A method for detecting a test gas cloud (16) escaping from a
gas leak in a test specimen (12) comprising the steps of receiving
optical radiation (20) reflected or emitted from the test specimen (12) or its background at a first time with an optical sensor (22) configured to detect at least one
wavelength or range of wavelengths in the optical absorption spectrum of the test gas (16), and detecting an image point (x ij generating a first
digital image (30) from the
optical radiation (20) received at a first time such that the
signal amplitude of the image points (x 12 ) corresponds to the amplitude of at least one absorption
wavelength range of the test gas (16); receiving the
optical radiation (20) reflected or emitted from the object (12) or its background at a second time using an optical sensor (22); ij generating a second
digital image (30) from the optical
radiation (20) received at the second time such that a
signal amplitude of the reflected optical
radiation (x, bar) corresponds to an amplitude of at least one absorption
wavelength range of the test gas (16); and comparing the first image (30) with at least one second
digital image (32) of the reflected optical
radiation, the second digital image (32) being different from the first image, wherein at least a first image point (x, bar) of the first image (30) is imaged. ij At least a
gas leak (14) is deemed to be detected when the difference between the
signal amplitude of the first image point (xij) and the signal amplitude of at least a second image point (xij) of the second image (32) exceeds a threshold value, where i, j are natural numbers and (x ij ) is the image point at the position of the i column and j row of the first image (30), and (x ij bar) is the image point at the position of column i and row j of the second image (32).