Hyperspectral Imaging System for the Broadband Characterization of Biological Tissues in the 500-5200 NM Range

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is gaining interest in the medical field for diagnostics and surgical guidance. While most studies focus on the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) range, spectral characterization of biological tissues in the short-wave (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) remains very limited. For the first time in the literature, we present a broadband HSI system for characterizing biological tissues across the 500-5200 nm band, using three hyperspectral cameras covering the VNIR (400-1000 nm), SWIR (1000-2500 nm), and MWIR (2700-5200 nm) ranges. Preliminary results are reported for porcine fat and spleen, using two specimens per tissue and two samples per specimen. The pipeline includes image registration for consistent pixel- and ROI-level analysis across all bands. The results confirm tissue contrast in the VNIR and indicate that the SWIR and MWIR ranges provide complementary potential for tissue discrimination. This study supports the development of a spectral reference database and future HSI applications in medical diagnostics.