Patent ID: 7956991

Claim:
A method of obtaining a spectral image of each of a plurality of predetermined chemical species in a sample, comprising: (a) illuminating said sample with a first plurality of photons to produce a second plurality of photons; (b) collecting said second plurality of photons and producing a plurality of images of said sample therefrom each of said images comprising a frame consisting essentially of a plurality of pixels; (c) for each of said plurality of predetermined chemical species, identifying at least one wavelength range at which said chemical specie exhibits a unique absorption of radiation; (d) identifying at least one wavelength range at which none of said plurality of predetermined chemical species exhibits an absorption of radiation; (e) in each of said image frames, identifying which of said plurality of pixels do not contain any of said plurality of predetermined chemical species; (f) in each of said image frames, identifying which of said plurality of pixels contain only a first of said plurality of predetermined chemical species; (g) repeating said step (f) for each of said plurality of predetermined chemical species; (h) in each of said image frames, identifying which of said plurality of pixels contain more than one of said plurality of predetermined chemical species; (i) for each of said plurality of pixels that contains more than one of said plurality of predetermined chemical species, separating the contribution of each of said predetermined chemical species; and (j) composing separate spectral images of each of said plurality of predetermined chemical species in said sample.