UCLA Engineers Develop World's Fastest Camera [VIDEO]

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Researchers at UCLA's Jalali lab have developed the world's fastest and most sensitive camera, capable of shooting images at 36.7 million frames per second. The camera was developed to more quickly and easily distinguish elusive cancer cells.

But this isn't your typical digital camera. Because the device captures so much data so quickly, the CCD and CMOS sensors used in digital cameras would be unable to produce sharp images in a timely manner. Conventional cameras also become less sensitive to light at higher frame rates and simply wouldn't be able to produce real-time results.

Instead researchers use STEAM imaging, a process developed by UCLA in 2009. The "automated flow-through single-particle optical microscope" uses quick laser pulses which are then reflected though a microfluidic device. The result is a research tool with a shutter speed of 27 picoseconds that can identify 100,000 particles a second. That's 100 times faster than existing optical microscopes.

Researchers hope the new camera will allow scientists to study cancer cells in real time and eventually improve doctors' ability to diagnose early-stage and pre-metastatic cancer. And since optical microscopy is used in a wide range of applications, the camera will also be a boon to scientists and engineers who study everything from fuels to pharmaceuticals.

Are you excited by UCLA's breakthrough? Tell us what you think about the new camera in the comments.