Patent application EP20182414A (EP), filed 2020-06-26
Publication number: EP3757883A1
Title: AUTOMATED AND ROBUST METHOD FOR RECORDING NM-RESOLUTION 3D IMAGE DATA FROM SERIAL ULTRA-SECTIONS OF LIFE-SCIENCES SAMPLES WITH ELECTRON MICROSCOPES
Abstract: [0001]    Methods of aligning specimen images of specimen sections situated on a substrate include obtaining an optical or SEM image of the substrate and locating and aligning optical or SEM images of each specimen section. The specimen sections are then imaged with an SEM to obtain preview images, and a region of interest (ROI) in at least one of the preview images is selected. The preview images are processed so that at least portions of the preview images proximate the ROI are aligned. Based on the alignment of the preview images, final SEM image of selected specimen sections are obtained so that a set of images aligned in three dimensions is available. Image alignment can use cross-correlation with a fixed or variable reference that can be updated as specimen section images are processed.
IPC codes: G06V  10/    25            A I
G06V  20/    69            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method, comprising, with a processor:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, wherein the preview images are processed for registration based on at least one feature in one or more of the preview images.
number: 3
text: The method of claim 1, further wherein each preview image is processed for registration based on a reference preview image selected from the set of preview images.
number: 4
text: The method of any of claims 1-3, further comprising obtaining a set of section images associated with a region of interest (ROI) of a specimen, wherein the section images have resolutions that are higher than resolutions associated with the preview images, wherein the section images are aligned based on the registered preview images.
number: 5
text: The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein each preview images is processed for registration based on a correlation of a search template selected from the set of preview images.
number: 6
text: The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the set of preview images includes N preview images 0, ..., N, wherein N is an integer, and at least one preview image is processed for registration based on a search template selected from the set of preview images.
number: 7
text: The method of claim 6, wherein the i<th> preview image is registered by comparison with an (i-1)<th> preview image, wherein i is an integer greater than one and less than N.
number: 8
text: The method of claim 1, wherein processing each of the preview images of the set of preview images to register the preview images comprises aligning the preview images or storing image transformations associated with alignment.
number: 9
text: The method of claim 1, wherein the preview images are associated with a first resolution, and further comprising obtaining a set of region of interest (ROI) images having a second resolution based on the registered preview images, wherein the second resolution is higher than the first resolution.
number: 10
text: The method of claim 1, further comprising:
number: 11
text: A system, comprising:
number: 12
text: The system of claim 11, wherein the CPB imaging system is configured to produce ROI images associated with each of the specimen sections and align the ROI images based on the alignment of the preview images.
number: 13
text: The system of any claims 11-12, wherein the image of the substrate produced by the optical imager has a first resolution, the preview images have a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, and the ROI images have a third resolution that is higher than the second resolution.
number: 14
text: The system of any claims 11-13, wherein the first image processor is coupled to locate image portions associated with the plurality of specimen sections based on correlation with a section template.
number: 15
text: The system of any claims 11-14, wherein the second image processor is coupled to align the preview images based on correlation with one or more search templates or based on feature identification.
number: 16
text: The system of any claims 11-15, further comprising a substrate stage, wherein the first image processor is coupled to determine substrate stage locations corresponding to alignment of the images of the specimen sections and the second image processor is coupled to determine substrate stage locations corresponding to alignment of the preview images.
Office action: search_report, dated 2020-12-30
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US9104903B2
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2012025075A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: EP2132708B1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2019122854A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2012155267A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2016090148A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: EP2634749A2
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: EP2132708A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: EP2132708
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2012155267
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: EP2634749
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: WO2016090148
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2019122854
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2020-12-30)