Flir Systems, Incorporated

Paul A Czerepuszko

Robert G Benson

Thomas J Scanlon

An infrared camera system is provided to detect absorption of infrared radiation in a selected spectral bandwidth. In one example, an infrared camera system includes a lens adapted to receive infrared radiation from a survey scene comprising one or more gasses. The infrared camera system also includes a focal plane array comprising a plurality of quantum well infrared photo detectors (QWIPs). The QWIPs are tuned to detect a limited spectral bandwidth of the infrared radiation corresponding to at least a portion of an infrared absorption band of the one or more gasses. The infrared camera system also includes an optical band pass filter positioned substantially between the lens and the focal plane array. The optical band pass filter is adapted to filter the infrared radiation to a wavelength range substantially corresponding to the limited spectral bandwidth of the QWIPs before the infrared radiation is received by the focal plane array.

Thermography camera tuned to detect absorption of infrared radiation in a selected spectral bandwidth

A portable camera system () includes a lens () for forming a focused image of a survey scene () onto a focal plane array (). The focal plane array () comprises a cooled two dimensional array of quantum well infrared photo detectors, (QWIP) having a peak spectral responsivity in the wavelength range of 10.4 to 10.8 &#x3bc;m. The camera includes a cooled band pass optical filter () having a peak spectral transmittance approximately centered at a wavelength of 10.57 &#x3bc;m and a full width half maximum spectral transmittance bandwidth of approximately 10.3 to 10.7 &#x3bc;m. The camera system () is usable to detect an invisible gas plume in a video image of a survey scene if the gas plume contains sulfur hexafluoride (SF), ammonia, (NH), Uranyl Fluoride (UOF), or any other gas having an absorption band that that at least partially falls within the wavelength band 10.3 to 10.8 &#x3bc;m.

Thermography camera configured for leak detection

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide infrared camera systems and infrared camera calibration techniques in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. For example in accordance with an embodiment, a method of calibrating an infrared camera includes capturing video images of a calibration vessel having one or more chambers filled with a gas; displaying the video images from the capturing; and adjusting settings of the infrared camera such that colors of the displayed video images of the one or more chambers approximately match predetermined colors of one or more corresponding sections of a video overlay.

Growing community of inventors

Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Paul A Czerepuszko