We present a novel embedded relay lens hyperspectral imaging system (ERL-HIS) with high spectral resolution (nominal spectral resolution of 2.8 nm) and spatial resolution (30 mu m x 8 mu m) that transfers the scanning plane to an additional imaging plane through the internal relay lens so as to alleviate all outside moving parts for the scanning mechanism used in the traditional HIS, where image scanning is achieved by the relative movement between the object and hyperspectrometer. The ERL-HIS also enables high-speed scanning and can attach to a variety of optical modules for versatile applications. Here, we also demonstrate an application of the proposed ERL-HIS attached to a microscopic system for observing autofluorescent images of sliced cancer tissue samples. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America
