biomics-mrc-research-optical metrology
BIOMICS
20 November 2016
biowin-bioline-mrc-research-optical-metrology
BioWin – BioLine
20 November 2016

Holoflow 2 : Advanced digital holographic microscopy and 4D imagery for applications in water technology and environmental monitoring

Subject
Digital holography microscope, environmental applications, image processing, spin-off.
Start/end dates
May 2012 – April 2014
Description
The HOLOFLOW project targets the development of new instrumentation and applications within the field of environmental sciences, in particular to monitor water quality on-line and in situ, based on novel digital holography microscope (DHM) technologies recently developed and patented at MRC-ULB. Compared to traditional light microscopy, DHM has the advantage of having a widely increased depth of view (through hologram reconstruction) and access to the optical phase information (strongly improving particle recognition). These new DHM sensors can detect, visualize and quantify particles in continuous fluid flow for laboratory bench-top, on-line industrial processes and in unperturbed natural conditions for in situ applications.

The first phase of HOLOFLOW has been highly successful in terms of technological innovation (invention of colour DHM and differential DHM; 2 patent applications), application development and valorisation (creation of the spin-off OVIZIO in the Brussels-Capital Region). The objective of this second phase project is to further consolidate these efforts.

In the frame of the HOLOFLOW project supported by INNOVIRIS, the Microgravity Research Center (MRC) directed by Prof. Frank Dubois, built a submersible digital holographic microscope (holoflow@sea). This digital holographic microscope (DHM) works with a partially coherent illumination that improves the images quality and is protected by a ULB-MRC patent. The microscope, the electronic parts and the remote control via a submersible Ethernet cable were been entirely developed by the MRC. The MRC realized the submersible housing in cooperation with WOW Company.

Prof. Jean-Pierre Hermand, from the Environmental Hydroacoustics Laboratory (EHL) of ULB, uses this MRC prototype for oceanographic campaigns in the frame of the HOLOFLOW project.

The MRC prototype can be immerged up to 5 meters depth and allows to record time lapses of holograms of a water volume.
Results

Team

Partners

Scientific

  • Prof. Dr. ir. Filip Meysman, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry (ANCH), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
  • Prof. Dr. ir. Jean-Pierre Hermand, Environmental Hydroacoustics Lab (EHL), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)