Living Optics Hyperspectral Imaging for real-time blood oxygen monitoring

Hyperspectral Imaging transforms critical decision making in hospitals

For a long time, hyperspectral imaging has typically been confined to research labs but has more recently used for inline processes and in real-time applications. The potential for hyperspectral imaging technology to be more prevalent in our daily lives has existed for some time and more recently is becoming actualised. Use cases in industry are becoming more common and we are seeing hyperspectral imaging being deployed is mission critical environments such as hospitals or disaster zones. The trust and awareness in this technology has matured.

Oxford University spinout Living Optics Hyperspectral is a prime example of this trend. They have recently demonstrated how real-time blood oxygen monitoring can be achieved with hyperspectral imaging operating directly on compact edge devices. 

In a live showcase, Living Optics revealed that by pairing custom hyperspectral cameras with an Nvidia Jetson AGX Orin they can distinguish oxygenated from deoxygenated blood without invasive probes. The imaging and analysis take place in real time and can be performed from a patient’s bedside. 

The capacity to visualise how blood oxygenation shifts within tissue on a moment-to-moment basis could be transformative for the way clinicians monitor patients during surgery. Rather than waiting on indirect measurements from instruments such as Blood Oximetry finger clips which give a single number or delayed lab results from blood samples, physicians could access direct, non-invasive insight into tissue health that supports faster and more precise treatments. 

This innovation isn’t limited to the medical technology sector. The ability to identify the unique spectral fingerprints of materials leads this technology to be called chemical imaging and it opens doors in many sectors. Manufacturers can use it to inspect product on the production line for quality. Environmental scientists can monitor ecosystems in the field with more precision. Agricultural Scientists can use it for pest detection, disease detection, crop and soil health. Emergency teams can rely on it to assess conditions in challenging environments. 

Making hyperspectral imaging available in smaller systems that operate in real time, eliminate cloud dependence, reduce latency is a step toward wider adoption in clinical and industrial environments. Living Optics is doing exactly this.  

How It Works

Pushbroom cameras acquire hyperspectral data line by line. The Living Optics Camera is different in the sense that it captures a full spectral cube in a single exposure. It uses a tiled filter array integrated with the sensor, where each pixel block corresponds to a different spectral band. This creates a mosaic of spectral responses that is processed with computational algorithms to reconstruct a dense hyperspectral data cube. By spreading spectral sampling across the array and interpolating missing data, the camera produces high-quality hyperspectral cubes in real time. This design allows the Living Optics Camera to operate as a snapshot hyperspectral imaging system.

Applications

Industrial inspection
The Living Optics Camera Detects material inconsistencies, contamination and subtle variations that standard imaging overlooks.

Environmental monitoring
Supports vegetation analysis, water quality assessment and outdoor research where spectral signatures provide critical insight.

Healthcare and life sciences
The Living Optics Camera Enables non-invasive examination of biological materials and supports research requiring accurate spectral differentiation.

Agriculture and food systems
Crop health monitoring, ripeness assessment and quality control in processing environments are all applications that the Living Optics Camera excels at.

Robotics and automation
Improves scene understanding for autonomous systems by providing more detailed information about surfaces, materials and objects.

Research and prototyping
Gives teams a practical tool for exploratory work where spectral imaging was previously too slow or specialised.

Features

Video rate spectral imaging
Captures spatial and spectral data at thirty frames per second for real time analysis.

VIS to NIR coverage
Operates from 440 to 900 nanometres with 96 wavelength bands for detailed spectral sampling.

Integrated edge compute
Uses NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin for on device processing, reducing latency and simplifying workflows.

Developer ready software
Provides control tools, visualisation interfaces and an API designed for integration with modern computer vision frameworks.

Portable and field ready design
Compact hardware, optional battery power and protective accessories support work in varied environments.

Scalable cloud tools
Cloud tiers allow users to access advanced processing and analysis capabilities when required.

Need a price or more information? Please email Adept Turnkey or call our offices
Adept Turnkey Pty Ltd are Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists and distributor for Living Optics products in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any Living Optics product, please contact us or call us at Perth (08) 9242 5411 / Sydney (02) 9979 2599 / Melbourne (03) 9384 1775.