Digital ICE
Encyclopedia
Digital Image Correction and Enhancement is a set of technologies related to producing an altered image in a variety of frequency spectra. The objective of these technologies is to render an image more usable by Fourier
or other filtering techniques. These technologies were most actively advanced in the 1960s and early 1970s in the fields of strategic reconnaissance and medical electronics.
The term "Digital ICE" initially applied specifically to a proprietary technology developed by Kodak
's Austin Development Center (formerly Applied Science Fiction) that automatically removes surface defects, such as dust and scratches, from scanned
images.
, additional image enhancement technologies were marketed by Applied Science Fiction and Kodak under similar and related names, often as part of a suite of compatible technologies. The ICE technology uses a scanner with a pair of light sources, a normal RGB lamp and an IR
lamp, and scans twice, once with each lamp. The IR lamp detects the dust locations with its unique detection method and then inpainting
is applied based on this data afterwards. The general concept is to subtract the position of scratches and dust from the RGB image.
s during the development process of the film) are not. This is because the long wave infrared light passes through the slide but not through dust particles. The silver particles reflect the infrared light in a similar manner to dust particles, thus respond equally in visible light and infrared light. A similar phenomenon also prevents Kodak Kodachrome
slides from being scanned with Digital ICE (Kodachrome's cyan layer absorbs infrared).
produced the Super Coolscan 9000 ED scanner with a new version of Ice (Digital ICE Professional) from 2004 until it was discontinued in 2010. This was capable of scanning Kodachrome slides reliably, dust- and scratch-free, without additional software. LaserSoft Imaging
released an infrared dust and scratch removal tool (iSRD - infrared Smart Removal of Defects) in 2008, that allows Nikon's film scanners (Mac OSX only) and many scanners from other manufacturers to make high quality scans of Kodachrome slides.
Fourier
Fourier most commonly refers to Joseph Fourier , French mathematician and physicist, or the mathematics, physics, and engineering terms named in his honor for his work on the concepts underlying them:In mathematics:...
or other filtering techniques. These technologies were most actively advanced in the 1960s and early 1970s in the fields of strategic reconnaissance and medical electronics.
The term "Digital ICE" initially applied specifically to a proprietary technology developed by Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
's Austin Development Center (formerly Applied Science Fiction) that automatically removes surface defects, such as dust and scratches, from scanned
Image scanner
In computing, an image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Common examples found in offices are variations of the desktop scanner where the document is placed on a glass...
images.
Technology
The ICE technology works from within the scanner, so unlike the software-only solutions it does not alter any underlying details of the image. Subsequent to the original "Digital Ice" technology which used infrared cleaningInfrared cleaning
Infrared cleaning is a technique used by some film scanners and flatbed scanners to reduce or remove the effect of dust and scratches upon the finished scan. It works by collecting an additional infrared channel from the scan at the same position and resolution as the three visible colour channels...
, additional image enhancement technologies were marketed by Applied Science Fiction and Kodak under similar and related names, often as part of a suite of compatible technologies. The ICE technology uses a scanner with a pair of light sources, a normal RGB lamp and an IR
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
lamp, and scans twice, once with each lamp. The IR lamp detects the dust locations with its unique detection method and then inpainting
Inpainting
Inpainting is the process of reconstructing lost or deteriorated parts of images and videos. For instance, in the case of a valuable painting, this task would be carried out by a skilled image restoration artist...
is applied based on this data afterwards. The general concept is to subtract the position of scratches and dust from the RGB image.
Limitations of Digital ICE
Digital ICE is used to detect scratches and dust during transparent film scan and is not applicable for opaque document scanning. Where Chromogenic black-and-white films are supported by Digital ICE, other black-and-white films containing metallic silver (which form from silver halideSilver halide
A silver halide is one of the compounds formed between silver and one of the halogens — silver bromide , chloride , iodide , and three forms of silver fluorides. As a group, they are often referred to as the silver halides, and are often given the pseudo-chemical notation AgX...
s during the development process of the film) are not. This is because the long wave infrared light passes through the slide but not through dust particles. The silver particles reflect the infrared light in a similar manner to dust particles, thus respond equally in visible light and infrared light. A similar phenomenon also prevents Kodak Kodachrome
Kodachrome
Kodachrome is the trademarked brand name of a type of color reversal film that was manufactured by Eastman Kodak from 1935 to 2009.-Background:...
slides from being scanned with Digital ICE (Kodachrome's cyan layer absorbs infrared).
Further Development
Kodak's own scanner, the "pro-lab" HR500 Plus was equipped with Digital ICE that could scan Kodachrome slides effectively, however, this scanner was discontinued in 2005. NikonNikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
produced the Super Coolscan 9000 ED scanner with a new version of Ice (Digital ICE Professional) from 2004 until it was discontinued in 2010. This was capable of scanning Kodachrome slides reliably, dust- and scratch-free, without additional software. LaserSoft Imaging
LaserSoft Imaging
LaserSoft Imaging AG is a software developer designing software such as SilverFast for scanners and digital cameras. The company's headquarters are located in Kiel, Germany, north of Hamburg, and another office in Sarasota, Florida, United States....
released an infrared dust and scratch removal tool (iSRD - infrared Smart Removal of Defects) in 2008, that allows Nikon's film scanners (Mac OSX only) and many scanners from other manufacturers to make high quality scans of Kodachrome slides.
External links
- Kodak official Digital ICE site
- Digital ICE: Defect Detection and Correction Using Infrared-enabled Scanners Dr. Gabriel Fielding, Eastman Kodak Company
- United States Patent 5969372
- J. L. C. Sanz, F. Merkle, and K. Y. Wong, " Automated digital visual inspection with dark-field microscopy" J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2, 1857-1862 (1985)
- Michael J. Steinle, K. Douglas Gennetten Designing a Scanner with Color Vision (pdf) Hewlett-Packard Journal Aug. 1993 pg 52-58