High-Speed Imaging & Velocimetry Testing

Aerosol Science

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

Purpose & when to use

High-Speed Imaging and Velocimetry (HSI / Vel) captures microsecond spray and aerosol events using synchronized lighting: plume formation, leaks, breakup, and mechanism timing. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Particle / Droplet Velocimetry (PDV) add quantitative flow-field and particle-speed data. FDA QMSR requirements under 21 CFR Part 820 inform applicable medical-device programs; ICH Q9 informs applicable pharmaceutical risk work. Consumer and industrial investigations use separately defined protocols. Typical uses include:

Transient leak investigations in medical, consumer, and industrial dispensing systems use microsecond imaging and protocol-defined controls; ISO 17025 records retain calibration, timing, and analysis versions.
Velocity benchmarking for nozzle, valve, and trigger redesigns uses particle-speed and flow-field comparisons under a defined protocol; FDA device quality-system context applies only to relevant medical-device programs.
Medical-device design studies can use high-speed footage and timing records to support applicable FDA QMSR requirements under 21 CFR Part 820; other product programs follow defined engineering protocols.
Pairing imaging with spray pattern, plume geometry, and PSD connects transient actuation with steady-state outputs. FDA references apply to relevant drug products; consumer-aerosol comparisons follow a separately defined protocol.
Mechanism-timing studies document trigger-to-frame alignment and event duration for valves, triggers, and pumps. Applicable medical-device programs use 21 CFR Part 820 QMSR context; other products use defined timing criteria.

Use HSI / Vel when an event is too fast for a standard camera, when leak paths or transient dynamics drive a design or compliance question, or when your design team needs quantitative flow-field data to support a 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 to match the event duration and spatial scale of the device under test. Every parameter is logged 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. For applicable medical-device programs, datasets can support design and development records under QMSR, 21 CFR Part 820.	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; footage can support corrective-action and design records for applicable medical-device programs under 21 CFR Part 820 QMSR. 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. Dynamic imaging may help engineering review explain spray-pattern differences; applicable pharmaceutical risk assessments can use ICH Q9 context.	More instrumentation, synchronization, and analyst time per condition — reserve for cases where the combined view materially changes the decision.	ICH Q9

Setup configurations

We configure each HSI / Vel study around the event, the device, and the decision the data needs to support. During study planning, we balance time resolution and field-of-view with optical alignment and trigger control. The setup dimensions below show which parameters we select to suit the investigation:

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

ARE Labs is ISO/IEC 17025-accredited for its current testing scope. HSI / Vel studies use documented timing, calibration, and analysis controls. The protocol and report identify the selected methods, applicable FDA or ICH context, and which results are inside or outside the accredited scope.

ISO 17025AccreditedTesting-laboratory competence — documented methods, calibration traceability, and uncertainty contributors.
ICH Q9AlignedQuality-risk management for applicable pharmaceutical investigations and root-cause work.
21 CFR Part 820AlignedFDA QMSR context for applicable medical-device design, development, and change records.

Key data outputs & reporting

Every HSI / Vel study includes annotated high-speed footage, time-resolved metrics, and the underlying datasets. Outputs cover event duration, onset timing, repeatability statistics, and optional velocity vectors or particle-speed tables, formatted for engineering reviews, change-control packages, or design-validation documentation. The table below lists the standard report deliverables. Additional artifacts for comparability programs and design-validation packages are described 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 records for applicable FDA QMSR medical-device design and development documentation under 21 CFR Part 820.
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 documented QA / QC controls matched 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 applicable pharmaceutical investigations, ICH Q9 quality-risk framing informs the selected 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 laboratory

900+Studies Performed

17+Years in operation

300+Clients supported

Common questions

These answers cover common scoping questions from medical-device, consumer-aerosol, and industrial-spray teams: method selection, velocimetry options, capture parameters, and deliverables. They are starting points for planning a high-speed imaging or velocimetry study, rather than protocols. Contact us if your device, event duration, or investigation scope differs from the examples here. Most HSI / Vel studies need at least one custom fixture or trigger decision.

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

A.High-speed imaging captures short, transient events such as leak puffs, pulsing plumes, spray breakup, and timing issues in multi-step mechanisms. It is usually a useful starting point when a standard camera cannot capture the event at a sufficient frame rate.

Q.Do I need PIV?

A.Only when the decision requires quantitative flow-field data. Many investigations start with visualization and add PIV if the design team needs measured velocities to support a change or model a flow.

Q.Can you measure droplet speeds?

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

Q.What affects the setup most?

A.Event duration, required field-of-view, illumination constraints, and whether flow seeding is permitted. We work through these during study planning to match the setup to the investigation before the device arrives at the lab.

Q.What do I receive?

A.Annotated videos and still frames, a PDF report with setup and findings, and CSV / XLSX tables for timing and velocity metrics. Quantitative velocity tables are included when PIV or PDV was part of the study.

Standards & guidance

ARE Labs is ISO/IEC 17025-accredited for its current testing scope. HSI / Vel supports method development and engineering investigations; no single formal pharmaceutical standard governs the category. The protocol and report identify the imaging and velocimetry methods and whether requested results fall within the accredited scope. Applicable FDA QMSR and ICH Q9 references provide product-specific quality context, rather than separate method accreditations.

QA & Regulatory - Accredited

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High-Speed Imaging & Velocimetry