Adaptive dwell time microscopy

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

• controlling a beam source of a microscope to emit a beam towards a sample according to a scan pattern, wherein the beam interacts with the sample at a first scanning location;
• monitoring, by at least using a detector of the microscope, a first cumulative number of particles associated the sample at the first scanning location according to the scan pattern, wherein the first cumulative number of particles correspond to an interaction with the sample at the first scanning location;
• and
• moving, after a first dwell time and before a first dwell period elapses, the beam to a second scanning location of the sample according to the scan pattern if a signal criterion is met, wherein the signal criterion is based on the first cumulative number of particles.

A method for multi-scanning in a microscope comprising:

• scanning a sample by at least using a beam source of the microscope to emit a beam towards the sample according to a first scanning pass;
• determining, by at least using a detector of the microscope, a first number of particles associated with the sample at a first scanning location;
• determining, based on a first comparison of the first number of particles and a signal criterion, whether the first scanning location is to be excluded from or included in a second scanning pass;
• scanning the sample by at least using the beam source according to the second scanning pass;
• and
• generating sample acquisition data based on a total number of scanning passes.