Alignment of an ordered stack of images from a specimen
First Claim
1. A method for aligning an ordered stack of images from a specimen, comprising the successive steps of:
- determining, for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack, the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next in the ordered stack;
discarding the unaligned image to be aligned next from the ordered stack of images if all of the determined misalignments amounts are above a certain threshold;
replacing the discarded image with an interpolated image generated by an interpolation of the aligned images;
from the at least two aligned images, selecting as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment; and
aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image;
wherein all the above steps are performed via a processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of alignment of an ordered stack of images from a sliced specimen. According to the present method and apparatus, the ordered stack of images is aligned by successively determining, for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack, the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next, selecting from the at least two aligned images as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment, and aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image. This is intended to provide a robust and computationally cheap aligning method and apparatus.
33 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for aligning an ordered stack of images from a specimen, comprising the successive steps of:
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determining, for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack, the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next in the ordered stack; discarding the unaligned image to be aligned next from the ordered stack of images if all of the determined misalignments amounts are above a certain threshold; replacing the discarded image with an interpolated image generated by an interpolation of the aligned images; from the at least two aligned images, selecting as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment; and aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image;
wherein all the above steps are performed via a processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for aligning an ordered stack of images from a specimen, comprising the following devices:
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a determiner for determining for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next in the ordered stack; a discarding processor for discarding the unaligned image to be aligned next from the ordered stack of images if all of the determined misalignments amounts are above a certain threshold; a replacing processor for replacing the discarded image with an interpolated image generated by an interpolation of aligned images; a selector for selecting, from the at least two aligned images, as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment; and an aligner for aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program, for controlling an apparatus for aligning an ordered stack of images from a specimen, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to carry out successive steps of:
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determining, for at least two already aligned images of the ordered stack, the respective misalignments with an unaligned image which is to be aligned next in the ordered stack; discarding the unaligned image to be aligned next from the ordered stack of images if all of the determined misalignments amounts are above a certain threshold; replacing the discarded image with an interpolated image generated by an interpolation of the aligned images; from the at least two aligned images, selecting as a reference image that aligned image with which the unaligned image has the smallest amount of misalignment; and aligning the unaligned image with the selected reference image.
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Specification