7. Conclusion

Electronic image manipulation techniques have made it possible to overcome the limitations inherent in purely optical analysis systems, particularly in terms of temporal resolution, which has been improved by a factor of over a thousand. The second irreplaceable contribution of this technology line concerns 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-type CCD detectors now gives this discipline access to real metrological capability, which is a major step forward. At the same time, developments in illumination sources (high-recurrence continuous lasers in particular, and jitter-free operating modes) are opening up fields that were totally inaccessible less than twenty years ago. Numerous new applications have thus emerged,...