Systems, Methods, and Apparatus for Sensitive Thermal Imaging

Thermal imaging technology is utilized in various fields, such as security, medicine, and environmental studies, in order to visualize heat radiation. More often, the technology relies on infrared radiation to create images and then requires good sensitivity toward temperature variations. However, most systems in use today face the challenge of noise disturbance, and controlling this noise without compromising temperature sensitivity is a serious problem. Currently, most thermal imaging systems employ cooled detectors, which require substantial power and cumbersome cooling mechanics that affect the size and weight of the imaging devices, making them difficult to handle and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, these systems have moderate to low pixel counts that can limit resolution, ultimately restricting the finer details captured in the thermal images.

Technology Description

The technology detailed revolves around a high-pixel-count, uncooled thermal imaging array system that makes use of liquid crystal (LC) microcavity transducers separate from the read-out integrated circuit (ROIC). These transducers convert incoming infrared (IR) radiation into changes in birefringence, which can then be quantified using visible light. In essence, the system leverages the temperature sensitivity of the LC birefringence to convert the IR scene into a visible image. What sets this technology apart is its robust noise performance, indicated by measurements from sample arrays reflecting a similar quality to bulk samples. The high-fill-factor arrays constructed on fused-silica substrates can be fine-tuned to achieve drastically improved temperature sensitivity. For further optimization, an additional IR absorber layer might be integrated into the manufacturing process to adjust the structure according to the infrared.