Reflection-Reduced Contrast Imaging for Microscopic Height Profiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microscopic imaging techniques face challenges in generating reflection-reduced contrast images that effectively display direction-dependent height and phase profile information, as existing methods either distort objects or fail to reliably remove reflections, leading to loss of important image details.
Innovation Solution
A method involving angle-selective illumination using multiple light sources, where each source illuminates the object individually, and reflection-corrected images are superimposed and transformed into a color space to generate a contrast image that encodes directional information, allowing for accurate display of height and phase profiles without reflections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If digital post-processing methods are used to correct reflections, then reflection removal is attempted, but the object can be distorted and important details are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by capturing multiple images from different illumination angles before final processing. By pre-acquiring images with oblique illumination from multiple directions, the system prepares the necessary data to later separate reflections from true object features through computational methods, thus avoiding distortion while removing reflections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image formation process by separating the reflection component from the true object signal. Through mathematical modeling and decomposition of multi-angle images, the system isolates the reflection artifacts caused by high-reflectivity surfaces and removes them selectively, preserving the underlying object structure and details.
2Measurement precision
If conventional contrast methods (DIC, phase contrast) are used, then directional contrast information is enhanced, but other object properties are ignored or weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a multi-functional imaging system that can detect various object properties simultaneously. By capturing images with oblique illumination from multiple directions and processing them through computational algorithms, the system can extract height profile information, phase profile information, and material property information in a single measurement sequence, making the system adaptable to different object characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds another dimension to conventional microscopy by incorporating angular illumination variation as an additional measurement dimension. Instead of using a single illumination direction, the system varies the illumination angle and uses this angular dimension to encode multiple types of object information, enabling simultaneous extraction of different physical properties from the same sample.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple illumination sources are used to illuminate the object from different directions, then reflection removal and height profile information can be obtained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by using computational methods to generate virtual views of the object from different illumination angles rather than physically moving the illumination source. The system captures images with oblique illumination and uses mathematical algorithms to synthesize the information that would be obtained from multiple physical illumination directions, thereby reducing hardware complexity while maintaining the ability to remove reflections and measure height profiles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables reliable removal of reflections, allowing for better contrast and display of object properties in all three spatial dimensions, providing more accurate and detailed information about the object's condition.
Implementation Method 1
undesirable reflections can occur which are based on the interaction between illumination, object and system
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a reflection-reduced contrast imaging method and to a device for generating a reflection-reduced contrast image, preferably from microscopic images, in particular in order to read height progression information of a condition of an object. The reflection-reduced contrast imaging method comprises: illuminating (10) an object by means of an illumination sequence (11), creating (20) an illumination image (21) of the object for each illumination of the object of the illumination sequence (11), determining (70) a reflection-corrected illumination image (71) for each illumination image (21), superposing (30) each pair of reflection-corrected illumination images (71) that are adjacent with respect to the first axis (35) in order to form a first whole axis image (31) of the first axis (35), superposing (30) each pair of reflection-corrected illumination images (71) that are adjacent with respect to the second axis (36) in order to form a second whole axis image (32) of the second axis (36), creating (40) a first color progression image (41) on the basis of the first whole axis image (31), creating (40) a second color progression image (42) on the basis of the second whole axis image (32), transforming (50) the first color progression image (41) and the second color progression image (42) into a color space (51), generating (60) a contrast image (61) on the basis of the first color progression image (41) and the second color progression image (42) transformed (50) in the color space (51).