrograph and a CCD camera. A layered sample, which was created by placing a plastic sheet cut from the or iginal container on top of cane sugar, was used to test the capability for subsurface food inspec tion. A whole set of SORS data was acquired in an offset range of 0–36 mm (two sides of the laser) with a sp atial interval of 0.07 mm. Raman spectrum from the cane sugar under the plastic sheet was resolved using self-modeling mixture analysis algorithms, demonstrating the potential of the technique for authenticating foods and ingredients through packaging. The line-scan SORS measurement technique provides a new method for subsurface in spection of food safety and quality. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, Lasers, Subsu rface detection, Food quality, Food safety, Mixture analysis

We propose and demonstrate, for the first time to our best knowledge, the use of a 45° tilted fiber grating (TFG) as an infiber lateral diffraction element in an efficient and fiber-compatible spectrally encoded imaging (SEI) system. Under proper polarization control, the TFG has significantly enhanced diffraction efficiency (93.5%) due to strong tilted reflection. Our conceptually new fiber-topics-based design eliminates the need for bulky and lossy free-space diffraction gratings, significantly reduces the volume and cost of the imaging system, improves energy efficiency, and increases system stability. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we use the proposed system to perform an one dimensional (1D) line scan imaging of a customer-designed three-slot sample and the results show that the constructed image matches well with the actual sample. The angular dispersion of the 45° TFG is measured to be 0.054°/nm and the lateral resolution of the SEI system is measured to be 28 μm in our experiment.

Stereolithography (SLA) represents an additive manufacturing method that uses light to selectively cure a photoresin for the purpose of creating a 3 dimensional structure. With successively cured layers, large geometry (4" x 6" x 15") can be achieved with incredibly high resolution (~100 micrometer). Using a digital light projection (DLP) chip, whole layers of the model can be cured in a single step as opposed to laser based methods that require the laser to line scan the model. This approach rapidly accelerates the printing process, while still maintaining a high level of accuracy in the part. The goal of this printer is to produce models of the cardiovascular system for benchtop flow studies. With many of the intended models being complex in nature, fused filament printing would not produce the needed resolution or finish required. The challenge with many models is how segment the model for printing, curing settings, and how to position the geometry on the print bed. Different photoresin chemistry's were used achieve specific model objectives, reusable molds, dissolvable molds, and device prototypes. The underlying chemistry, printing strategies, and discussion of the tested solutions to problems with this technology will be covered. With the growing presence of DLP SLA, many of the challenges with this method are limiting the success of these designs in the marketplace. This presentation will cover the advances made with the current design and the benefits this technology has for this application.

Measurements of Raman scattering spectra and of Raman maps of particles of explosives and related compounds [potassium nitrate, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX)] were performed by a homebuilt compact Raman system, functioning with a 532-nm laser beam, focused as a point or line, along with full vertical binning or image readout of an intensified charge-coupled device camera. High specificity and sensitivity were obtained by line-excitation, which allowed fast detection and mapping of explosive particles with a relatively simple system.

Scanning electron microscopy was used to line scan 7 positions (pronotum, scutellum, elytra, abdominal sternites, head, maxillary palpus and labial palpus) of 11 Harmonia axyridis Pallas with different color patterns to make up for the lack of general morphological observation, and at the same time it was also used to further study the relationship of ultrastructure and predatory behavior of Harmonia axyridis Pallas to establish the important research foundation. The results show that the hair on the body of the elytra of the different H. axyridis directly stretches out from the surface of the hole and only few hairs on the body of the elytra stretched out from the concave surface of the elytra. Moreover, the hollow on the elytra edge increased significantly, though no two body hairs were produced on one hollow, and the granular material was borne on the first baseline web splices. It was observed that the hair densities of pronotum, scutellum, elytra, and abdominal sternites from the 11 types of H. axyridis Pallas showed some diversity. Likewise, the number of sensilla from the head, abdominal sternites, maxillary palpus, and labial palpus showed some differences. These findings highlight the fact that ultrastructure supplement was provided to the morphological aspect of H. axyridis. Key words: Harmonia axyridis Pallas, body surface, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Based on the characters of the line scan CCD camera and the Vehicle-borne 3D data acquisition system, it presented a novel method to calibrate the line Scan Camera (LSC) based on the laser scanner. Using the angle information in the original laser scanner data, combing the principle of the line scan camera, it built a calibration model for LSC and designed some experiment methods to implement that. Using the new model and the special experiment methods it computed out high precision LSC calibration parameters, which provides basis for the fusion of image and point cloud data and gives references to the similar sensors calibration.

The occurrence of ergot bodies (sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea) in cereals presents a high toxicity risk for animals and humans due to the alkaloid content. To reduce this risk, the European Commission fixed an ergot concentration limit of 0.1% in all feedstuffs containing unground cereals, and a limit of 0.05% in 'intervention' cereals destined for humans. This study sought to develop a procedure based on near infrared hyperspectral imaging and multivariate image analysis to detect and quantify ergot contamination in cereals. Hyperspectral images were collected using an NIR hyperspectral line scan combined with a conveyor belt. All images consisted of lines of 320 pixels that were acquired at 209 wavelength channels (1100-2400 nm). To test the procedure, several wheat samples with different levels of ergot contamination were prepared. The results showed a correlation higher than 0.99 between the predicted values obtained using chemometric tools such as partial least squares discriminant analysis or support vector machine and the reference values. For a wheat sample with a level of ergot contamination as low as 0.01 %, it was possible to identify groups of pixels detected as ergot to conclude that the sample was contaminated. In addition, no false positives were obtained with non-contaminated samples. The limit of detection was found to be 145 mg/kg and the limit of quantification 341 mg/kg. The reproducibility tests of the measurements performed over several weeks showed that the results were always within the limits allowed. Additional studies were done to optimise the parameters in terms of number of samples analysed per unit of time or conveyor belt speed. It was shown that ergot can be detected using a speed of 1-100 mm/s and that a sample of 250 g can be analysed in 1 min.

The main failure forms of whetstones forming die is serious wear on the work face, and the boronizing technology can be used to improve the hardness and wear resistance on the work face of the whetstones forming die. In this paper, the orthogonal test was used to obtain the optimum parameters of temperature, time and the amount of addition of rare earth in the boronizing process of die. The line scan spectrum shows that there are some of elements such as B, C, Al, Cr, Si and Fe etc in boronizing layer, and their content are changed during boronizing. The microhardness of boronization layer was measured, and the result showed that maximum value of microhardness of boronizing layer appears in subsurface, not in surface, and lowers along depth of boronizing layer. By comparing different wear curve of abrasive samples with different treated, we can see that the highest wear resistance of surface is in the sample with the optimization of boronization treatment +970°C quenching and 200°C tempering; followed by quenching and tempering treatment; the lowest wear resistance of the surface is the sample without the boronizing treatment, and the rest sample are between these two samples. After optimization of boronization treatment +quenching and tempering, the lifetime of the whetstones forming die with boronizing is 3.5 times than the old one. Keywords: Boronizing; Whetstone; Forming Die

Anguilla japonica has a high economic value. The abundance had decreased significantly due to excessive fishing and change in the aquatic ecology. Life history patterns of A. japonica have been studied to prevent excessive fishing and make management plans. Strontium (Sr)–calcium (Ca) ratio along a line down the long axis from the core to the edge of the yellow eel’s otolith was measured using micro proton induced X-ray emission (micro-PIXE). An efficient and precise method was proposed to locate the core where an otolith begins to grow, based on Sr concentration and distribution. Using this method, life history patterns of the yellow eels collected from Jingjiang River in China were investigated. In general, there are two types, river eels and estuarine eels.

A graded TiCxN1−x coating with x varying parabolically in the range 0–1 was grown by chemical vapor deposition in the TiCL4–CH4–N2–H2 system by quasi-continuously changing process parameters (growth time, CH4 mole fraction) at 1400 K and at 10.7 kPa. Taper polishing of the graded coating was carried out by a simple apparatus converting a depth dimension into a lateral dimension. Auger electron spectroscopy line scan was then performed on the taper polished surface. Composition profile of the graded coating was determined to be in agreement with the designed one using surface profilometer traces and AES signals from CKLL transition at 272 eV. AES/taper polishing approach facilitates composition–depth analysis with a minimal degree of sputtering and a substantial reduction of data acquisition time. Taper polishing could also be combined with other chemical analysis techniques such as X-ray microdiffraction.

A line-scan spectral imaging system was developed for online identification of wholesome and unwholesome freshly slaughtered chicken carcasses on commercial processing lines. Hyperspectral images acquired by the imaging system for 5,549 wholesome and 93 unwholesome chicken carcasses on a 140 bird per minute (bpm) processing line were analyzed to optimize region of interest size and location and determine key wavebands by which to implement online multispectral inspection based on single-waveband intensity and a two-waveband ratio. Multispectral inspection algorithms were developed for real-time online chicken inspection. The imaging system inspected over 100,000 chickens on the processing line during continuous operation and accurately identified over 99% of wholesome and over 96% of unwholesome chickens. A system of this type can perform food safety inspection tasks accurately and consistently on high-speed processing lines (e.g., at least 140 bpm), to help poultry processors improve production efficiency and satisfy increasing consumer demand for poultry products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The line-scan spectral imaging system was designed as a tool to assist poultry processors in meeting the requirements of the HACCP-Based Inspection Models Project as implemented by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The system is particularly well suited for presorting poultry carcasses on high-speed processing lines by removing systemically diseased birds prior to the inspection stations. This can increase efficiency and reduce cross-contamination risks by minimizing the presence and unnecessary processing of unwholesome birds on the processing line. Real-time data collection and prompt removal of unwholesome poultry carcasses can enhance the ability of FSIS to certify U.S. poultry products for both domestic and export markets. In addition, the spectral imaging methodology of this system has the potential for easy adaptation to other high-speed food processing tasks, particularly those involving automated inspection for quality indicators.

In relation to the evaluation of corrosion resistance of zinc-coated steel sheets with chemical conversion coatings, evaluation of white rust occurrence is commonly conducted by visual observation of the specimens. However, because large individual variation exists in evaluation by visual observation and minute white rust is generated on the specimen surface, it is difficult to evaluate corrosion resistance objectively. An evaluation method was developed to appropriately evaluate the corrosion resistance of zinc-coated steel sheets with chemical conversion of coatings. It can visualize minute white rust accurately using low-angle lighting, a line scan camera, and a linear stage. Furthermore, the corrosion area ratio of the white rust can be evaluated quantitatively using image analysis. Good correlation was found between the developed quantitative analysis method and evaluation by visual observation.The developed quantitative analysis method is applicable to various corrosion tests such as the exposure test, the salt spray test (SST), the combined cyclic corrosion test (CCT), and a new accelerated corrosion test (ACTE: Accelerated Corrosion Test for Electrical appliances). Superior correlation was found between the ACTE results and corrosion in actual environments. The ACTE test can estimate the influence of the amount of deposited sea salt on corrosion resistance of materials. The ACTE test and the developed quantitative analysis method enable appropriate evaluation of the corrosion resistance of zinc-coated steel sheets with chromate-free coatings.

This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of line scan diffusion images (LSDI) in normal prostate and prostate cancer. Single-shot echo planner images (SS-EPI) were used for comparison.Twenty prostate tumors were examined by conventional MRI in 14 patients prior to radical prostatectomy. All patients were examined with a 1.5-T MR imager (Signa CV/i ver. 9.1 GE Medical System Milwaukee, WI, USA). Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) using LSDI was performed with a pelvic phased-array coil, with b values of 5 and 800 s/mm². DWI using SS-EPI was performed with a body coil, with b values of 0 and 800 s/mm². The ADCs of each sequence for 14 normal prostate and 20 prostate cancers were histopathologically assessed. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on DWI was estimated and compared for each sequence.The mean ADCs (±S.D.) of normal peripheral zones (PZ), transition zones (TZ) and cancer (in 10⁻³ mm²/s) that used LSDI were 1.42±0.12, 1.23±0.10 and 0.79±0.19, respectively. Those that used SS-EPI were 1.76±0.26, 1.38±0.20 and 1.05±0.27, respectively. Using unpaired t test (P.05), we found a significant difference in each sequence between normal tissue (both PZ and TZ) and the cancer. Paired t test (P.05) also registered a significant difference between LSDI and SS-EPI. Mean SNR for DWI using LSDI was 16.49±5.03, while the DWI using SS-EPI was 18.85±9.26. The difference between the SNR of each sequence was not statistically significant by paired t test.We found that ADCs using LSDI and SS-EPI showed similar tendencies in the same patients. However, in all regions, LSDI ADCs had smaller standard deviations than SS-EPI ADCs.

Foodborne diseases are of serious concern to public health. It is necessary to develop fast and reliable non-destructive detection methods to improve food product monitoring for the food industry. This research was conducted to investigate hyperspectral fluorescence imaging using violet/blue LED excitation to develop a multispectral algorithm for detection of fecal contamination on Golden Delicious apples. From the hyperspectral image data, four wavebands, 680, 684, 720, and 780 nm, were selected for potential use in a multispectral detection algorithm. The algorithm could detect 96–100% of different dilutions of feces on apples. The highly successfully detection of feces showed that a simple multispectral fluorescence imaging algorithm based on violet/blue LED excitation can be used to detect fecal contamination on apple processing lines.

(Chinese Physics B, 2018, Vol. 27, No. 6, 068801) Since publication, it has been brought to the attention of the Editorial Office of Chinese Physics B that parts of this paper showed strong similarities to the following article (including one equation, some analyses, the motivation and the conclusion) without citation: "Detection of Finger Interruptions in Silicon Solar Cells Using Line Scan Photoluminescence Imaging," IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, 2017, vol. 7, No. 6, pp. 1496–1502. Following our investigation, this article has been retracted by the Editorial Office of Chinese Physics B.

This paper presents a novel method for calibrating line-scan cameras using a calibration pattern comprising two parallel planes with lines that can be described using known equations. Using pattern geometry and a line that is captured by a line-scan camera, we calculate the 3-D coordinates of the points corresponding to the straight lines of a pattern that is captured by the line-scan camera. These coordinates are used to obtain the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the line scan using a standard calibration procedure that is based on a recursive least squares method. In this paper, the procedure of calibration and the results obtained for a specific line scan will be shown; specifically, the obtained median residual error is 0.28 pixel. Also, the repetitiveness of the calibration process was verified for a sequence of 500 times.

A Kerr microscopy method for the quantitative measurement of the size of magnetic objects that are smaller than the resolution limit is proposed. It can be applied to domain walls, bubble domains, and magnetic skyrmion-bubble hybrid microstructures. The method is based on the integral contrast, determined by proper line scans across the object, which turns out to be independent of the resolution of the microscope after normalization to the maximum domain contrast.A Kerr microscopy method for the quantitative measurement of the size of magnetic objects that are smaller than the resolution limit is proposed. It can be applied to domain walls, bubble domains, and magnetic skyrmion-bubble hybrid microstructures. The method is based on the integral contrast, determined by proper line scans across the object, which turns out to be independent of the resolution of the microscope after normalization to the maximum domain contrast.

Automatic fish fillet inspection, i.e. detection of flaws and irregularities, is often done on fast moving conveyer belts using line scan imaging. Recent work shows that imaging spectroscopy is a promising method for automatic fish fillet inspection. This requires fast algorithms that can handle large amount of data and make reliable decisions in fractions of a second. One important step in these algorithms is segmentation, where different regions in the image are labelled. For cod fillets, this can be to identify which part of the fillet belongs to the loin, belly flap, centre cut and tail. How severe a detected flaw is depends on which part of the fillet it is located in. Segmentation requires a robust spatial reference system which is invariant to rotation and warping of the fillet. The centreline, consisting of veins and arteries cut off during filleting, is always visible on cod fillets and hence a good reference for segmentation. We show how to enhance the centreline by using the absorption characteristics of haemoglobin, and how a novel ridge detection method can detect the centreline in cod fillets. The results show that the centreline can be detected with an average accuracy of 1 mm from the tail and 77% into the fillet relative to its total length. The average error increases rapidly in the neck region and typical errors of 4 mm is reported.

A machine vision system was developed and evaluated for the automation of online inspection to differentiate freshly slaughtered wholesome chickens from systemically diseased chickens. The system consisted of an electron-multiplying charge-coupled-device (EMCCD) camera used with an imaging spectrograph and controlled by a computer to obtain line-scan images quickly on a chicken processing line of a commercial poultry plant. The system scanned chicken carcasses on an eviscerating line operating at a speed of 140 chickens per minute. An algorithm was implemented in the system to automatically recognize individual carcasses entering and exiting the field of view, to locate the region of interest (ROI) of each chicken, to extract useful spectra from the ROI as inputs to the differentiation method, and to determine the condition for each carcass as being wholesome or systemically diseased. The system can acquire either hyperspectral or multispectral images without any cross-system calibration. The essential spectral features were selected from hyperspectral images of chicken samples. The differentiation of chickens on the processing line was then carried out using multispectral imaging. The high accuracy obtained from the evaluation results showed that the machine vision system can be applied successfully to automatic online inspection for chicken processing.

We investigate image reconstruction with a circle and line trajectory with a tilted gantry. We derive new equations for reconstruction from the line data, such as equations of filtering lines, range of filtering lines and range of the line scan. We analyze the detector requirements and show that the line scan does not impose extra requirements on the cylindrical detector size with our algorithm, that is, the axial truncation of the filtering lines does not occur. We discuss full-scan and short-scan versions of the algorithm. Evaluation of our algorithm uses simulated and real 256-slice data.

We report the high speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) with the frame rate of 40 frames/s (fps) using the InGaAs line scan camera and the optical probe with forward and side-imaging. This optical probe with the diameter of 2.6 mm is compact and robust and available to commercial endoscopes. The forward and side-images can be measured simultaneously and total imaged region is 1.5×6.9 mm2 (axial × circumference, 256×477 pixels). The axial and lateral resolutions in an air are 18.2 and 23 µm, respectively. The system sensitivity was also measured at 93 dB. OCT images of in vivo human ventral finger tips, in vivo pinna of rat and ex vivo bronchus of rat are shown.

Kurzfassung Harte Plattierschichten aus Titanium Karbonitriden (TiCN) und Chromnitriden (CrN) werden heute in der Metallbearbeitung und Werkzeugindustrie, vor allem zum Schutz der Span abhebenden Schneidwerkzeuge gegen Verschleiß- und Korrosionswirkungen, genutzt. In dieser Arbeit wurden die Oberflächen der Schneidspitze der aus unlegiertem C 80-Stahl hergestellten Scheidwerkzeuge mit einer Lichtbogen-Dampfabscheidungstechnik (CAVD) mit dünnen TiCN- und CrN-Schichten kathodisch überzogen. Die Schneidcharakteristiken und Verschleißverhalten der erhaltenen Schneidwerkzeuge wurden an einer konventionellen Drehbank experimentell untersucht. Die Veränderung der chemischen Zusammensetzung und die Eigenschaften der mit Nitrid-Schichten plattierten Oberflächen wurden mit SEM-Aufnahmen, mit einer so genannten “line scan“-Analyse und mit röntgenographischen Diffraktogrammen (XRD) bestimmt. Schneidfähigkeitsprüfung und Verschleißverhalten der erzeugten Werkzeuge, deren Schneidspitze mit sehr dünnen TiCN- und CrN-Schichten überzogen wurden, wurden mit einem im Monitor direkt verfolgbaren System (on-line monitoring System) ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten unter anderem, dass die TiCN-plattierten Scheidwerkzeuge mehr Verschleißwiderstand aufwiesen, als diejenigen, die mit CrN-Schichten überzogen wurden.

We developed a push-broom, line-scan imaging system capable of simultaneous measurements of reflectance and fluorescence. The system allows multitasking inspections for quality and safety attributes of apples due to its dynamic capabilities in simultaneously capturing fluorescence and reflectance, and selectivity in multispectral bands. A multitasking image-based inspection system for online applications has been suggested in that a single imaging device that could perform a multitude of both safety and quality inspection needs. The presented multitask inspection approach in online applications may provide an economically viable means for a number of food processing industries being able to adapt to operate and meet the dynamic and specific inspection and sorting needs.

【This paper presents an overall image processing approach of defect inspection of patterned TFT-LCD panels for the real manufacturing process. A prototype of AOI(Automatic Optical Inspection) system which is composed of air floating stage and multi line scan cameras is developed. Adjacent pattern comparison algorithm is enhanced and used for pattern elimination to extract defects in the patterned image of TFT-LCD panels. New region merging algorithm which is based on border expansion is proposed to identify defects from the pattern eliminated defect image. Experimental results show that a developed AOI system has acceptable performance and the proposed algorithm reduces environmental effects and processing time effectively for applying to the real manufacturing process.】

In this study, an automated scrap-sorting system using image processing technology has been designed and examined to automatically sort out specified materials from a mixture, especially Cu and other non-ferrous metal scraps from a mixture of iron scraps. In the functional tests of the system, its efficiency in the separation of Cu scraps from its mixture with Fe ones reaches to 75 % or more at a conveying speed of 20 m/min., and thus it is expected that the system can be commercialized in the industry of shredder makers if an automated sorting system of high speed is realized.

Rationale and Objectives Subcutaneous epidermal cysts and intracranial epidermoid cysts are pathologically identical. Although diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) studies of intracranial epidermoid cysts have been numerously reported, those of subcutaneous epidermal cysts have not been sufficiently investigated. Our hypothesis for this study is that the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of subcutaneous epidermal cysts and intracranial epidermoid cysts are not different. This study was intended to evaluate the ADC of subcutaneous epidermal cysts of the head and neck in comparison with that of intracranial epidermoid cysts. Materials and Methods The MR studies were performed in 14 patients with head and neck subcutaneous epidermal cysts and 10 patients with intracranial epidermoid cysts using line scan DWI (LSDWI). The ADC was measured and compared between the two types of cyst. Results The ADC values (mean ± SD) were 0.81 ± 0.14 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s in subcutaneous epidermal cysts and 1.06 ± 0.12 × 10 −3 mm 2 /s in intracranial epidermoid cysts. A significant difference was found in ADC values between the two types ( P = .0019). Conclusion Our preliminary study has shown that the ADC provides useful information regarding tissue characterization of subcutaneous epidermal cysts. However, the ADC of subcutaneous epidermal cysts was significantly lower than that of intracranial epidermoid cysts.

We have recently developed a rapid online line-scan imaging system capable of both hyperspectral Vis/NIR reflectance and fluorescence in the Vis with UV-A excitation. The hyperspectral online line-scan system was integrated with a commercial apple-sorting machine and evaluated to inspect apples for fecal contamination and defects at a processing line speed of over three apples per second. Results showed that fluorescence imaging (using a two-band ratio) could achieve detection of fecal spots on artificially contaminated apples with a 100% detection rate and no false positives regardless of the presence of defects. A NIR two-band reflectance ratio coupled with a simple classification method based on the mean intensity and homogeneity of the ratio achieved a 99.5% apple defect classification accuracy with a false positive rate of only 2%. The presented NIR processing regime overcame the presence of stem/calyx on apples that typically has been a problematic source for false positives in the detection of defects. The most significant and important outcome of this investigation is a line-scan inspection system that can potentially provide the capability for current sorting mechanisms, such as by size and color, as well as additional sorting for quality and safety attributes of food products. This line-scan based online imaging system offers great potential as a value-added dynamic inspection system due to its capability for multi-tasking to meet a variety of inspection objectives. A multi-tasking inspection system that can meet current industry sorting needs with the added benefit of safety inspection without requiring significant modification of existing infrastructure or incurring significant costs may lead the apple industry to consider adopting voluntary measures to further enhance safe production and processing of fruits.

This paper gives an account of day-night active forest fire monitoring conducted over the sub-tropical and moist temperate forests of the Uttaranchal State, India, during 2005 using the Defence Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Line Scan system (DMSP-OLS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data. The state experienced heavy fire episodes during May-June 2005 and daily datasets of DMSP-OLS (night-time) and selected cloud-free MODIS (daytime) datasets were used in mapping active fire locations. DMSP-OLS collects data in visible (0.5 to 0.9 µm) and thermal (10.5 to 12.5 µm) bands and detects dim sources of lighting on the earth's surface, including fires. The enhanced fire algorithm for active fire detection (version 4) was used in deriving fire products from MODIS datasets. Fire locations derived from DMSP-OLS and MODIS data were validated with limited ground data from forest department and media reports. Results of the study indicated that the state experienced heavy fire episodes, most of them occurring during night-time rather than daytime. Validation of satellite-derived fires with ground data showed a high degree of spatial correlation.