Method for classifying object image regions of an object to be detected using a scanning microscope

1. A method for classifying a plurality of object image regions of an object to be detected using a scanning microscope, comprising:

labeling each of the image areas of the object with a different respective marker so that respective light of a respective characteristic emanates from each respective marker;

detecting a respective intensity of the respective light from each respective marker using at least two channels so as to generate respective detection signals, each respective detection signal being a function of the respective intensity of the respective detected light; and

classifying the object regions using ratios of the respective detection signals;

wherein the classifying is performed automatically, and wherein the classifying is performed using a centroid of a point cloud of frequencies of occurrence of the ratios on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the scanning microscope is a confocal scanning microscope.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two channels include a first and a second channel of a first detector.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two channels include a first channel of a first detector and a second channel of a second detector.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the respective light of a respective characteristic of each marker is a respective fluorescent light emission of the respective marker.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two channels are included in at least one detector, the at least one detector having a detection characteristic, the detection characteristic being a spectral range of detection of the at least one detector.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least two channels are included in at least one detector having at least one adjustable spectral range.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein at least one adjustable spectral range is adjustable in a nearly infinitely variable manner.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising adjusting the at least one adjustable spectral range automatically.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the adjusting is performed based on a known marker characteristic.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of the object image regions includes at least one image element.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the at least two channels include three channels; and

the classifying is performed based on a respective ratio of a first detection signal of a first channel of the three channels to respective second and third detection signals of a second and third channel of the three channels.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the at least two channels include a first channel of a first detector, a second channel of a second detector and a third channel of a third detector; and

the classifying is performed based on a respective ratio of a respective detection signal of the first channel to respective detection signals of the second and third channels.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising reducing or eliminating a noise content of the detection signals.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising performing a zero point correction of the detection signals.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the classifying is performed allowing for an extension of the point cloud, the extension of the point cloud defining a tolerance range for the classifying.

17. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the classifying is performed based on known reference data.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the classifying is performed interactively.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 further comprising performing a projection onto a color polygon.

20. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the classifying is performed using a linear unmixing method.

21. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the detecting is performed so as to simultaneously detect the respective intensity of the respective light from the respective markers.

22. A method for classifying a plurality of object image regions of an object to be detected using a scanning microscope, comprising:

labeling each of the image areas of the object with a different respective marker so that respective light of a respective characteristic emanates from each respective marker;

detecting a respective intensity of the respective light from each respective marker using at least two channels so as to generate respective detection signals, each respective detection signal being a function of the respective intensity of the respective detected light; and

classifying the object regions using ratios of the respective detection signals;

wherein the classifying is performed interactively, and wherein the classifying is performed using a plotting of frequencies of occurrence of the ratios against each other on a pixel-by-pixel basis so as to generate a multidimensional representation.

23. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein the ratios include a first ratio between a first detection signal of a first channel of the at least two channels and a second detection signal of a second channel of the at least two channels, and further comprising defining the first ratio by a gradient of a straight line positionable in the multidimensional representation.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the first channel is respective channel of a first detector and the second channel is a respective channel of a second detector.

25. The method as recited in claim 22 further comprising assigning to the first ratio a tolerance range, a same classification applying to the tolerance range.