Unveil the Invisible
DT Fully Automated Multispectral Imaging Solution
Multispectral imaging (MSI) captures light from a range of wavelengths – visible and invisible to the human eye – across the electromagnetic spectrum using special camera technology, light sources, and filters. The resulting “stacks” of images are used to analyze substances and surfaces to determine readability, authenticity, age, material-characterization and distribution.
Multispectral imaging has traditionally been a technically complicated and cumbersome process. Based on Phase One Rainbow components, Digital Transitions’ Multispectral 150 megapixel Solution makes multispectral simple to use, accessible to a broad range of users, repeatable, and powerful. It’s used in a wide variety of disciplines to facilitate the capture and analysis of objects in the infrared, visible, and UV spectrums.
MSI in a wide range of applications
- Analysis of documents – Readability of text on parchment, scrolls, and paper, often in poor condition is one application.
- Analysis of polychrome surfaces such as paintings – on canvas, wood, stone, and other materials. Applications include non-invasive analysis for conservation work and authentication.
- Analysis of Fabrics of all kinds – such as historic research to determine age and material.
- Police, forensic and crime scene investigation. Analysis for residue of human fluids on fabric, fingerprints, marks from use of weapons, and crime scene evidence.
- Materials characterization and sorting. Applications include quality assurance, research and development of new materials, and analysis for machine vision.
- General: MSI is used to differentiate subject matter based upon the differentiated response from materials with different chemical compositions.
MSI Outstanding Benefits for Analysis
- Non-invasive contactless analysis
- Quick first step for further analysis – Do it once, do it right
- Nondestructive thanks to low energy LED lighting
- Modular and mobile capturing solutions
DT Multispectral Integration
Accessible
- Full Solution. Digital Transitions includes all hardware, software, training, and support you’ll need to build a successful multispectral imaging program.
- Fully integrated. The camera, lens, lighting, filter wheel, bench, and software all function as one cohesive system.
- Modern software. Rainbow MSI Software is purpose-built for multispectral imaging by Phase One, who are experts at developing and maintaining software.
- Fast and automated. Run an entire capture recipe with a single click. You can image entire collections, not just singular items.
- Great for standard digitization as well. When multispectral imaging is not required, Phase One Rainbow can do standard color images in a single capture.
- Advanced Analysis. Rainbow MSI Software (free) provides easy access to advanced scientific analysis tools such as Spectral Readouts, Principle and Independent Component Analysis (PCA & ICA)
Repeatable
- Automatic Calibration. You’ll get the same result from day to day, and from system to system.
- Registered stacks. The system natively outputs image stacks that have been focus-registered, aligned, and corrected for distortion.
- Standards based. Built to honor standards, international guidelines and workflow recommendations such as CHARISMA, FADGI, METAMORFOZE, ISO, and JHOVE compliant workflows, the Rainbow is a friend to institutions who value standards.
Powerful
- 150mp. Absolutely unrivaled among multispectral solutions, 150 megapixels is enough to natively capture 48 inch (~A0) artwork at 300ppi. Rather than sample specific small areas, you can capture the entire artwork.
- 16 bit. Using a BSI Sony CMOS Sensor the Rainbow can provide dynamic range, tone fidelity, and long exposure image quality that is lightyears ahead of competing multispectral systems.
- Reflective and luminance. The system comes with all of the illumination and lens filtration required to faithfully document both reflected and luminance content of the subject across each band. For example, it can capture both reflected UV and UV Fluorescence into visible or IR.
- Wide-Band, Narrow-Band, or Both. Narrow-band illumination allows fine-grain analysis of the spectral reflectivity of the subject across 16 unique bands of spectral output. Wide-band illumination facilitates rapid capture across UV, visible, and IR illumination. Rainbow can be delivered with either option, or for maximum flexibility you can order it with both options included.
- Data Transparency. The entire image stack is saved, and is built on standards and international guidelines and workflow recommendations. The specifics of the capture are saved as XML metadata, allowing the images to be analyzed in any current or future standards-compliant software.
- Durable. Every component of the system is constructed with industrial build quality and comes with a [x]-year warranty.
The “Magic” behind MSI
- The growth of multispectral Imaging applications is based upon the use of new developments within LED lighting, wide spectrum and high-resolution digital camera sensors, as well as conservation methodology.
- LED lighting can be specified to deliver select “slices”, or bands, of the spectrum from UV light, through visible light and into IR light.
- In a darkened studio, LED lighting in combination with filters in front of the camera is used to capture two types of images.
- Images of reflected light: The different light bands enter into the surface of the subject matter and are reflected from different layers. Characteristics are then captured of the visible top surface, and of the layers below, to reveal information about, for example, earlier text scraped away on parchment and palimpsests, paints used, re-touching, underdrawings, state of conservation etc.
- Images of photo-induced luminescence: A given wavelength of light induces energy in the subject-matter and can result in luminescence, showing up as illuminations in a longer wavelength. The term “luminescence” also includes fluorescence. The luminescence is captured by filtering away the reflected shorter original wavelength, by using filters in front of the camera.
- Captured image stacks are analyzed visually or by scientific methods used to discover or enhance content in the subject matter. The calibration steps are based on well-defined standards and targets.
- Scientific methods include libraries for statistical analysis of the stack, typically Principal Component Analysis. Matlab and Paleo Toolbox are two examples of such libraries.
- For visual analysis, our Rainbow software has presets according to the CHARISMA project manual made by the British Museum in collaboration with EU partners.
Rainbow MSI Software
Multispectral cameras have been available in the market for many years but the calibration process, as well as the techniques for changing material sizes whilst maintaining consistent images that can be stacked and analyzed efficiently, has been a challenge and created significant overhead.
Phase One has worked with specialists on MSI projects over years. Based upon this experience and learning, we have devised a flexible and easy to handle, yet robust MSI solution with a workflow based on best practices.
The Rainbow capture process is fully automated: simply position the subject matter and press ‘Capture’. The full stack of captures are then made with automated focus, automated “flattening”, automated exposure normalization, and automated alignment to deliver the perfect stack, again and again – with perfect repeatability and stability.
The Rainbow MSI software controls all the elements – focusing the camera, moving the filter carousel on the filter wheel, turning the lights on and off in the correct order and timing, aligning the images, and finally creating the perfect stack.
The Rainbow Filter Wheel
The filter wheel can hold up to five filters. It is configured to support the filtering needs of accurate visible imaging and luminescence imaging, which fits many applications, including the CHARISMA standard manual.
The carousel, which holds the filters is removable and can be configured with any 2” filters for future scientific applications. The factory capture settings can be adjusted to suit different filter configurations. To support different MSI applications, you can simply work with two or more filter carousels.
The Rainbow Camera
The iXH 150MP and iXG 100MP cameras employ high resolution, color accurate CMOS sensors and advanced focusing to deliver sharp, reliable and repeatable results through the entire sweep of the light wavelengths involved.
The Wide Spectrum RGB sensor, tailored for multispectral imaging, can also be used for normal digitization work. Just attach the included IR/UV cut filter using the stepping rings provided to the lens and you are good to go, following Metamorfoze, FADGI and ISO 19264 guidelines. “Do it once, do it right”.
The CMOS sensor provides a responsive live-view for quick and safe positioning of subject matter.
To keep out stray light, the camera comes with a custom lens shroud mounted on the filter reel.
Schneider Kreuznach 72mm and 120mm lenses are available for Phase One Wide Spectrum Cameras, perfectly suited for the wide range of MSI imaging tasks, as well as normal flat copy digitization work.
The RS leaf shutter of the camera guarantees 1 million actuations. Working with the electronic shutter of the camera gives you infinite durability. The precise focusing mechanism measures distances accurately, and provides for Auto PPI functionality which makes digitization work at different resolutions quick and easy.
The Rainbow LED Lights
Rainbow supports two types of LED lights for a wide range of applications:
- Multiband DedoLight, delivering narrowband UV, broadband visible light, broadband and narrowband IR. This light is often used for MSI applications related to Art Conservation and to Police Forensics. Recipes for the capture of images following the CHARISMA standard manual are included.
- Narrowband EurekaLight, delivers 16 narrowbands of light from UV, through visible to IR. This light is often used for MSI applications related to Document Readability.
Revealing hidden text
Some of the text in this old document has been obscured. With our narrowband MSI Solution we are able to make all the text visible and legible.
Police and Forensics
Many disciplines of MSI analysis are applied within Police work. Here is an example of gunshot residue – discovered by photo-induced IR Iuminescence.
The Rainbow MSI Solution
Technical specifications
iXG 100MP WS |
iXG 150MP WS |
|
| Sensor Size | 53.4 x 40.0 | 53.4 x 40.0 |
| Resolution | 11,608 x 8,708 | 14,204 x 10,652 |
| Pixel Size(μm) | 4.6 μm | 3.76 μm |
| ISO Range | 50 - 800 | 50 - 800 |
| Data Interface | USB3 | USB-C / 10G Ethernet |
| File Formats | Raw 14bit / Raw 16bit | |
| Lenses | Schneider Kreuznach RS 72mm and/or 120mm | |
| Weight (gr) w/72mm Lens | 2.3 inc. L-Bracket | 2.5 inc. L-Bracket |
| Dimesions (mm) w/72mm Lens | 174 x 130 x 130 inc. L-Bracket | 177 x 130 x 130 inc. L-Bracket |
| Approvals | FCC Class A, CE, RoHS | |
| Operating Temp. (C) | 0º - 40º | |
| Operating Humidity (%) | 15 - 80 (non-condensing) | |
| Accessories | S8612 filter for normal photography with stepping rings for lenses. Custom lens shade suited for the supplied filter wheel. | |
Multiband Solution |
Narrowband Solution |
|
| Included LED Lights | 2 x UV, inc. UG11 filters (365 nm) 2 x VIS, inc BG39 filters 2 x IR (860nm & 960nm) |
Wavelengths (nm): 365, 385, 410, 420, 450, 480, 510, 530, 550, 600, 630, 640, 660, 740, 850, 940 |
| Configuration | 2 banks with UV-, VIS-, IR- emission each | 2 panels with 16 LEDs in each |
| Filter Wheel (5-position) | Included, controlled via USB | |
| Communication with leaghts & filter wheel | USB via 7-port powered hub | |
| Light Stands | Light stand & copystand not included | |
| Workflow Software | Phase one Rainbow MSI | |
| Output | 8-image stack, according to Charisma Guidelines | 16-image monochrome stack ready for statistical analysis |
| Output Luminescence | 3 channels | 15 channels |
Celebrating 20 Years of Digitization Excellence - 2003-2023
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