Overlapped layers in 3D capture

-43 OVERLAPPED LAYERS IN 3D CAPTURE A method of registering a plurality of images of a three dimensional specimen captured by a microscope comprises capturing a first set of images on a first capture plane (zi, Layer i) of the 5 specimen including two images (721,722) having a first area (727; 810,820) of overlap. A second set of images on a second capture plane (z 2, Layer i+1) of the specimen are captured the second capture plane is parallel to the first capture plane and including two images (723,724) having a second area (728) of overlap that is offset from the first area of overlap in a direction along the capture planes so as to include in the second area of overlap at least one first alignable 10 image feature not present in the first area of overlap. The two images in the second set are aligned using the at least one first alignable image feature in the second area of overlap, and at least the two images in the first set are aligned using the alignment of the two images of the second set and second alignable image features (892,891) present in each of the two images in the first set and correspondingly present in each of the two images in the second set. R10QR71 1 Pn0q0 nr cnpni |np Y-axis 1 03 -0 _ 110 Data storage I Computer Fig. 1