Continuous image stitching during imaging

A method comprising:

• obtaining, periodically or regularly during imaging of an imaging target, images of different areas of the imaging target, wherein at least some of the images overlap partially with each other;
• in response to detecting, during the periodical or regular obtaining of the images of the different areas of the imaging target, that an image and all images partially overlapping with said image have been obtained, marking the image as completed;
• and
• in response to detecting, during the periodical or regular obtaining of the images of the different areas of the imaging target, that a pre-defined number of images are marked as completed while not being defined as locked, executing a partial image stitching process, wherein images defined as locked are images whose transformations from a composite image to individual images are fixed, and the pre-defined number of images is equal to or smaller than a half of the total number of images for fully imaging the imaging target, the partial image stitching process comprising:
• performing image stitching on non-locked images based on at least some or all of images obtained this far to at least form transformations from a composite image to the completed images,
• locking, following the image stitching, stitched completed images, wherein the locking comprises fixing the formed transformations for the stitched completed images for preventing changing them during subsequent image stitching rounds, and
• performing one or more actions comprising at least one of:
• outputting image information comprising at least most recently locked images via at least one interface or
• storing the image information comprising at least the most recently locked images to an internal database accessible by a user and/or by an analysis device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform:

• obtaining, periodically or regularly during imaging of an imaging target, images of different areas of the imaging target, wherein at least some of the images overlap partially with each other;
• in response to detecting, during the periodical or regular obtaining of the images of the different areas of the imaging target, that an image and all images partially overlapping with said image have been obtained, marking the image as completed;
• and
• in response to detecting, during the periodical or regular obtaining of the images of the different areas of the imaging target, that a pre-defined number of images are marked as completed while not being defined as locked, executing a partial image stitching process, wherein images defined as locked are images whose transformations from a composite image to individual images are fixed, and the pre-defined number of images is equal to or smaller than a half of the total number of images for fully imaging the imaging target, the partial image stitching process comprising:
• performing image stitching on non-locked images based on at least some or all of images obtained this far to at least form transformations from a composite image to the completed images,
• locking, following the image stitching, stitched completed images wherein the locking comprises fixing the formed transformations for the stitched completed images for preventing changing them during subsequent image stitching rounds, and
• performing one or more actions comprising at least one of:
• outputting image information comprising at least most recently locked images via at least one interface or
• storing the image information comprising at least the most recently locked images to an internal database accessible by a user and/or by an analysis device.