Chemical imaging techniques can examine the heterogeneous molecular compound’s composition and spatial arrangement inside a sample. On top of that, chemical imaging techniques mix microscopy and spectroscopy in scientific research and development.
The usefulness of chemical imaging techniques leads to the creation of chemical imaging system. Over the years, chemical imaging systems gained popularity as a method for analyzing impurities and inspecting production tools and packaging materials.
What is Chemical Imaging?
Chemical imaging or vibrational hyperspectral imaging is a type of image processing in which spatial information is merged with chemical information from spectroscopy. In the chemical imaging process, single-point detectors are used to capture hyperspectral images.
Hyperspectral imaging or images is a method that examines a broad range of light rather than only giving each pixel one of the three fundamental hues (red, green, and blue). The light striking each pixel is divided into various spectral bands to provide additional details about what is depicted.
Chemical Imaging Principles
The basic principles of chemical imaging are similar to those of vibrational spectroscopic methods. However, the simultaneous gathering of spatially distributed spectra adds additional details. It blends spectroscopic measurement characteristics with the benefits of digital photography.
Vibrational spectroscopy studies show how light interacts with matter in a nutshell. When a photon of a certain energy interacts with a specimen, it is either sponged or dispersed. Absorption pattern provides data, or a way, on the particles present in the sample.
In addition, chemical imaging could be done using one of the following methods of observation: (optical) absorbance, transmission, emissions (fluorescence), or scattering (Raman). There is a consensus that the two sensitive and potent, yet also the most expensive, modalities are fluorescence (emission) and Raman spectroscopy.
Chemical Imaging Applications
Chemical imaging can be used in the following fields:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
- Food science
- Biotechnology
- Agriculture
The analysis of specimens from a single particle to the molecular level in science and medicine can be done using various imaging techniques. Additionally, various instrumentation is utilized for observing such radically different systems.
Types of Vibrational Chemical Imaging Instruments
Chemical imaging has been utilized in mid-infrared, near-infrared, and Raman spectroscopy. Like its bulk spectroscopy counterpart, every imaging approach has specific strengths and drawbacks and is best suited to meet diverse objectives.
- Near-infrared chemical imaging
- Mid-infrared chemical imaging
- Fluorescence Imaging
- Raman chemical imaging
The Future With Chemical Imaging
Overall, chemical imaging tools are used for analyzing and quality-controlling a sample. That’s why chemical imaging is important in science, research, the food and pharmaceutical industry, and medical laboratories. With the help of chemical imaging tools dealing with challenging science problems becomes easier.
