Low-Cost Hyperspectral Push-broom Microscope, targeting Smart Farming Applications

Abstract

Currently, the use of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for the inspection of microscopic samples in an emerging trend in different fields. The use of push-broom hyperspectral (HS) cameras against other HSI technologies is motivated by their high spectral resolution and their capabilities to exploit spectral ranges beyond 1000 nm. Nevertheless, the use of push-broom cameras coupled to microscopes imposes to perform an accurate spatial scanning of the sample to collect the HS data. In this manuscript, we present a methodology to correctly set-up a HS push-broom microscope to acquire high-quality HS images. First, we present a custom 3D printed mechanical system developed to perform the spatial scanning by performing a linear movement that controls the microscope stage. Then, we discuss the most important characteristics of a microscopic HS system and we propose an image analysis method able to quantitatively verify the correct setup of the system prior to acquire high-quality HS images. Finally, we present a set of images acquired from real microscopic samples, showing the potential of HSI for the microscopic analysis.