US Patent 10994477 Optical scanning for industrial metrology

An approach to improving optical scanning increases the strength of optical reflection from the build material during fabrication. In some examples, the approach makes use of an additive (or a combination of multiple additives) that increases the received signal strength and/or improves the received signal-to-noise ratio in optical scanning for industrial metrology. Elements not naturally present in the material are introduced in the additives in order to increase fluorescence, scattering or luminescence. Such additives may include one or more of: small molecules, polymers, peptides, proteins, metal or semiconductive nanoparticles, and silicate nanoparticles.