Method and apparatus for capturing an image of an object using a scanning microscope

An apparatus for capturing an image of an object, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one scanner configured for guiding a scanning beam over the object along a scanning trajectory, wherein a scanning movement of the scanner is at least intermittently periodic in at least one direction;
• at least one position detector configured for sampling the scanning movement of the scanner with sampling cycles at a first sampling frequency;
• at least one radiation detector configured for capturing radiation emanating from the object as captured sampling values with a second sampling cycle at a second sampling frequency;
• and
• an evaluation unit configured to:
• calculate current values of an amplitude and the phase of a scanning movement of the at least one scanner;
• estimate or calculate future changes of amplitude, phase, and/or frequency over time based on the calculated current values by virtue of ascertaining a movement function for estimating future changes in the amplitude and the phase over time based on the calculated current values;
• set an image grid, grid elements of which are assigned the captured sampling values by virtue of times at which the scanning beam respectively crosses or will cross at least one boundary of the grid elements being calculated by means of the ascertained movement function, and sum the sampling values of each grid element captured within these times and assign these to the relevant grid element as resultant image data, and
• put together the grid elements of the image data from a plurality of regions to form a resultant image.