High-Speed Imaging & Velocimetry Testing

Aerosol Science

Synchronized lighting, in-house fixtures, and DaVis image analysis produce annotated footage and quantitative timing and velocity data for design reviews, debugging, and investigations.

Purpose & when to use

High-Speed Imaging and Velocimetry (HSI / Vel) captures microsecond aerosol and spray events using synchronized lighting. It shows transient plume formation, leaks, breakup, nozzle dynamics, and timing across multi-step mechanisms in medical, industrial, consumer aerosol, and fire-suppression devices. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Particle / Droplet Velocimetry (PDV) add quantitative flow-field and particle-speed measurements. These data can support ICH Q9 root-cause investigations and 21 CFR Part 820 design validation. HSI / Vel is foundational for:

Transient leak investigation in medical, consumer, and industrial dispensing systems — leak paths, splatter, and unintended aerosolization captured at microsecond resolution under ICH Q9 quality-risk framing.
Velocity benchmarking for nozzle, valve, and trigger redesigns — particle-speed and flow-field data supporting predicate comparisons and change control under ICH Q5E and 21 CFR Part 820.
Design-validation packages and engineering review decks for medical device, consumer aerosol, and industrial sprayer programs — annotated high-speed footage and timing data aligned to 21 CFR Part 820 design controls.
Pairing with spray pattern, plume geometry, and PSD studies — connects transient actuation behavior to steady-state outcomes for nasal sprays and consumer aerosols under FDA nasal / oral spray framing.
Multi-step mechanism timing validation for valves, triggers, and pump assemblies — trigger-to-frame alignment logs and event-duration metrics under 21 CFR Part 820 design-validation and ICH Q9 risk framing.

Use HSI / Vel when the event is too fast for a standard camera, when leak paths or transient dynamics drive a design or compliance question, or when the team needs measured flow-field data to evaluate and defend a design change.

Built for medical, consumer, industrial, and fire-suppression devices

HSI / Vel work spans the device classes where transient events drive the design or safety question — medical, consumer-aerosol, industrial-spray, and fire-suppression product programs under one analytical roof.

Medical deviceDrug delivery and emission
Consumer aerosolSprays · fogs · misters
Pump sprayMechanical pump bottles
Industrial sprayerCommercial dispensing rigs
Fire suppressionDischarge and aerosol jets

Instrumentation & measurement ranges

We set frame rate, exposure, field-of-view, and seeding for the event duration and spatial scale of the device under test. Every parameter is recorded in the study plan.

1 – 100 kfpsframe-rate

High-speed cameras (microsecond capture)

Microsecond-scale capture of transient plume formation, breakup, leaks, and mechanism timing — frame rate and exposure tuned to the event duration and trigger window.

0.5 – 10 µspulse-width

Synchronized lighting

Pulsed and continuous lighting locked to the camera trigger — freezes motion at the exposure level and improves plume-boundary contrast for downstream tracking.

0.1 – 100 m/svector-field

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) optics

Seeded flow imaging with planar laser sheet and DaVis vector-field analysis — quantitative airflow and seeded-flow maps across the field of view.

0.5 – 100 m/ssingle-particle

Particle / Droplet Velocimetry (PDV)

Single-particle and feature-tracking velocimetry for cases where global seeding isn't practical — particle-speed estimates with documented contrast and feature-trackability checks.

Test method options

Method	Strengths	Tradeoff	Aligned with
High-speed visualization (qualitative + measured timing)	Fast to deploy with minimal setup — the default first-pass method for design / debug investigations. Annotated footage with frame-by-frame timing supports engineering reviews and inspection-readiness narratives under ICH Q9.	Limited quantitative flow detail without velocimetry overlays — bridge to PIV / PDV when speeds need to be measured, not inferred.	ICH Q9
Particle tracking velocimetry (fit for purpose)	Direct particle-speed estimates in regions of interest without global seeding — works when natural contrast is available. Lower setup overhead than full PIV — the right method when single-particle speed is the decision driver.	Requires sufficient particle contrast and trackable features — fails on diffuse plumes or low-contrast backgrounds.	—
PIV flow-field mapping	Quantifies velocity vectors and shear regions across the imaging plane — supports mechanism insights and CFD validation. Datasets feed design-validation packages and predicate comparisons under 21 CFR Part 820 when product variations are assessed.	Requires careful seeding, illumination control, and alignment — higher setup overhead than visualization-only work.	21 CFR Part 820
Leak visualization study (enclosure, joints, interfaces)	Pinpoints leak origin and directionality — annotated footage drives CAPA packages and design controls under 21 CFR Part 820. Pairs naturally with high-speed visualization on adjacent components — supports system-level investigations end to end.	Often needs iterative fixture tuning to expose the leak path — schedule unpredictability is higher than fixed-protocol studies.	21 CFR Part 820
Combined high-speed + plume geometry workflow	Links transient actuation behavior to steady-state plume angle and pattern outcomes — explains the dynamic behind the static result. Strong framing for comparability studies under ICH Q9 risk framing where the regulator wants the dynamic explanation behind a spray-pattern submission.	More instrumentation, synchronization, and analyst time per condition — reserve for cases where the combined view materially changes the decision.	ICH Q9

Setup configurations

Each HSI / Vel study uses a configuration matched to the event, the device, and the decision the data must support. The setup balances time resolution and field-of-view with optical alignment, lighting, and trigger control. During study planning, we set the dimensions below to capture the event clearly and produce usable measurements:

Device interfaces

In-house fixtures sized to the device under test — repeatable orientation, distance-to-target, and actuation access for medical, consumer, industrial, and fire-suppression devices.

Flow & actuation profiles

Controlled actuation stroke, force, and timing — manual, pneumatic, or mechanical fixtures sized to mimic use conditions when actuation drives the event.

Calibration & verification

Spatial pixel-to-mm scaling, trigger-to-frame alignment, and timing-channel calibration against traceable standards before each capture block.

Environmental controls

Lighting alignment, ambient illumination minimization, and optional flow seeding for PIV — environment recorded alongside each capture in the chain of custody.

Sample numbers

Replicate captures per condition with declared shot-to-shot variability — power sized to the precision target and the decision risk.

Method development inside a documented quality system

HSI / Vel is methodological work without a single formal pharma standard. Each study still runs within a documented quality system built around the three anchors below, with the same data contract carried through to the §7 outputs.

ISO 17025AccreditedTesting-laboratory competence — documented methods, calibration traceability, and uncertainty contributors.
ICH Q9AlignedQuality-risk management — investigation framing for transient defects and root-cause work.
21 CFR Part 820AlignedFDA design controls — validation framing for medical-device design and change-control packages.

Key data outputs & reporting

An HSI / Vel study produces annotated high-speed footage, time-resolved metrics, and the underlying datasets. Standard outputs include event duration, onset timing, and repeatability statistics, along with velocity vectors or particle-speed tables when those measurements are part of the method. We format the material for engineering reviews, change-control packages, or design-validation documentation. The deliverables below make up the standard report; comparability programs and design-validation packages receive the extended artifacts listed beneath the table.

Primary outputs

Annotated high-speed videos and still-frame sequences highlighting key events with frame-by-frame time stamps.
Time-resolved metrics (event duration, onset timing, repeatability) with replicate statistics across conditions.
Optional velocity-vector summaries (PIV) and particle-speed distributions for tracked features (PDV).

Deliverables

#	Format	Contents
01	PDF report	Setup, parameters, findings, and analysis notes.
02	Video files and still frames	Annotated captures and exported frames.
03	CSV / XLSX datasets	Timing and velocity metrics with replicate statistics.

Extended deliverables · multi-arm comparability · stability · predicate studies

Comparability appendix — Side-by-side high-speed overlays plus velocity-vector deltas across lots, designs, or actuation conditions.
Design-validation pack — Event-timing logs and trigger-to-frame alignment records aligned to 21 CFR Part 820 design-controls documentation.
Method-development notes — Fixture-selection rationale, illumination and seeding decisions, and acceptance criteria — for design reviews and inspection readiness.

QA / QC & data integrity

Each HSI / Vel study includes a documented QA / QC envelope sized to the method plan. Calibration, timing verification, and analysis controls are audited under our ISO 17025 quality system, with traceability from sample receipt through the final result. For investigations rather than fixed-protocol studies, ICH Q9 quality-risk framing helps define the appropriate controls.

Spatial calibration checks for pixel-to-mm scale and field-of-view geometry before each capture block.

Timing verification (trigger-to-frame alignment, clock-channel sync) recorded with the captured frames.

Repeat runs to confirm event reproducibility and quantify shot-to-shot variability across conditions.

Documented camera, lighting, and seeding settings with analysis-software version control alongside exports.

Chain of custody from sample receipt through capture, analysis, and final reporting.

Why ARE Labs

ARE Labs connects technical topics to practical study design, method selection, controlled aerosol work, and reportable evidence without turning technical pages into sales pages.

Reviewed byJamie Balarashti (25 yrs - cascade & inhalation methods) - Weston Schaper (7 yrs - real-time sizing & nanoparticle work)

17025Accredited testing

900+Studies Performed

17+Years in operation

300+Clients supported

Common questions

Medical-device, consumer-aerosol, and industrial-spray teams often ask the same questions when scoping high-speed imaging or velocimetry: which method fits, whether velocimetry is needed, how capture parameters are set, and what the study delivers. The answers below are starting points, not protocols. Because most HSI / Vel studies require at least one custom fixture or trigger decision, contact us if your device, event duration, or investigation scope falls outside these examples.

Q.What problems is high-speed imaging best at solving?

A.HSI is well suited to short, transient events such as leak puffs, pulsing plumes, spray breakup, and timing problems across multi-step mechanisms. If a standard camera cannot resolve the event, high-speed imaging is usually the right place to start.

Q.Do I need PIV?

A.Only when the decision depends on quantitative flow-field data. Many investigations begin with visualization, then add PIV if the design team needs measured velocities to evaluate a change or model the flow.

Q.Can you measure droplet speeds?

A.Often, yes. We select particle-tracking methods or PDV-style approaches based on visibility, contrast, and whether seeding is practical for the device and use condition under test.

Q.What affects the setup most?

A.The main factors are event duration, required field-of-view, illumination constraints, and whether flow seeding is permitted. We define these during study planning so the rig is properly configured before the device arrives at the lab.

Q.What do I receive?

A.Deliverables include annotated videos and still frames, a PDF report covering the setup and findings, and CSV / XLSX tables for timing and velocity metrics. Quantitative velocity tables are included when the study uses PIV or PDV.

Standards & guidance

HSI / Vel is methodological and engineering-investigation work, and no single formal pharma standard covers the test category. Every study still runs within a documented quality system. For scopes covered by third-party accreditation, methods are documented as accredited under ISO 17025. When a standard frames investigation or design-validation work, methods are described as aligned. The cards below list the standards most often relevant to HSI / Vel packages.

QA & Regulatory - Accredited

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High-Speed Imaging & Velocimetry