Microscopy System Multi-Focused Image Generation
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microscopy systems face challenges in visualizing structures with height differences or depth variations, as occlusion and blurring occur in three-dimensional displays, making it difficult to intuitively observe regions of interest, especially when structures with varying luminance are present.
Innovation Solution
A microscopy system that captures multi-focused images by shifting the focal plane and field of view within a single exposure period, generating all-focused images using point spread function information, and consecutively displaying these images to provide a wider range of observation directions, allowing for intuitive visualization of Z-direction positions and structure relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional three-dimensional display of Z-stack images is used, then depth information can be observed, but occlusion and blurring occur making structures difficult to see
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the viewing perspective by generating all-focused images that simulate observation from multiple virtual observation directions. Instead of displaying Z-stack images that require depth perception and are subject to occlusion, the system creates two-dimensional projections from various angles, allowing users to intuitively grasp the three-dimensional positions of structures without the limitations of conventional 3D display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of the subject from different observation directions through computational imaging. By generating multiple all-focused images corresponding to different virtual observation directions, the system provides multiple perspectives of the same structure without requiring physical movement of the microscope or complex 3D rendering.
2Loss of information
If Z-stack images are acquired by sequential imaging while shifting focal plane, then depth information is captured, but acquisition time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary deconvolution processing on a single focused image to generate an all-focused image that contains depth information. By pre-calculating the point spread function and using deconvolution algorithms, the system extracts depth information from a single exposure without requiring sequential imaging through multiple focal planes, significantly reducing acquisition time while preserving depth information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts depth information from a single focused image through deconvolution processing. By separating the depth-related information from the two-dimensional projection using point spread function analysis, the system generates all-focused images that contain three-dimensional structural information without requiring multiple focal plane acquisitions.
3Measurement precision
If multiple Z-stack images are processed to generate all-focused images, then depth resolution improves, but data processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent processes only a single focused image through deconvolution to generate an all-focused image, rather than processing multiple Z-stack images. This partial processing approach achieves sufficient depth resolution for most applications while dramatically reducing computational time and resources compared to processing entire Z-stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing parameters by using deconvolution with point spread function on a single image rather than traditional multi-plane processing. By adjusting the deconvolution parameters and using appropriate point spread function models, the system achieves good depth resolution with minimal processing of a single image.
Data Source
AI summary
A microscopy system includes: an imaging unit configured to capture a subject image generated by an observation optical system of a microscope, and acquire an image; a shifting unit configured to shift positions of a focal plane and a field of view of the observation optical system; an imaging control unit configured to cause the imaging unit to acquire a multi-focused image by shifting the positions of the focal plane and the field of view in one exposure period of the imaging unit; a shift amount acquisition processing unit configured to acquire a shift amount, by which the position of the field of view is shifted; an all-focused image generating unit configured to respectively generate plural all-focused images based on plural multi-focused images and on blurring information; and a display unit configured to consecutively display the generated plural all-focused images.