BOCA RATON, Fla., 14 April 2007. Imperx Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., is unveiling the TEC family of cameras for applications requiring the lowest possible thermal noise. The cameras are equipped with thermo-electric cooling of the image sensor and provide a housing designed to make the most of heat removal. Resolutions of 4- 11-, and 16-Megapixel are available in standard housing 100 millimeters on a side.

Many scientific and low light-level applications face challenges from thermal noise in the CCD sensor. Controlling this noise enables cameras to operate with long exposure times and provide pixel-by pixel accuracy. Because thermal noise decreased by 3 dB for every 6 degrees Celsius drop in temperature, the best way to control thermal noise is to cool the image sensor as much as possible.

The TEC series cameras use thermoelectric cooling elements attached to the sensor and are housed in a larger-than-average enclosure with integral heat sink to help dissipate thermal energy efficiently. In addition, the housing encloses the sensor in a sealed chamber equipped with a fill/purge valve. This enables the sensor area to be filled with dry nitrogen to prevent condensation. Working with natural convection, the cameras are able to maintain the sensor from 5 C to 10 C below ambient, depending on the sensor used. Forced-air cooling can keep the sensor from 15 C to 17 C below ambient. The cameras are rated for operation at ambient temperatures between 0 C and 50 C.

The TEC series cameras are available in monochrome or color configurations, offering 8-, 10-, or 12-bit pixel data under software configuration control. Electronic shutter control offers features such as pre-exposure and double exposure and speeds as fast as 1/12000 of a second to as long as 10 seconds. The shutters can be triggered under software control or use external trigger signals in addition to providing programmed exposure times. Automatic iris control is optionally available.

For more information contact Imperx online at www.imperx.com.