Digital microscope apparatus for reimaging blurry portion based on edge detection

An imaging method, comprising:

• in a digital microscope system:
• capturing, as a plurality of observation images, an image of each of a plurality of small areas, to obtain a connected image of the plurality of observation images,
• wherein each of the plurality of small areas is a partition of a first area of a slide containing a sample;
• setting a first plurality of evaluation areas in a first observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• setting a second plurality of evaluation areas in a second observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• detecting an edge of each of the first plurality of evaluation areas and the second plurality of evaluation areas,
• wherein in the connected image, a first edge of a first evaluation area of the first plurality of evaluation areas is adjacent to a second edge of a second evaluation area of the second plurality of evaluation areas, and
• wherein the first evaluation area and the second evaluation area are non-overlapped;
• calculating, based on the first edge and the second edge, a difference in a blur evaluation amount between the first observation image and the second observation image;
• determining a reimaging area of the plurality of small areas based on the difference;
• and
• controlling an image sensor to capture the reimaging area.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

• controlling an image sensor to capture, as a plurality of observation images, an image of each of a plurality of small areas, to obtain a connected image of the plurality of observation images,
• wherein each of the plurality of small areas is a partition of a first area of a slide containing a sample;
• setting a first plurality of evaluation areas in a first observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• setting a second plurality of evaluation areas in a second observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• detecting an edge of each of the first plurality of evaluation areas and the second plurality of evaluation areas,
• wherein in the connected image, a first edge of a first evaluation area of the first plurality of evaluation areas is adjacent to a second edge of a second evaluation area of the second plurality of evaluation areas, and
• wherein the first evaluation area and the second evaluation area are non-overlapped;
• calculating, based on the first edge and the second edge, a difference in a blur evaluation amount between the first observation image and the second observation image;
• determining a reimaging area of the plurality of small areas based on the difference;
• and
• controlling the image sensor to capture the reimaging area.

A digital microscope system, comprising:

• an image sensor configured to:
• capture, as a plurality of observation images, an image of each of a plurality of small areas,
• wherein each of the plurality of small areas is a partition of a first area of a slide containing a sample;
• and
• circuitry configured to:
• set a first plurality of evaluation areas in a first observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• set a second plurality of evaluation areas in a second observation image of the plurality of observation images;
• detect an edge of each of the first plurality of evaluation areas and the second plurality of evaluation areas;
• connect the plurality of observation images based on the partition to obtain a connected image,
• wherein in the connected image, a first edge of a first evaluation area of the first plurality of evaluation areas is adjacent to a second edge of a second evaluation area of the second plurality of evaluation areas, and
• wherein the first evaluation area and the second evaluation area are non-overlapped;
• calculate, based on the first edge and the second edge, a difference in a blur evaluation amount between the first observation image and the second observation image;
• determine a reimaging area of the plurality of small areas based on the difference;
• and
• control the image sensor to capture the reimaging area.