Patent ID: 8080779

Claim:
A device for detecting infrared radiation comprising: a resistive imaging bolometer; a reference resistor having a constant electrical resistance that is substantially equal to an initial electrical resistance of the resistive imaging bolometer; a temperature controller for subjecting the resistive imaging bolometer to a reference temperature; a shutter for subjecting the resistive imaging bolometer to a reference illumination; an integrator for integrating a difference in currents that flow through the resistive imaging bolometer and the reference resistor; a read circuit connected to the resistive imaging bolometer for applying electrical stimuli to the resistive imaging bolometer and for outputting an electrical signal in response to the application of electrical stimuli; and a processing unit connected to the read circuit for determining a temperature of an incident radiation on the resistive imaging bolometer as a function of the electrical signal output by the read circuit and at least one calibration parameter dependent on the initial electrical resistance of the resistive imaging bolometer under conditions of the reference temperature and the reference illumination, the processing unit comprising at least: a calculation unit for determining a current resistance of the resistive imaging bolometer under the reference temperature and the reference illumination based on the integrated difference in the currents that flow through the resistive imaging bolometer and the reference resistor; and a correction unit for correcting the at least one calibration parameter based on a drift of the current resistance of the resistive imaging bolometer from the initial electrical resistance of the resistive imaging bolometer.