Method and Electron Microscope for Measuring the Similarity of Two-Dimensional Images

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This patent describes a method and electron microscope system for measuring the similarity between two-dimensional images, especially those obtained through electron microscopy where images are often affected by interfering signals (additive or multiplicative noise/artifacts). The method involves partitioning images into subimages in a way that makes comparisons less sensitive to interference, enabling more accurate assessment of image similarity. This is particularly useful for determining the defocusing and astigmatism present in electron microscope images by comparing experimental data with simulated images. The patent also covers an electron microscope system with the hardware and software needed to implement this method and to auto-correct imaging aberrations based on these measurements.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Calibrating and correcting aberrations (defocusing, astigmatism) in transmission electron microscopes used in research and industry.
• Automated microscope tuning and maintenance to achieve optimal image resolution without manual intervention.
• Accurate comparison of experimental and simulated images for quality control in materials science, semiconductor inspection, or biological imaging.
• Improvement of automated pattern recognition or image analysis systems in environments with heavy image noise or artifacts.
• Development of software tools for processing and comparing noisy scientific images in microscopy and beyond.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly increased resilience to noise and artifacts when comparing scientific images, leading to more reliable results.
• More accurate and quantitative determination of microscope aberrations, improving achievable image resolution and interpretability.
• Faster and more efficient image similarity assessment, including an initial rapid comparison stage to save computational resources.
• Enables automated, iterative optimization and calibration of electron microscopes, reducing the need for specialist manual adjustment.
• Improves reproducibility and objectivity of image-based measurements and analyses in scientific and industrial microscopy.
• Open to software-based implementations, enabling updates and integration with existing digital microscope systems.

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Patent Abstract

Disclosed is a method for measuring the similarity of two-dimensional images, at least one image exhibiting an additional signal, the location dependence or symmetry properties of which are known at least approximately. The images are partitioned into mutually identical subimages such that the extension of at least one subimage in the direction of the gradient of the additional signal is smaller than the extension of this subimage in the direction perpendicular thereto. The subimages are compared separately, and the results of all comparisons are combined to form the measurement result for similarity. As a result, the method becomes insensitive to variations in the additional signal. The method is particularly suited for the determination of defocusing and astigmatism of an electron-microscopic image. For this purpose, it is important to compare the similarity of an experimentally measured image to simulated images, which were generated using defined defocusing and astigmatism values.