Digital ruvis camera

Abstract

An ultraviolet sensitive video camera is disclosed. The camera may have an input window and a bandpass filter. The input window may receive into the camera ultraviolet radiation reflected off of a subject. The bandpass filter may filter the ultraviolet radiation received into the camera through the input window. The bandpass filter may have a passband centered at about 254 nm and a bandwidth of about 1 nm to about 100 nm. The camera may also have an image sensor and at least one controller. The image sensor may collect the filtered ultraviolet radiation passing through the bandpass filter and generate an output based on the collected Ultraviolet radiation. The at least one controller may be configured to generate video display signals based on the output of the image sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultraviolet sensitive video camera comprising:
 an input window for receiving into the camera. ultraviolet radiation reflected off of a subject;   a bandpass filter for filtering the ultraviolet radiation received into the camera through the input window, the bandpass filter having a passband centered at about 254 nm and a bandwidth of about 1 nm to about 100 nm;   an image sensor for collecting the filtered ultraviolet radiation passing through the bandpass filter and for generating an output based on the collected ultraviolet radiation; and   at least one controller configured to generate video display signals based on the output of the image sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , further comprising a lens configured to receive and pass at least a portion of the ultraviolet radiation received into the camera through the input window. 
     
     
         3 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 2 , wherein the lens is positioned along an optical path between the bandpass filter and the input window. 
     
     
         4 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 2 , wherein the bandpass filter is positioned along an optical path between the lens and the input window. 
     
     
         5 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 2 , wherein the lens comprises a material transmissive to at least a portion of radiation received having a wavelength of about 254 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 5 , wherein the lens comprises quartz. 
     
     
         7 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the input window comprises a material transmissive to at least a portion of radiation received having a wavelength of about 254 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the bandpass filter has an out of band transmission of less than 0.1 percent. 
     
     
         9 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor has a resolution greater than 2048 by 2048 pixels. 
     
     
         10 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 9 , wherein the image sensor has a resolution of at least 16 megapixels. 
     
     
         11 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor has a coverplate comprising a material configured to pass at least a portion of radiation received having a wavelength of about 254 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is a charge-coupled device imager. 
     
     
         13 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , wherein the video display signals generated by the at least one controller correspond to a display area greater than two inches by two inches at a resolution of at least 1000 pixels per square inch. 
     
     
         14 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 13 , further comprising a display for viewing the video display signals generated by the at least one controller. 
     
     
         15 . The ultraviolet sensitive video camera of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage device configured to store data relating to the video display signals generated by the at least one controller. 
     
     
         16 . A system for capturing ultraviolet images on a camera comprising:
 an ultraviolet lamp for illuminating a subject, wherein the ultraviolet lamp has a power rating between 1 and 50 watts;   an ultraviolet sensitive video camera comprising:
 an input window for receiving into the camera ultraviolet radiation reflected off of a subject from the ultraviolet lamp; 
 a lens for passing a portion of the ultraviolet radiation received into the camera through the input window; 
 bandpass filter for filtering the ultraviolet radiation entering the camera through the input window and the lens, the bandpass filter having a passband centered at about 254 nm and having a bandwidth of about 1 nm to about 100 nm; 
 an image sensor for collecting the filtered ultraviolet radiation passing through the bandpass filter and for generating an output based on the collected ultraviolet radiation; and 
 at least one controller configured to generate video display signals based on the output of the image sensor; 
   a display for viewing the video display signals generated by the at least one controller; and   a storage device configured to store data relating to the video display signals generated by the at least one controller.   
     
     
         17 . A method for capturing ultraviolet images on a camera comprising:
 illuminating a subject with an ultraviolet lamp;   receiving, on a camera, ultraviolet radiation reflecting off of the subject from the ultraviolet lamp;   filtering the ultraviolet radiation entering the camera with a filter having a passband centered at about 254 nm and a bandwidth of about 1 nm to about 100 nm;   collecting the filtered ultraviolet radiation;   controlling, by at least one controller, gain and integration time of the camera to digitally capture images corresponding to the collected ultraviolet radiation;   generating a video display of the digitally captured images showing the subject illuminated by ultraviolet radiation; and   storing the digitally captured images.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising adjusting an angle at which the ultraviolet lamp illuminates the subject such that the subject appears darker than a background on the video display. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising adjusting an angle at which the ultraviolet lamp illuminates the subject such that the subject appears lighter than a background on the video display. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein generating the video display of the digitally captured images further comprises generating a video display having an area greater than two inches by two inches at a resolution of at least 1000 pixels per square inch.