Laser illumination designs for snapshot multi-spectral-line imaging

For multi-spectral imaging, both acquisition time of the spectral image set and the spectral bandwidth of each image have to be minimized. Ultimate performance can be achieved if the set of monochromatic (single-wavelength) spectral images is obtained with a single snapshot - a technique provisionally called 'snapshot multi-spectral-line imaging' or SMSLI. Using contemporary RGB colour cameras, up to three spectral line images can be extracted from a snapshot image data cube at specific illumination that comprises only three spectral lines, each of them positioned within one of the detection bands (R, G or B) [1]. Techniques able to provide more spectral line images are under development, and optimal design enabling uniform illumination of target simultaneously by several laser lines is a key challenge.