Patent Document ID: 6075883
Application ID: 08748040
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for imaging an object comprising the steps of: a) illuminating at least a portion of the object with light transmitted by a light source; b) detecting light reflected from the object at a first preselected position; c) forming a bright-field image of the illuminated portion of the object as a function of the light detected in step b); d) simultaneously with step b), detecting light reflected from the object at a second position; e) forming a dark-field image of the illuminated portion of the object as a function of the light detected in step d); f) determining the entropy of a first portion of the bright-field image corresponding to a first portion of the object; g) determining the entropy of a first portion of the dark-field image corresponding to the first portion of the object; h) selecting either the first portion of the bright-field image or the first portion of the dark-field image as a function of the bright-field entropy and the dark-field entropy; i) determining the entropy of a second portion of the bright-field image corresponding to a second portion of the object; j) determining the entropy of a second portion of the dark-field image corresponding to the second portion of the object; k) selecting either the second portion of the bright-field image or the second portion of the dark-field image as a function of the bright-field entropy and the dark-field entropy; and l) combining the selected first portion and the selected second portion to form a composite image.