Method for generating a composite image of an object composed of multiple sub-images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10269094-B2
Application number	US-201414779550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for combining a composite image ( 4 ) of an object ( 8 ) composed of multiple sub-images ( 6 ) by means of so-called stitching. Multiple adjacent sub-images ( 6 ) of the object ( 8 ) are captured and are stitched by means of an image processing operation together to form a coherent composite image ( 4 ). In order to make it possible to stitch the sub-images ( 6 ) together in the correct position even in the case of little information about the image, it is proposed that the stitching of the sub-images ( 6 ) together to form the composite image in the image processing operation be performed using an optical pattern ( 30, 74 ) that is generated by means of a pattern means ( 44 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating a composite image of an object composed of multiple sub-images, wherein multiple adjacent sub-images of the object are captured, and the sub-images are combined by means of an image processing operation together to form a coherent composite image, wherein the stitching together of the sub-images to form a composite image in the image processing operation is performed using a predefined optical pattern that is generated with a pattern means, wherein the pattern means is independent of the object, and wherein the multiple sub-images are non-overlapping, and wherein (A) the optical pattern is generated with an incident wavelength and is emitted and captured with an emission wavelength that is different from the incident wavelength, (B) the pattern is captured in pattern images simultaneously with the capturing of the sub-images, and the sub-images are free of the pattern, and (C) the pattern images determine the position of the sub-images in relation to each other by means of the location of the one pattern element in two pattern images.

2. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the object is a sample, which is arranged on an object holder, which is designed as a sample stage, and the method is a microscopy method, and the optical system is a microscope optical system with a magnification of at least a factor of 5.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the pattern means throws the pattern, as a radiation pattern, on a pattern carrier.

4. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is generated in an object image wavelength, in which the sub-images of the object are captured.

5. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is captured in pattern images and the sub-images are free of the pattern.

6. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern images, which are in addition to the sub-images, are captured; and that said pattern images are arranged in a predefined position in relation to the sub-images; and that the pattern is visible in the pattern images.

7. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is generated with an incident wavelength and is emitted and captured with an emission wavelength that is different from the incident wavelength.

8. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is a fluorescent pattern.

9. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is made visible on a pattern carrier that is arranged on the object and is transparent to a wavelength of the object image.

10. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is a laser pattern.

11. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is an interference pattern.

12. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is generated as a standing wave, in particular in a sample element.

13. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is a speckle pattern.

14. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the object is imaged on an object image detector and a pattern image is captured together with the object image elements, the pattern is removed from the imaging, and a sub-image of the object is captured.

15. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is arranged outside the object plane of the sub-images.

16. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is an imaging of a pattern light source.

17. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pattern is a transmitting light pattern which is transmitted from below into the sample.

18. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that for the purpose of capturing an image, the sub-images are imaged with an objective lens on an object image detector; and that the pattern is incident on the object at least partially by means of the objective lens.

19. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the object is imaged with an objective lens on an object image detector and the pattern is imaged with the objective lens simultaneously on a pattern image detector.

20. The method according to claim 19 , characterized in that the objective lens focuses the object in a focal plane of the object and focuses the pattern in a pattern focal plane that is different from the focal plane of the object.

21. A device for generating a composite image composed of multiple sub-images, said device comprising an object image detector, an optical system for imaging an object on the object image detector, and an image processing unit for combining multiple adjacent sub-images of the object together to form a coherent composite image, characterized by a pattern means for generating a predefined optical pattern, where the image processing unit is preconfigured to stitch the sub-images together to form the composite image by means of the pattern, wherein the pattern means is independent of the object, and wherein the multiple sub-images are non-overlapping, and a pattern means for generating an optical pattern, where the image processing unit is preconfigured to stitch the sub-images together to form the composite image by means of the optical pattern characterized in that (A) the optical pattern is generated with an incident wavelength and is emitted and captured with an emission wavelength that is different from the incident wavelength, (B) the pattern is captured in pattern images simultaneously with the capture of the sub-images, and the sub-images are free of the pattern, and (C) the pattern images determine the position of the sub-images in relation to each other by means of the location of the one pattern element in two pattern images.

22. The device according to claim 21 , characterized in that the optical system comprises a pattern optical system, which is transmissive in a wavelength of the pattern image, and an object optical system, which is transmissive in a wavelength of the object image and is opaque in the wavelength of the pattern image.

Assignees

• Sakura Finetek Usa Inc

Inventors

• Fuchs Frank

Classifications

• G06T2207/10024

  Color image · CPC title

• G06T2207/30004

  Biomedical image processing · CPC title

• G06T2207/20221

  Image fusion; Image merging · CPC title

• G02B21/367

  providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison · CPC title

• G06K9/342

  Physics · mapped topic