Patent ID: 6900435
Filing Date: 2005-05-31
Classification: B82Y,G02B

Abstract:
1. A method for deconvolving far-field optical images for improved image resolution, comprising: employing near-field microscopy as a point source that is positioned to provide images of specific regions of a sample corresponding to specific pixels in a far field imager, the near-field microscopy being movable with respect to a surface of the sample to obtain near-field optical data; recording near-field data for the relative height of the point source with respect to the sample surface and near-field data for the location of the borders of the sample; obtaining far-field optical image data corresponding to the sample; recording said far-field optical image data simultaneously with the data obtained from the near-field optical microscopy; and incorporating the far-field and the near-field optical data in deconvolution algorithms using the data from the near-field imaging for added precision of the far-field imaging or as a constraint with the deconvolution algorithms to produce a deconvolved super-resolution image.