7. Conclusion

Electronic image manipulation techniques make it possible to overcome the limitations inherent in purely optical analysis systems, particularly with regard to temporal resolution, which has been improved by a factor of more than a thousand. The second irreplaceable contribution of this technology is the extension of the spectral range, which now covers the electromagnetic spectrum from infrared to hard X-rays.

The gradual spread of image acquisition using high-performance scientific CCD detectors now gives this discipline access to real metrological capabilities, which represents a major advance. At the same time, advances in lighting sources (particularly high-repetition continuous lasers with jitter-free operation) are opening up areas that were completely inaccessible less than twenty years ago. This has led to the emergence of numerous new applications, both...