Patent ID: 7466798

Claim:
A method of digital topography imaging wherein raw images are computer processed using a multi step method comprising: a) placing a sample comprising at least one biological macromolecule in a sample holder adapted to hold a sample comprising at least one biological macromolecule; b) positioning the sample holder between an x-ray emitting source and a CCD camera; c) exposing the same sample to x-rays from the x-ray emitting source; d) measuring x-ray reflection angles of the x-rays that are passed through the sample from the x-ray emitting source with the CCD camera to form a raw image; e) processing the raw image measured by the CCD camera with a computer program to provide a clearer image of a crystal structure of the sample; f) subtracting a dark current image of equal exposure to remove dark current noise; g) removing electric ripple noise with a multiple filter wavelet transform; h) using a histogram cutoff filter to cut remaining background noise; i) using a median filter to clean speckle nature of the data; j) using a wavelet transform to enhance resolution; k) filtering remaining low level noise with a histogram filter; and l) digitizing the data into an integer range wherein each numerical value is associated with a corresponding color, so that clear images of the sample are displayed.