A technical report demonstrating the utility of a simultaneous framing and streak camera system in visualising nanoscale biomedical events has been published by Specialised Imaging, a high-speed imaging system manufacturer based in Hertfordshire, UK.
The report describes research carried out by the University of Michigan using a SIM8-02 Ultra Fast Framing Camera from Specialised Imaging and an Optoscope SC-10 Streak Camera from the German imaging company Optronis in a single package. The Department of Radiology at the University of Michigan has been studying cycles of contraction and expansion of micro droplets and bubbles in a liquid when hit with an acoustic shock wave. Capturing images of these processes is difficult due to the size and speeds at which they take place.
Framing data images in the report show extremely detailed two-dimensional information of the full field of view. By comparison, the recorded streak images give a continuous record of time looking at a slit image of the diameter of the droplets. Both cameras together give a unique insight into the visualisation of biomedical micro and nanoscale events.
Traditionally such measurements have been accomplished by the use of two independent imaging systems looking at the event at slightly different angles of view or through external imaging beam splitting optical configurations.
Incorporating a supplementary optical port, that uses a beamsplitter to deliver 50 per cent of the primary image to an image plane, the SIM8-02 framing camera allows secondary instruments such as streak cameras, high speed video or time resolved spectrometers to share the same optical axis as the framing channels. Using this supplementary optical port facility the SIM8-02 was integrated with an Optronis SC-10 Optoscope streak camera to give a simultaneous framing and streak camera system.
