LT7019B - System and method of determining the dimensions of a spatial micrometre-sized object and its surface relief - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to systems for determining the dimensions and surface relief of micrometre-sized spatial objects by generating a composite image of the examined spatial object using the microscope. The invention aims to improve the detection quality when object is transparent or partially transparent or when the surface of the object is soft and/or easily damaged. The examined three-dimensional micrometre-sized object is photographed from above with a microscope, and the contour of the micrometre-sized object is determined by the sensor with an electrode for measuring electrochemical properties between the sensitive surface of the mentioned electrode and the surface of the micrometre-sized object at each scanning point, thus determining the height of object under investigation and its coordinates at each point at the scanned point. Thanks to the program installed in the computer processor, a general image of the examined spatial micrometre-sized object with its real dimensions and its surface relief is obtained.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is intended for determining the dimensions and surface relief of spatial objects of micrometric size. The micrometer-sized spatial objects under investigation can be biological objects, for example, human, animal or unicellular tissue cells. The study of such micro-objects is necessary for practical and scientific research work in medicine, biology, biochemistry and related fields. The study of such micro-objects faces the problem that the optical image quality is limited when studying micrometer-sized spatial objects with dimensions close to the wavelength of light. On the other hand, vibrations of mechanical systems and radial and axial clearances in gears interfere with the operation of the optical microscope.

The invention is intended for a complex solution in the study of spatial micro-objects, when the object's center, area and relief and electrochemical properties are determined by the proposed device using the developed system using a research algorithm based on sensor data fusion.

STATE OF THE ART

A large number of methods and devices are currently used for the visualization of micrometer-sized objects. One such device is described in US patent US7391565B2, which describes an optical scanning device for collimated focus multi-optical systems. It has a built-in optical system, which is designed in such a way that the focus of the illuminating beam is concentrated at the point of illumination of the object, i.e. at the observation point. On the other hand, the focus of the light beam goes from the illuminated point to the illuminated point on the plane of the object; at least one rotatable mirror is provided, which reflects the illumination beam, while allowing scanning of the observed object with respect to the observation plane. At the same time, the light beam projects a light point in a fixed position. A first spatial light filtering system is mounted on a first object plane that filters a light spot that represents the position of the light beam. Such a system is very advanced and efficient, but it is very expensive, requires special protection against external vibrations and is only suitable for objects with a pronounced flat surface.

Another known device for visualizing micrometer-sized objects is described in the German patent DE102011000835B4. It provides a scanning microscope with a built-in light unit that emits a light beam, which focuses the light beam on the object under study through a lens, and a scanning device that moves the focus of illumination in the area of the object under study. The direction of the beam is changed by aligning the light beam with the eyepiece of the objective. This type of optical scanning microscope ensures high image quality, but it is also sensitive to the background of environmental vibrations and light absorption of the material of the object being examined. The device is also expensive, has overlapping optical systems, and therefore requires periodic adjustment.

Another known device for visualizing micrometer-sized objects includes the adaptive scanning microscope described in Canadian patent CA2887052C, in which the projected light beam is positioned along more than one axis by rotating the light beam source or optical guidance system. This optical system is very compact, significantly surpassing the characteristics of the lens and mirror system of the classical configuration. Adaptive optical system has very low dispersion, chromatic aberration, peripheral aberration. This system has excellent optical properties, but real-world object scaling becomes a problem because the magnification of the optical system varies with the distance to the object, which depends on the brightness settings; in addition, it is characterized by a high price.

Japanese patent application JP2019056917A describes a method and device for visualizing micrometer-sized objects with fully automatic and rapid scanning and digitization of a microscopic specimen. The proposed device has an electric drive: the first solution, when the sample is pushed at a constant speed on the surface of the sample along the main axis from the defined first position to the defined second position, the second solution - when the sample moves along the surface of the sample along the second axis, perpendicular to the main axis of movement. The scanner is equipped with an electric drive; lighting system; a camera mounted perpendicular to the surface of the specimen and to the main axis; data processing equipment with a processor for image data processing and storage. The specimen is first moved along one axis and then moved along a second axis, thereby ensuring a complete scan of the specimen. Such a scanning system is efficient, but expensive and only uses data from one camera to evaluate the image of the specimen, resulting in an image with insufficient sharpness.

A device for visualizing micrometer-sized objects is described in US patent US10725279B2, which uses an advanced optical microscope. It consists of a micromonitor that acts as a matrix of light sources that creates structured illumination of the specimen, an image sensor that captures an image of the specimen, and a microscope lens that directs the light flux of the illuminating matrix toward the specimen and the reflected light to the image sensor. The microscope lens has a changeable focal length, and its change on the optical axis strongly changes the magnification of one of the illuminated points falling on it, the image of which is recorded on the image sensor. This device only works with optically detectable terrain using reflected light, so it is limited in working with micrometer sized biological objects as they are mostly transparent.

PCT patent application WO2021196419A1 describes a device for visualizing micrometer-sized objects in 3D by recording the spatial coordinates of points on the surface of the object using a non-destructive optical technique, a particularly deep-field microscopic system, which involves non-destructive three-dimensional measurement of photoelectric cells. The microscope system consists of an optical microscope, a photoelectric contour sensor, a three-dimensional positioner platform, a control module and a PC processor, where the three-dimensional positioner consists of a platform operating along the x-y axes and a separate z-axis lifting module. An optical microscope is matched with an illumination source and an imaging device. The control module includes the three-dimensional positioner control unit, the signal processing unit is connected to the photoelectric contour sensor. The system includes a power source, and the image recording and transmission unit transmits the received image to the computer. By applying the appropriate measurement method with the spatial ultra-deep-field microscope system, the specimen can be observed non-destructively, taking a 3D color image and performing precise 3D measurement in a large field, achieving accurate object dimensions while maintaining the details and accurate colors of the object.

This method is difficult to apply to the study of transparent biological objects, because the image reflection when the beam of the light source is not perpendicular to the illuminated surface is of low quality and difficult to apply to image processing. Vibrations of mechanical systems and radial and axial clearances in gears interfere with the operation of the optical microscope

European patent EP3092459B1 describes a method for producing a composite image of a three-dimensional object using a microscope in the study of micro-objects, which uses multiple superimposition of three-dimensional images of different areas of the object with at least one image of an adjacent surface with sufficient image resolution to create a three-dimensional image of the microstructure with dimensions perpendicular to the lens and along the optical axis reaches ten micrometers or less. Each image with a separate coordinate system defines the position of the body and the normal direction of the surface fragment, the parameters of overlapping fragments are included in the overall image. The obtained image of the microstructure is reconstructed according to the parameters of the overlapping regions, and the combined images form a common spatial image.

The known patent describes a system for creating a three-dimensional composite image of the surface of a micro-object under study, the system includes a housing in which a microscope is mounted for spatial representation of the surface features of a micro-object under study, a holder for positioning the micro-object under study, a positioning means for moving said holder and the microscope longitudinally relative to each other along the x-axis and/or along the y-axis and/or along the z-axis in order to position the object under study in a selected position relative to the optical axis of the microscope, a computer with a programmable processor communicating with the microscope and programmed to obtain images of the microstructures under study with different coordinates and combine them, forming a general image of the studied spatial micro-object.

This method and system solved the problem of illumination perpendicular to the surface, but this method is based on the use of reflected light for conducting research, so when studying transparent or partially transparent micro-objects or micro-objects with a soft and/or easily damaged surface, the obtained and displayed spatial image of the micro-object is of insufficient quality.

A technical issue is being resolved

The invention aims to improve the quality of the spatial image of a micro-object and the determination of its surface relief when the object is transparent or partially transparent or when the surface of the object is soft and/or easily damaged.

DISCLOSURE OF THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

The essence of the solution to the problem according to the proposed invention is that in the system for determining the dimensions of a spatial micro-object and its surface relief, generating a composite image of the spatial micro-object under investigation, including a housing in which a microscope is installed, a holder for positioning the spatial micro-object under investigation, a positioning means for said holder and the microscope move relative to each other along the x-axis and/or along the y-axis and/or along the z-axis in order to place the micro-object under examination in a selected position relative to the optical axis of the microscope, a computer with a programmable processor communicating with the microscope and programmed to obtain a total a three-dimensional image of the micro-object under study, an optical sensor and an electrode for measuring electrochemical properties are provided in the system, and the positioning device installed in the body includes:

- a horizontal positioning device with two degrees of freedom along the x-y axes,

- the first vertical positioning measure having a degree of freedom along the z-axis, and

- a second vertical positioning device having a degree of freedom along the z-axis, and located in the housing at a selected horizontal distance from the first vertical positioning device, where an optical sensor is attached to the horizontal positioning device, above which a holder is attached, in which the investigated spatial micro-object, the aforementioned microscope, is placed is attached to the first vertical positioning means, and the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties is attached to the second vertical positioning means, where the horizontal positioning means can move in the directions of the x-y axes and be located in selected positions relative to the vertical axes of the microscope and the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties, where during the operation of the system, when the subject spatial the micro-object is in the field of view of the microscope, it photographs the three-dimensional micro-object under study, and the optical sensor captures the real-size contour of the three-dimensional micro-object under study, and the data from the microscope and the optical sensor are transferred to the computer processor and memory;

when the investigated spatial micro-object, thanks to the horizontal positioning device, appears in the measuring field of the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties, in which step scanning of the micro-object is carried out in the x-y plane defined by the above-mentioned contour, according to the trajectory determined by the computer processor, the number of scanned points and their density, where at each scanned point the electrochemical properties are measured the electrode measures the electrochemical activity, which is associated with the real coordinates of the positioning means at each scanned point and is recorded in the computer memory, the computer processor is programmed in such a way that the aforementioned data are recorded in the memory, received from the microscope, the optical sensor and from the electrochemical properties measuring electrode, the data of which is associated with the scanned points coordinates are merged to obtain a general image of the studied spatial micro-object with its real dimensions and its surface relief.

At the scanned point, the association of the electrochemical activity measured by the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties with the real coordinates of the positioning means at each scanned point is obtained according to the control commands that are generated in the main processor, taking into account the size and shape of the spatial micro-object under investigation selected by the user, thus creating a trajectory for scanning electrochemical properties with the electrode.

The test microobject can be selected from biological objects, such as human, animal or unicellular tissue cells.

The investigated microobject may include one, several or many of the aforementioned cells.

Another example of the implementation of the proposed invention is a method of determining the spatial dimensions of a micro-object and its surface relief by generating a composite image of the investigated micro-object using a microscope, which includes the following steps:

- takes a picture of the examined micro-object from above with a microscope and transfers the data to the computer memory,

- captures the real-size outline of the object under investigation with an optical sensor,

- moves the investigated spatial object into the measuring field of the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties,

- the electrochemical properties measurement electrode scans the investigated spatial micro-object object in the x-y plane, defined by its contour, according to the trajectory determined by the computer processor and the set number of scanned points and their density, where at each scanned point the electrochemical properties measuring electrode measures the electrochemical activity, according to which the height of the micro-object is determined at the scanned point ,

- links the measured electrochemical activity at each scanned point with the real coordinates of each scanned point and transfers the obtained data to the computer memory,

- thanks to the program installed in the computer processor, the data obtained from the microscope, the optical sensor and the data from the electrode measuring the electrochemical properties are merged, respectively, with the coordinates of each point, obtaining a general image of the investigated spatial micro-object with its real dimensions and its surface relief.

Utility of the invention

The proposed system and method performs automated measurement of the surface projection (contour) of a micro-object and determination of surface relief. It automatically renders a true-dimension 3D (spatial) model of the investigated spatial micro-object.

This invention makes it possible to create a high-quality image of a three-dimensional micro-object and obtain its real size, because the image obtained by the optical microscope is supplemented with real-size parameters from the image sensor, electrode for measuring electrochemical properties, and positioning drives. This invention makes it possible to determine the actual dimensions of an object regardless of its transparency.

This is achieved by using a microscope camera, an optical sensor, a positioning device connected to a stepper motor as a drive, the position of the output circuit of which is known according to the number of control pulses given to the motor, and an electrode for measuring electrochemical properties mounted on a vertical axis for examining the surface of the object under investigation by determining its height. The micrometer-sized spatial object research system has a three-axis positioner with an additional vertical axis for the electrochemical properties measurement electrode, which allows determining the real size of the researched object by supplementing the optical image with real coordinates calculated based on the set angles of the positioner drive stepper motors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1a shows a schematic diagram of the system for determining the dimensions and surface relief of a microobject in the first step, when the microscope is over the object under investigation.

Fig. 1b shows the scheme of the system for determining the dimensions and surface relief of microobjects in the second stage, when the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties is above the object under investigation.

Fig. 2 shows the system according to Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b logic diagram.

Fig. 3 shows the algorithm of physical operation of the system.

Fig. 4 shows the logic diagram of fusion of sensor signals.

Fig. 5 shows a specimen with clusters of microobjects.

EXAMPLES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The proposed system for determining the dimensions and surface relief of the spatial micro-object under investigation consists of: body 1, x and y degrees of freedom horizontal positioning device 2, image sensor 3, first vertical positioning device 4, microscope 5, second vertical positioning device 6, electrode for measuring electrochemical properties 7, data acquisition and processing device 8, computer 9, visualization screen 10, micro-object under investigation 11, holder 12, microcomputer 13, software LinuxCNC 14, positioner drive controllers 15, potentiostat 16, network controller 17, USB controller 18, memory 19, algorithm 20 , CPU (central processing unit) 21, control commands 22, map of topographic features of the object under study, sample 24, clusters of micro-objects in the sample 25.

Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b show the system for determining the dimensions and surface relief of the investigated spatial micro-object, where the micro-object can be biological objects, for example, tissue cells of humans, animals or unicellular organisms. The system has a housing 1 mounted on an anti-vibration table. On the horizontal part of the body 1, a horizontal positioning device 2 of two x and y degrees of freedom is arranged, connected to the horizontal positioning drives (not shown in the drawing). An image sensor 3 is attached to the horizontal positioning means 2, above which a holder 12 is mounted, for example, a petri dish, in which a sample 24 is placed, including a spatial microobject cluster 25 (Fig. 5), where the spatial microobject to be examined 11 is one of the selected spatial microobject clusters 25 , which may consist of one or more or many tissue cells of biological objects. The first vertical positioning means 4 is arranged on the vertical part of the housing 1, connected to a separate vertical positioning drive (not shown in the drawing). A microscope 5 is attached to the first vertical positioning means 4, where the vertical positioning means 4 is for adjusting the focusing distance of the light beam in the z-axis direction. On the vertical part of the body 1 there is also a second vertical positioning means 6 located at a selected horizontal distance from the first vertical positioning means 4 and connected to another separate vertical positioning drive (not shown in the drawing). An electrode 7 for measuring electrochemical properties is attached to the second vertical positioning device 6. The second vertical positioning device 6 is intended for adjusting the distance of the mentioned electrode 7 to the surface of the spatial microobject 11 under investigation in the z-axis direction. The mentioned positioning means (2, 4, 6) are controlled using the motion control and data collection and processing device 8, which, communicating with the computer processor 9 via the Ethernet data bus, receives movement commands and generates the control of the positioning means (2, 4, 6) according to them. pulses and forwards the received and digitally processed measurement data to the main computer 9.

The control signals for the stepper motors of the positioner drives are formed in the motion controller 8, according to the control commands 22, which are generated in the main processor 21, taking into account the spatial micro-object 11 selected by the user and the generated scanning trajectory (Fig. 3). The entire system is mounted on a base protected from environmental vibrations, usually on an anti-vibration table. Such a system makes it possible to obtain a sharp optical image and avoid blurring of the image outline of the object. The electrode 7 for measuring electrochemical properties is mounted on a separate vertical axis, which allows it to approach the investigated spatial micro-object 11, measuring the leakage current and studying the real distance from the sensitive surface of the electrode 7 to the surface of the investigated spatial micro-object 11. The horizontal distance from the optical axis of the microscope 5 to the vertical axis of the electrochemical property measuring electrode 7 is fixed and calibrated using a special sample and stored in the system controller as a system parameter. The motion controller 8 is composed of a two-part positioner drive control system (13, 14, 15) and an electrochemical data collection and transmission system 16.

The system is controlled by a computer 9, which controls the microcomputer 13 that controls the positioner drives and processes the received image from the optical microscope 5 and controls the movement trajectory of the positioner by directing the electrochemical measurement electrode to the detected test object 11. The computer 9 is connected to the motion controller 8 via network 17 and USB 18 controls.

The processor 21 of the computer 9 is configured in such a way that the measurement data of the electrode 7 for measuring electrochemical properties, according to which the height of the investigated microobject and the electrochemical activity at the measured points are determined, are merged with the optical data received via the USB data bus from the microscope 5 and the image sensor 3, and in real time are presented on the computer screen 10 and recorded in its memory. During data fusion, a three-dimensional array of measurement points is created, where the coordinates of the measurement points are stored, which are aligned with the optical image using the coordinates of the positioning devices, and the height of the object is found based on the electrochemical measurement data. This array is used to store a spatial microobject. The obtained spatial measurement result of the surface of the microobject is matched with the optical image from the microscope, thus creating a general spatial composite image of the surface of the microobject.

The principle of operation of the system for determining the dimensions and surface relief of the micro-object under investigation, the hardware composition of which is presented in Fig. 1a and Fig. 1b, is shown in Fig. 2. The operation of the system begins with the selection of the test object 11 from the sample 24. After the operator starts the measurement, first of all, commands are given to the positioning means 2 to position the sample 24 in the measurement field 5 of the optical microscope. Using the gear 4 of the vertical positioning device, the focus distance is adjusted and a photograph of the sample area 24 is taken. In the next step, the image from below is captured by the image sensor 3, where we see the shadow of the real-scale specimen 24 and its outline. The received data from the microscope 5 and the sensor 3 are transferred to the memory 19 of the computer 9 through the USB controller 18. Further, the received data are processed in the central processor CPU according to the algorithm 20, which is shown in Fig. 3. From the image of the sample captured by sensor 3 and microscope 5 (Fig. 5), places where clusters of micro-objects are visible (areas of interest) are distinguished 25. If clusters of micro-objects are not distinguished, then an error message is sent and the process is stopped, if clusters are detected, then one of the clusters of micro-objects is selected the cluster of interest 25 as the study spatial micro-object 11. Using the drive of the positioning device 2, the study spatial micro-object 11 is moved so that the microscope 5 is above the center of the selected study spatial micro-object 11 and then it is photographed by the microscope 5, and according to the data of the image sensor 3, the selected study micro-object is determined Contour 11 (shadow) and its position in ROI coordinates (Region of interest - local coordinates of the object's environment).

After the analysis of the images obtained from the microscope 5 and the sensor 3, a set of control commands 22 is formed in the computer processor 9, for the positioners 2, 4, 6 and the potentiostat 16, which is recorded in the memory. The control commands of the potentiostat 16 and its measurement data are transmitted through the USB controller 18. The drive control commands are transmitted through the network controller 17 to the motion control and data collection system 8, where the microcomputer 13, using the software LinuxCNC 14, converts them into physical control signals of the drive motors and transmits them to the actuator controller 15, where these signals are modulated accordingly and transmitted to the actuators of the positioning means (2, 4, 6) as supply voltage. Next, the electrochemical test mode of the investigated spatial micro-object 11 is selected, specifying the requested scanning parameters, the density and quantity of measurement points and the scanning speed, if the operator does not select the micro-object 11 or specify the scanning parameters within a certain time, an error message is sent and the process is stopped. In the next step, using the drive of the positioning device 2, the investigated spatial micro-object 11 is shifted so that the electrochemical properties measurement electrode 7 is above the center of the investigated spatial micro-object 11. Gradually, with the drive of the vertical positioning device 6, bringing the electrochemical properties measurement electrode 7 closer to the micro-object 11 under investigation, the electrochemical activity of the surface of the micro-object 11 under investigation is measured, during which the actual height of the micro-object at the selected scanning point is determined.

According to the scanning parameters entered in the computer 9 by the operator at the previous stage and the size of the object determined by the microscope 5 and the sensor 3, a scanning trajectory is formed and a scan of the investigated spatial micro-object 11 is performed with the electrode 7 for measuring electrochemical properties, during which the micro-object under investigation 11 is moved by the positioner 4 according to the determined trajectory in fixed-size steps of electrochemical in relation to the property measuring electrode 7.

The step size is calculated in the main processor based on the density and number of measurement points set by the operator. Electrochemical activity is measured at each measurement point, the resulting measurement result is associated with the real coordinates of the positioning devices at the measured point and is recorded as one element of the three-dimensional array in the computer memory.

At the end of the scan, all gears are returned to their initial positions and the automatic process is stopped.

The data fusion algorithm of sensors (5, 3), positioning devices (2, 4, 6) and electrochemical measurement system (7, 16) used in the system for determining the dimensions and terrain of micro-objects is shown in Fig. 4. Data fusion performed in several stages, using data from the optical microscope 5, image sensor 3, and the electrochemical measurement system consisting of the electrode 7 for measuring electrochemical properties and the potentiostat 16. During scanning, the image sensor 3 is used as a feedback element, and adjustments are made based on its data the stroke of the positioner 2 drive, ensuring that the electrode 7 does not go outside the scanning area.

After the scanning, according to the measurement results stored in the memory and the coordinates set in the drive control commands, the final connection of all three types of data is performed in the central processor, namely the connection of the microscope 5, the image sensor 3 and the scanning electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7) connected to the positioning devices (2, 4, 6) position coordinates, data. The coordinates of the positioning tools (2, 4, 6) are known according to the number of scan steps that were set. By combining the data, a map of the topographic properties of the spatial micro-object under investigation is formed 23, which provides an optical image of the spatial micro-object under investigation with the real coordinates of its surface points and the measurement results of its electrochemical activity at the studied scanning points, according to which the height of the investigated object at the mentioned points is determined. The resulting property map is saved in the computer memory and displayed on the screen 10 in real time.

Claims (5)

A system for determining the dimensions of a spatial micro-object and its surface relief, generating a composite image of the spatial micro-object (11) under investigation, including a housing in which a microscope (5) is mounted, a holder (12) for positioning the spatial micro-object under investigation (11), a positioning device for said holder (12) and the microscope (5) to move relative to each other along the x-axis and/or along the y-axis and/or along the z-axis so that the examined spatial micro-object (11) is located in a selected position relative to the optical axis of the microscope (5), a computer with a programmable processor communicating with the microscope (5) and programmed to obtain a general three-dimensional image of the micro-object under study, characterized in that the system provides an optical sensor (3) and an electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7), and a positioning device installed in the housing (1) includes : - a horizontal positioning means (2) having degrees of freedom along the x-y axes, - a first vertical positioning means (4) having a degree of freedom along the z-axis, and - a second vertical positioning means (6) having a degree of freedom along the z-axis , and placed in the housing at a selected horizontal distance from the first vertical positioning means (4), where an optical sensor (3) is attached to the horizontal positioning means (2), above which a holder (12) is attached, in which the spatial micro-object to be examined (11) is placed, the aforementioned microscope (5) is attached to the first vertical positioning means (4), and the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7) is attached to the second vertical positioning means (6), where the horizontal positioning means (2) can move in the directions of the x-y axes and be placed in selected positions of the microscope (5) and electrochemical properties measuring electrode (7) in relation to the vertical axes, where during the operation of the system, when the spatial micro-object under study (11) is in the field of view of the microscope (5), it photographs the spatial micro-object under study, and the optical sensor (3) captures the spatial micro-object under study the real-size outline of the microobject (11), and the data from the microscope (5) and the optical sensor (3) are transmitted to the processor of the computer (9) and its memory; when the investigated spatial micro-object (11) thanks to the horizontal positioning means (2) appears in the measuring field of the electrode (7) for measuring electrochemical properties, in which step scanning of the micro-object is carried out in the x-y plane defined by the contour of the mentioned micro-object (11) according to the trajectory determined by the computer processor (9) and the number of scanned points and their density, where at each scanned point the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7) measures the electrochemical activity, which is associated with the real coordinates of the positioning means (2) and (6) at each scanned point and is recorded in the memory of the computer (9), the computer (9) the processor is programmed in such a way that the aforementioned data recorded in the memory obtained from the microscope (5), the optical sensor (3) and the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7), whose data are linked to the coordinates of the scanned points, are merged, obtaining a total spatial micro-object under investigation image with its actual dimensions and its surface relief. The system according to claim 1, which differs in that the correlation of the electrochemical activity measured by the electrochemical property measuring electrode (7) at the scanned point with the real coordinates of the positioning means (2, 6) at each scanned point is obtained according to the control commands (22) which are generated in the main processor ( 21), taking into account the size and shape of the spatial micro-object (11) selected by the user, thereby creating a trajectory for scanning electrochemical properties with an electrode (7). The system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the spatial microobject (11) to be studied can be selected from biological objects such as human, animal or unicellular organism tissue cells. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that the spatial micro-object under investigation may include one, several or many of said cells. The method of determining the dimensions of a spatial micro-object and its surface relief by generating a composite image of the investigated spatial micro-object (11) using a microscope (5) differs in that it includes the following stages:- taking a picture of the image of the investigated spatial micro-object (11) from above with a microscope (5) and transfers the data to the memory of the computer (9), - captures the real-size contour of the investigated spatial micro-object (11) with an optical sensor (3), - moves the investigated spatial micro-object (11) into the measuring field of the electrochemical properties measuring electrode (7), - with the electrochemical properties measuring electrode (7) scans the investigated three-dimensional micro-object (11) in the x-y plane, defined by the mentioned contour of the micro-object (11), according to the trajectory determined by the processor of the computer (9) and the given number of scanned points and their density, where at each scanned point the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7) measures electrochemical activity, according to which the height of the microobject at the scanned point is determined, - links the measured electrochemical activity at each point with the real coordinates of each point and transfers the obtained data to the memory of the computer (9), - thanks to the program installed in the computer processor, the data obtained from the microscope (5) and the optical sensor (3), and the data from the electrode for measuring electrochemical properties (7), linked respectively to the coordinates of each point, are merged, obtaining a general image of the investigated spatial micro-object with its real dimensions and its surface relief.