Leuven, Belgium / Boston, Mass., 21 January 2011 — Xenics, Europe’s leading developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared detectors and customized imaging solutions covering the IR spectrum from LWIR into the visible realm, releases its Lynx Series of high-speed, high-sensitivity SWIR linescan cameras for medical OCT and industrial inspection to the U.S. market. Xenics demonstrates Lynx and Gobi-640, as well as the latest upgrades of Cheetah-640CL and Xeva-2.5-320 at BiOS/Photonics West 2011 in Booth 8325 and 325 respectively.
Xenics has chosen BiOS/Photonics West 2011 to launch its innovative Lynx SWIR line-scan camera platform in the U.S., operating from its newly established sales and support office in Beverly (near Boston), Massachusetts. Volume production is to start in Q2/11. With this latest strategic move aiming for industrial and institutional domestic markets, Xenics intends to broaden its position as a key player for IR line-scan cameras worldwide.
Lynx – Elevating SWIR imaging to new heights
The highly successful Lynx camera, based on Xenics’ line-scan sensor Xlin- 1.7, is leading the current trend driven by ever higher resolution demands from SWIR imaging communities. Lynx has already conquered substantial market share in the 0.9 to 1.7μm near-infrared realm for high-resolution InGaAs line-scan cameras – reaching far beyond of CCD or CMOS sensors. A breakthrough in simplification and cost reduction for non-destructive inspection, Lynx offers extremely high sensitivity and broad dynamic range for high-resolution industrial image processing, spectroscopy and medical OCT.
Xenics offers Lynx in three resolution options: 512, 1024 or 2048 line pixels. Lynx 2048 raises SWIR imaging technology to new heights. Its unique 12.5 x 12.5 μm rectangular pixel pitch is the smallest available worldwide. The camera delivers extremely detail-rich signals, which up to now could be achieved only through complex multi-camera solutions. The smaller sensor is beneficial for lower lens distortion, vignetting and lower-cost optics for the same FOV. Line rate goes up to 40 kHz (1024-pixels) and 10 kHz (2048-pixels)
Equipped with five different read-out capacitors for up to 15 gain settings, Lynx offers unprecedented flexibility in terms of signal processing. The signal output is pre-processed in a specifically designed CMOS ROIC. To further reduce dark current and improve signal to noise ratio, Lynx can be operated with standard thermoelectric (TE1) cooling in high-sensitivity mode of only a few e-/count, or in high dynamic range mode with an optional TE3 cooler stage, allowing longer integration times. Small signals, such as in Raman or photoluminescence spectroscopy, are readily measured.
Gobi-640
Another Xenics highlight at Photonics West 2011 is the high-resolution, uncooled thermal camera Gobi 640. A “smart thermal” camera, Gobi-640 excels by its image quality with 640 x 480 pixels realized in a compact yet complete system. Plug-and-play functionality enables highest flexibility via user interface for camera control and various temperature ranges covered. Operating in the 8-to-14 micron wavelength range, the camera detects temperature differences as small as 0.05°C. Gobi-640 readily fits in various industrial process control environments and is available with a variety of standard accessories.
Cheetah-640CL
The Cheetah-640CL camera is now available in a three-stage water-cooled upgrade version. Cheetah 640CL TE3 offers high resolution, compact build and a dedicated low-noise InGaAs detector array for 0.9 to 1.7 μm. The TE3 cooled sensor and the water cooled camera head make the Cheetah-640CL TE3 highly sensitive, achieving ultra-low dark current characteristics at long integration times to operate at low light levels in the SWIR range, as needed in semiconductor failure analysis or luminescence spectroscopy.
Xeva-2.5-320
The Xeva-2.5-320, a highly flexible SWIR camera operating at up to 2.5μm, is now available in a 200 Hz upgrade version. It delivers superior performance for reliable research tasks, allowing faster hyperspectral imaging at frame rates of 60, 100 or 200 Hz. “We are continuously devising IR products and solutions that are state-of-the-art, offering high resolution across the infrared realm and high sensitivity for applications at low light levels,” says Xenics founder and CEO Bob Grietens. “This positions us squarely in the very competitive hyperspectral, OCT and industrial machine vision markets. Highest flexibility in meeting user requirements is our specialty. This includes a broad range of applications support.”
