JP2009015301A - Microscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

A microscope system capable of minimizing damage to a sample and having excellent operability is provided.
A microscope system includes an epi-illumination light source for irradiating a specimen with illumination light, various driving means for driving various optical members such as an objective lens, and a relative position between the specimen and the objective lens. Detecting whether or not any of the various optical members is being driven, and whether the relative position is being changed, and illuminating the sample 8 with illumination light A microscope controller 15 or the like that performs control such as projecting, blocking, or dimming is provided.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscope system capable of magnifying and observing various positions of a minute sample (specimen), and more specifically, an imaging unit that captures an observation image, a driving state of various optical members for switching an observation method, and The present invention relates to a microscope system including a sample mounting table or a detection unit that detects a driving state of an objective lens.

In recent years, microscope devices have been widely used in research and inspection in the biological field, including the industrial field.
One observation method using a microscope apparatus is a method of observing weak fluorescence emitted from a sample (hereinafter also simply referred to as “fluorescence observation”). In this fluorescence observation, a light source such as a mercury lamp or a xenon lamp is generally used, and the light from the light source is condensed and irradiated on the sample. Since some fluorescence emitted from the sample is very weak, it may be necessary to irradiate illumination light strongly. In this case, if the sample is continuously irradiated with strong illumination light, a so-called discoloration phenomenon occurs in which the irradiated portion of the sample is damaged and does not emit fluorescence.

  Therefore, an apparatus devised to irradiate the sample with illumination light only when necessary has been proposed. For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a fluorescence microscope that is synchronized with the exposure time of a camera that captures an observation image and is designed to turn off illumination light when the camera is not capturing an image. Patent Document 2 proposes a fluorescence microscope configured to automatically measure the time during which illumination light is irradiated and to issue a warning to a user when a certain time has elapsed. Further, in Patent Document 3, the illuminance of the illumination light on the sample is intermittently reduced by switching to the intermittent mode by a switch, and the illuminance is just before the illuminance is less than sufficient to display the sample image. A microscope capable of updating and displaying an image signal as a still image on a monitor has been proposed. Patent Document 4 detects the amount of change in the image signal, and when the amount of change is less than a predetermined value, reduces the illuminance of the illumination light on the sample to such an extent that the amount of change in the image signal can be detected, There has been proposed a microscope that outputs an image signal immediately before reducing illuminance as a still image to a monitor.

Patent Document 5 proposes a microscope system in which the illumination apparatus is turned off when no operation is performed on the microscope for a predetermined time or more from the viewpoint of power saving. Further, in Patent Document 6, from the viewpoint of preventing glare at the time of objective lens replacement, when a drive command is given to the electric revolver that holds the objective lens, the light of the illumination light source incident on the objective lens is disclosed. There has been proposed a microscope control device which is limited.
JP 2005-195940 A JP 2005-331889 A JP 2000-66108 A JP 2000-66109 A JP 2006-195274 A Japanese Patent No. 3321156

  However, when searching for a site of interest in a sample while observing an observation image in real time, in the above-mentioned proposal of Patent Document 1, illumination light is continuously irradiated while observing the sample with a camera in real time. It will be. Further, in the above-mentioned proposal of Patent Document 2, a warning may be issued because a certain time has passed while moving the observation position of the sample, and in this case, the search is interrupted. . Moreover, in the proposal of the above-mentioned patent document 3, since a stage moves before a live image is displayed, a sample may go too much. Further, in the above-mentioned proposal of Patent Document 4, when the screen on the monitor is a still image, for example, when an image changes due to switching of an optical member such as an objective lens, the optical member is being switched. In some cases, the illuminance of the illumination light returns to the normal illuminance and the screen on the monitor is returned to the live image. In such a case, it is unnecessary until the switching of the optical member is completed. As a result, an unnecessary image is displayed as a live image. Further, in the proposal of the above-mentioned Patent Document 5, when the electric revolver is changed in the power saving control mode, for example, the power saving mode is canceled while the electric revolver is driven (lamp). In such a case, unnecessary illumination is performed until the driving of the electric revolver is completed. In addition, the above-described proposal of Patent Document 6 does not disclose any control according to a drive command for a drive part other than the electric revolver.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a microscope system that can reduce damage to a sample as much as possible and is excellent in operability.

  In order to achieve the above object, a system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a microscope system capable of changing an observation state of a sample, and includes an illuminating means for irradiating the sample with illumination light and an objective lens. Driving means for driving one or more optical members; position changing means for changing the relative position between the sample and the objective lens; whether any one of the one or more optical members is being driven; and And detecting means for detecting whether or not the relative position is being changed, and control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked or dimmed. .

  In the system according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the detection means detects that the one or more optical members are not being driven and the relative position is not being changed. In addition, the control means controls the illumination light to the sample to be blocked or dimmed.

  The system according to a third aspect of the present invention is the system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the one or more optical members are not driven and the relative position is not changed. In addition, the control means controls the illumination light to the sample to be cut off or dimmed when a predetermined time has elapsed by the time measuring means.

  A system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein an imaging unit that captures an observation image of the sample and an image captured by the imaging unit are displayed. Display means, and the imaging means captures the observation image as a still image immediately before the illumination light to the sample is blocked or dimmed under the control of the control means, and the display means A still image is displayed.

  The system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising instruction means for instructing the change of the relative position, and the control of the control means to the sample. When the change of the relative position is instructed by the instructing means when the illumination light is blocked or dimmed, the control means controls to project the illumination light to the sample. And

  The system according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the fourth aspect, further comprising instruction means for instructing the change of the relative position, and the display means displays the still image when the still image is displayed. When the change of the relative position is instructed by the instruction unit, the control unit controls to project the illumination light to the sample, and after the illumination light to the sample is projected, the imaging unit Imaging of the observation image as a live image is started, and the display means starts displaying the live image.

  The system according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the system according to the sixth aspect, further comprising imaging condition storage means for storing imaging conditions when the still image is captured, wherein the imaging means includes the observation image. When starting imaging as a live image, imaging of the observation image is started under the imaging conditions stored in the imaging condition storage means.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system according to the first aspect, wherein in the first aspect, the observation unit is automatically focused and the observation image is automatically focused based on the output of the imaging unit. And an automatic focus adjustment unit for performing the observation, and when the focusing of the observation image is completed by the automatic focus adjustment unit, the imaging unit captures the observation image as a still image, and the control unit The illumination light is controlled to be blocked or dimmed.

  A system according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a microscope system capable of changing an observation state of a sample, an illumination unit that irradiates the sample with illumination light, an imaging unit that captures an observation image of the sample, Automatic focus adjustment means for automatically focusing the observation image based on the output of the imaging means; and control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked, or dimmed. And when the focusing of the observation image is completed by the automatic focus adjustment unit, the imaging unit captures the observation image as a still image, and the control unit blocks or reduces the illumination light to the sample. It is characterized by controlling as follows.

  A system according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is a microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample, and drives one or more optical members including an illuminating means for irradiating the sample with illumination light and an objective lens. Driving means for controlling, position changing means for changing the relative position between the sample and the objective lens, control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked or dimmed, and the one Instructing means for instructing the driving of the optical member or changing the relative position, an imaging means for capturing an observation image of the sample as a still image or a live image, and a still image or a live image captured by the imaging means Display means for displaying, an operation of driving the one or more optical members or changing the relative position in accordance with an instruction from the instruction means, and blocking or dimming illumination light to the sample. light Operation of switching, and changes the execution order of the operation of switching the image displayed on the display means from the still image to the live image, and wherein the.

  In the system according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, when the instruction by the instruction means is a zoom optical system drive instruction or a relative position change instruction, The operation of switching the illumination light of the light from the dimming to the projection, the operation of switching the image displayed on the display means from the still image to the live image, the operation of driving the zoom optical system, or the operation of changing the relative position Each operation is executed in order.

  The system according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the eleventh aspect, in which the zoom optical system is driven after the operation for switching the image displayed on the display means from a still image to a live image is completed. Alternatively, the execution of the operation for changing the relative position is started.

  A system according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, further comprising an imaging condition storage unit that stores an imaging condition when the still image is captured, and displays the imaging condition on the display unit. In the operation of switching an image from a still image to a live image, the live image is an image captured as a live image under the imaging condition stored last in the imaging condition storage unit.

  The system according to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the tenth aspect, in which the operation of driving the objective lens or cube is performed when the instruction by the instruction means is an instruction to drive the objective lens or cube. The operation is performed in the order of an operation for switching the illumination light to the sample from being blocked or dimmed to projecting, and an operation for switching the image displayed on the display unit from a still image to a live image. .

  A system according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the system according to the fourteenth aspect, wherein after the operation of driving the objective lens or the cube is finished, the illumination light to the sample is blocked or dimmed to light projected. The execution of the switching operation is started.

  In addition to the above-described microscope system, the present invention can be configured as a method for controlling the microscope system.

  According to the present invention, when searching for a site of interest in a sample while observing an observation image in real time, damage to the sample can be reduced as much as possible, and excellent operability can be obtained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a microscope system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in the figure, in the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment, the microscope apparatus 2 collects light from the epi-illumination light source 3 and the epi-illumination light source 3 as an epi-illumination optical system. A plurality of cubes having a collector lens 4, an epi-illumination shutter 5 for transmitting / blocking light from the epi-illumination light source 3, an ND filter 6 for adjusting the amount of light, and a dichroic mirror having reflection / transmission characteristics depending on the wavelength A cube turret 7 which is mounted and can selectively insert one cube into the observation optical path is provided. It is assumed that the ND filter 6 can be inserted into and removed from the illumination optical path by a microscope controller 15 described later, and is not inserted into the illumination optical path at normal times.

  The stage 9 on which the sample 8 is placed has a direction (hereinafter referred to as “Z direction”) along the observation optical axis (vertical dotted line in the figure) and a plane perpendicular to the observation optical axis (hereinafter referred to as “Z direction”). It can be freely moved in the “XY plane”. The movement control of the stage 9 is performed by the stage XY drive control unit 10 and the stage Z drive control unit 11. The stage XY drive control unit 10 controls the movement of the stage 9 in the XY plane by driving and controlling the motor 24. The stage Z drive control unit 11 controls the movement of the stage 9 in the Z direction by driving and controlling the motor 25. The stage 9 has an origin detection function by an origin sensor (not shown), and can perform movement control by coordinate detection and coordinate designation of the sample 8 placed on the stage 9.

  A plurality of objective lenses 12a, 12b,... (Hereinafter collectively referred to as “objective lens 12” if necessary) are mounted on the observation optical axis, and a revolver that selects an object to be used for observation by a rotating operation. 13 and a zoom optical system 14 for continuously enlarging / reducing the observation image. Each of these units is motorized, and its operation is controlled by a microscope controller 15 described later. For example, the operation of the zoom optical system 14 is controlled by driving the motor 26 under the control of the microscope controller 15.

  The microscope controller 15 connected to the host system 16 has a function of controlling the operation of the entire microscope apparatus 2, and changes an observation method (also called a microscopic method) in accordance with a control signal from the host system 16. The light source 3 for epi-illumination is dimmed and has a function of sending the current observation state (also referred to as a microscopic state) by the microscope apparatus 2 to the host system 16. The microscope controller 15 is also connected to the stage XY drive control unit 10 and the stage Z drive control unit 11, and the stage 9 can also be controlled by the host system 16. The microscope operation unit 17 is a hand switch provided with various input units for inputting operation instructions of the microscope apparatus 2 together with the host system 16. The stage 9 is also operated by a joystick, encoder or button (not shown) provided in the hand switch. The operation of can also be performed.

  A microscope observation image of the sample 8 captured by the digital camera 18 is taken into the host system 16 via the video board 19. The host system 16 can perform automatic gain control ON / OFF, gain setting, automatic exposure control ON / OFF, and exposure time setting for the digital camera 18 via the camera controller 20. Further, the host system 16 displays the microscope observation image of the sample sent from the digital camera 18 on the monitor 22 as a display unit, or saves it in the data recording unit 21 as a moving image data file and a still image data file. Can be. The moving image data and still image data can be read by the host system 16 and displayed on the monitor 22.

  The host system 16 includes a CPU (not shown) that controls the operation of the entire microscope system 1 by executing a control program, a main memory (not shown) that is used as a work memory by the CPU as needed, a mouse, a keyboard, An input unit 23 for acquiring various instructions from the user, such as a joystick and a JOG dial, and an interface unit (not shown) for managing the exchange of various data with each component of the microscope system 1 were provided. It is a computer with a very standard configuration.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control application GUI (Graphical User Interface) of the microscope apparatus 2 displayed on the screen of the monitor 22.
The control application GUI can be displayed on the screen of the monitor 22 by executing a control program by the host system 16.

  As shown in the figure, an observation image of the sample 8 captured by the digital camera 18 is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen. In this observation image display area 31, it is possible to instruct movement of the stage 9 in the X and Y directions by dragging with the mouse.

  The objective lens switching buttons 32a, 32b, and 32c correspond to the revolver 13, and can switch the objective lens 12 inserted into the observation optical axis according to the pressed button. For example, when the objective lens switching button 32a is pressed, an objective lens having a minimum observation magnification (in this example, a 4 × objective lens) is inserted into the observation optical axis. When the objective lens switching button 32b is pressed, an objective lens with an intermediate observation magnification (20 × objective lens in this example) is inserted into the observation optical axis. When the objective lens switching button 32c is pressed, an objective lens having the maximum observation magnification (in this example, an objective lens having a magnification of 60) is inserted into the observation optical axis.

  The magnification switching slide bar 32e corresponds to the zoom optical system 14, and the observation magnification can be changed according to the change of the position of the magnification switching slide bar 32e. The position of the magnification switching slide bar 32e can be changed, for example, by dragging the magnification switching slide bar 32e with the mouse or pressing the magnification switching slide bar moving button 32d or 32f with the mouse. When the magnification switching slide bar moving button 32d is pressed, the magnification switching slide bar 32e moves to the left by a predetermined amount, and in synchronization therewith, the zoom optical system 14 moves by a predetermined amount in the direction in which the observation magnification decreases. When the magnification switching slide bar moving button 32f is pressed, the magnification switching slide bar 32e moves to the right by a predetermined amount, and in synchronization therewith, the zoom optical system 14 moves by a predetermined amount in the direction in which the observation magnification increases. . During the movement of the zoom optical system 14, the observation image display area 31 displays how the target part is reduced or enlarged.

  The observation method switching buttons 33a, 33b, and 33c correspond to the cube turret 7, and it is possible to switch the cube to be inserted into the observation optical axis according to the pressed button. For example, when the observation method switching button 33a is pressed, a cube capable of observing green (G) fluorescence is inserted into the observation optical axis, and when the observation method switching button 33b is pressed, blue (B) fluorescence is observed. When a possible cube is inserted into the observation optical axis and the observation method switching button 33c is pressed, a cube capable of observing red (R) fluorescence is inserted into the observation optical axis. In this way, it is possible to select which observation method is used to observe the sample.

  The focus slide bar 34b corresponds to the movement of the stage 9 in the Z direction (vertical direction), and the observation image can be focused according to the change in the position of the focus slide bar 34b. The position of the focus slide bar 34b can be changed by, for example, dragging the focus slide bar 34b with the mouse or pressing the focus slide bar moving button 34a or 34c with the mouse. When the focus slide bar moving button 34a is pressed, the focus slide bar 34b moves upward by a predetermined amount, and the stage 9 moves upward by a predetermined amount in synchronization therewith. When the focus slide bar moving button 34c is pressed, the focus slide bar 34b moves downward by a predetermined amount, and the stage 9 moves downward by a predetermined amount in synchronization therewith.

  The stage operation buttons 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35e, 35f, 35g, and 35h correspond to eight movement directions in the XY plane of the stage 9, and the stage is moved in the corresponding direction according to the pressed button. 9 can be moved by a predetermined amount.

  The Z-direction moving speed of the stage 9 can be switched to coarse movement or fine movement by the coarse / fine movement switching button 36, and the XY movement speed of the stage 9 can be switched to coarse movement or fine movement by the coarse / fine movement switching button 37. it can.

  The live observation notification unit 38 is a live image (also simply referred to as a “live image”) that is an observation image of the sample 8 in which the image displayed in the observation image display area 31 is captured in real time by the digital camera 18. This is a display for identifying whether or not. When a live image is displayed in the observation image display area 31, the characters “LIVE” are displayed, and when they are not, the characters “LIVE” are not displayed.

Next, an operation example of the microscope system 1 configured as described above will be described.
The operation example described here is an operation performed when the control application GUI of the microscope apparatus 2 illustrated in FIG. 2 is displayed on the screen of the monitor 22.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example 1 of the microscope system 1.
In the operation example 1, for example, the illumination light from the epi-illumination light source 3 is irradiated on the sample 8 at the time when the flow shown in FIG. 4 to be described later is completed, and the observation image is displayed on the monitor 22 via the digital camera 18. When being displayed in real time in the observation image display area 31 on the screen, the user operates any of the stage operation buttons 35a to 35h on the screen of the monitor 22 in order to search for a desired observation site in the sample 8. This operation is started when the stage 9 is moved. It is assumed that a timer described later is reset at the start of this operation. This timer is provided in the host system 16, for example.

As shown in FIG. 3, when this flow is started, it is first determined whether or not there is a currently driven part (S1).
In the present embodiment, the driving parts to be determined in S1 are the epi-illumination light source 3, the epi-illumination shutter 5, the cube turret 7, the zoom optical system 14, the revolver 13, and the stage 9. The epi-illumination light source 3, the epi-illumination shutter 5, the cube turret (cube) 7, the zoom optical system 14, and the revolver (objective lens 12) 13 are examples of optical members.

  Here, since the user has moved the stage 9 by operating any of the stage operation buttons 35a to 35h, the determination result in S1 is Yes and the timer is reset (S2). When S2 ends, the process returns to S1, and S1 to S2 are repeated until the determination result of S1 becomes No. Note that the timer reset means that the value that has been timed until then is cleared and the time measurement is stopped.

Thereafter, it is assumed that the user finds a desired observation site in the sample 8, ends the operation of the stage operation buttons 35a to 35h, and stops the stage 9.
In this case, the determination result in S1 is No, and subsequently, it is determined whether or not the timer is in a reset state (S3). Here, when the determination result is Yes, the timer starts counting (S4), and when the determination result is No, S4 is skipped.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer has passed a predetermined time (S5). Here, the predetermined time is set to a time after the driven part is stopped that can be estimated that the user has found a desired observation part in the sample 8. Note that the predetermined time can be arbitrarily set by the user within, for example, about 5 to 60 seconds.

In S5, when the determination result is No, the process returns to S1 and the above-described processing is repeated.
On the other hand, if the determination result in S5 is Yes, then the timer is reset (S6), and the current observation image is captured as a still image by the digital camera 18 (S7), and is set at that time. Imaging conditions (exposure time, binning, gain, etc.) are stored in the data recording unit 21 in a format that can be read later (S8).

  Subsequently, the illumination light source 3 is controlled to be turned off to block the illumination light to the sample 8 (S9), and the still image of the observation image captured in S7 is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22. (S10), and this flow ends.

  According to the operation example 1 as described above, when a predetermined time elapses after the user finds a desired observation site in the sample 8 and stops the operation for moving the stage 9, a still image is automatically captured. Thus, the illumination light is blocked, and the image in the observation image display area 31 is switched from the live image to the still image.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example 2 of the microscope system 1.
The operation example 2 is a state in which a still image of the observation image is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 as in the case where the flow shown in FIG. This operation is started when the illumination light to 8 is blocked.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when this flow starts, it is first determined whether or not there is a drive instruction for a drive part (S21). The drive instruction for the drive part is, for example, a drive instruction by clicking a button on the control application GUI displayed on the screen of the monitor 22 with a mouse, or a mouse drag in the observation image display area 31. An instruction to move the stage 9 in the X and Y directions by an operation, a driving instruction by a joystick operation on the microscope operation unit 17 or the input unit 23, a JOG dial rotation operation, a button operation, and the like.

If the determination result in S21 is No, the determination is repeated.
On the other hand, when the determination result in S21 is Yes, the illumination light to the blocked sample 8 is projected by controlling the epi-illumination light source 3 to be turned on (S22), and in S8 of FIG. The imaging conditions last stored in the data recording unit 21 are read out and set in the digital camera 18 (S23), imaging for live image display is started (S24), and the observation image display area on the screen of the monitor 22 is displayed. The display of the live image on 31 is started (S25).

  Thereby, in S24, the imaging condition when the live image displayed immediately before the still image displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 is displayed is reproduced, and the imaging is performed. Imaging starts under conditions. In S25, the image displayed in the observation image display area 31 is switched from a still image to a live image.

And according to the drive instruction | indication when the determination result of S21 becomes Yes, the drive of a corresponding drive part is started (S26) and this flow is complete | finished.
According to the operation example 2 as described above, for example, when the user wants to resume searching for a desired observation site in the sample 8, the user simply gives a drive instruction for the stage 9 by operating the stage operation buttons 35 a to 35 h. The illumination light is automatically projected onto the sample 8, and the image in the observation image display area 31 is switched from the still image to the live image.

  As described above, according to the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, when searching for a desired observation site in the sample 8 while observing the observation image in real time, when the search is performed, the illumination to the sample 8 is performed. The light is projected and a live image is displayed in the observation image display area 31. When only the observation is performed without searching, the illumination light to the sample 8 is blocked and the observation image is displayed. Since the still image of the observation site searched last is displayed in the area 31, the user can avoid unnecessary damage given to the sample 8 while viewing the observation image of the desired observation site. Can do.

In this case, since the illumination light is projected or blocked on the sample 8 and the image displayed in the observation image display area 31 is automatically switched, the operability is excellent.
Note that the operation of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment can be modified as follows, for example.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a modification in which the above-described operation examples 1 and 2 are combined.
This modification is an operation started when the irradiation light to the sample 8 is blocked. It is assumed that the timer is reset at the start of this operation.

  As shown in the figure, when this flow is started, first, in S31 to S35, processing similar to the processing in S21 to S25 in FIG. 4 is performed. However, in S33, the imaging condition set in the digital camera 18 is the imaging condition last stored in the data recording unit 21 in S45 described later, or the imaging as the initial value if it is not yet stored. It is a condition. Note that the imaging conditions as initial values are stored, for example, in the internal ROM of the host system 16.

  When the process of S35 ends, it is then determined again whether or not there is a drive instruction for the drive part (S36). Here, when the determination result is Yes, the driving of the corresponding drive part is started in accordance with the drive instruction (S37), and the process proceeds to S38. When the determination result is No, the process proceeds to S38. Proceed to

Subsequently, in S38 to S47, processing similar to the processing in S1 to S10 of FIG. 3 is performed. Then, when the process of S47 ends, the process returns to S31.
According to the modification as described above, when the first driving instruction (the driving instruction determined in S31) is performed, the actual driving is not performed and the illumination light is projected onto the sample 8 and the observation image is displayed. The live image is displayed in the area 31, and the actual driving is performed when the second driving instruction (the driving instruction determined in S36) is performed after the predetermined time has elapsed. Will come to be. As a result, it is possible to avoid driving (moving) the drive part until the illumination light to the sample 8 is irradiated relatively stably.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a modification of the above-described operation example 2.
In this modified example, as in the operation example 2, a still image of the observation image is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 at the time when the flow shown in FIG. And the operation started when the illumination light to the sample 8 is blocked. Note that at the start of this operation, the microscope apparatus 2 is in a standby state (Status = Idle). Also, at the start of this operation, it is assumed that the timer is reset as in the second operation example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when this flow starts, it is first determined whether or not the time counted by the timer started in S56 described later has passed a predetermined time (S51). If the determination result is Yes, the timer is reset (S62), the state of the microscope apparatus 2 is changed to the standby state (Status = Idle) (S52), and the determination result is No. Skips S62 and S52. However, if the timer is in the reset state at the time of determination in S51, the determination result is No.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not there is an instruction to drive the drive part (S53). If the determination result is No, the process returns to S51. If the determination result is Yes, the state of the microscope apparatus 2 is the drive preparation. It is determined whether it is in a state (whether Status = Ready) (S54).

When the determination result in S54 is No, the state of the microscope apparatus 2 is changed to the drive preparation state (Status = Ready) (S55), the time measurement by the timer is started (S56), and the process returns to S51.
On the other hand, if the determination result in S54 is Yes, the timer is reset (S63). Subsequently, in S57 to S61, processing similar to the processing in S22 to S26 in FIG. 4 is performed, and this flow is finished. When the determination result in S54 is Yes, the state of the microscope apparatus 2 is changed to the standby state (Status = Idle).

According to the above-described modification, the actual driving is not performed at the time when the first driving instruction is performed, and the state of the microscope apparatus 2 is shifted to the driving preparation state, and a predetermined time has elapsed since then. In the meantime, when the second driving instruction is given, the illumination light is projected onto the sample 8, the live image is displayed on the observation image display area 31, and the actual driving is performed.
<Second Embodiment>
The microscope system according to the second embodiment of the present invention is basically the same in configuration as the microscope system according to the first embodiment, but the operation is different.

  In the microscope system according to the present embodiment, video AF can be executed. Video AF is a method in which AF is performed by moving the stage 9 to an in-focus position in the Z direction based on an image captured by the digital camera 18. During execution of this video AF, illumination light is projected onto the sample 8, and when execution of the video AF is completed, the illumination light is blocked from the sample 8 and a still image is displayed in the observation image display area 31. Like to do.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the microscope system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the figure, when this flow starts, it is first determined whether or not an AF start instruction has been issued (S71). Here, the AF start instruction can be performed by operating the microscope operation unit 17 or the input unit 23, for example.

  In the determination of S71, when the determination result is No, this determination is repeated, and when the determination result is Yes, projection of illumination light onto the sample 8 is started (S72). At this time, display of a live image in the observation image display area 31 can also be started.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the subject is in focus (whether or not the video AF has ended) (S73). If the determination result is No, focusing unit control is performed (S74), and the process returns to S73. . Here, the focusing unit control is control for moving the stage 9 to the in-focus position in the Z direction based on the image captured by the digital camera 18 in order to focus the observation image.

  On the other hand, if the determination result in S73 is Yes, in the subsequent S75 to S78, the same processing as S7 to S10 shown in FIG. 3 is performed, and this flow ends. Note that the still image captured in S75 is a still image of an observation image after focusing by video AF.

As described above, according to the microscope system according to the present embodiment, when the observation site is observed by executing the video AF, the irradiation light is projected onto the sample 8 during the execution of the video AF. When the execution of the video AF is completed, the irradiation light on the sample 8 is blocked and the still image is displayed on the observation image display area 31, so that unnecessary damage to the sample 8 can be avoided.
<Third Embodiment>
The microscope system according to the third embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the microscope system according to the first embodiment, but the operation is different.

  In the operation according to the first embodiment described above, a still image of the observation image is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 as in the state when the flow shown in FIG. When the drive instruction of the drive part is performed in the state where the illumination light to the sample 8 is interrupted, as shown in the flow of FIG. 4, for example, what is the drive part instructed to drive? That was the process in the same order. On the other hand, in the operation according to the present embodiment, when a drive instruction for a drive part is given, the processing order is changed according to the drive part instructed to be driven.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the microscope system according to the present embodiment. Note that, as described above, this operation is a state in which the still image of the observation image is displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 as in the state when the flow shown in FIG. The operation starts when the illumination light to the sample 8 is blocked.

As shown in FIG. 8, when this flow starts, it is first determined whether or not there is a drive instruction for a drive part (S81). In S81, processing similar to S21 in FIG. 4 is performed.
In the determination of S81, if the determination result is No, this determination is repeated. If the determination result is Yes, the drive part instructed to be driven is determined (S82).

  When the drive part determined in S82 is the stage 9 (S83), in the subsequent S84 to S87, the same process as the process of S22 to S25 in FIG. 4 is performed. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the switching of the image displayed in the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 from the still image to the live image has been completed (S88). Here, when the determination result is No, this determination is repeated. When the determination result is Yes, the drive instruction amount of the stage 9 is detected from the drive instruction of the stage 9 when the determination result of S81 is Yes ( In step S89, the stage 9 is driven according to the drive instruction amount (S90), and this flow ends.

  When the drive part determined in S82 is the zoom optical system 14 (S105), in the subsequent S106 to S110, the same process as the process of S83 to S88 is performed. When the determination result in S110 is Yes, the drive instruction amount for the zoom optical system 14 is detected from the drive instruction for the zoom optical system 14 when the determination result in S81 is Yes (S111), and the drive instruction amount is set as the drive instruction amount. Accordingly, the zoom optical system 14 is driven (S112), and this flow ends.

  When the driving part determined in S82 is the objective lens 12 (S91), the driving of the objective lens 12 (switching driving) is performed according to the driving instruction of the objective lens 12 when the determination result in S81 is Yes. It starts (S92), and it is determined whether or not the driving of the objective lens 12 is finished (S93). Here, when the determination result is No, this determination is repeated, and when the determination result is Yes, illumination light is projected onto the blocked sample 8 (S93). In S93, the same process as S22 in FIG. 4 is performed. Subsequently, imaging conditions are set in the digital camera 18 in accordance with the driven objective lens 12 (S95), imaging for live image display is started (S96), and an observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22 is started. Display of live images is started (S97), and this flow ends.

  If the driving part determined in S82 is a cube of the cube turret 7 (S98), the cube driving (switching driving) is started in response to the cube driving instruction when the determination result in S81 is Yes. (S99), it is determined whether or not the cube driving is completed (S100). Here, if the determination result is No, this determination is repeated. If the determination result is Yes, the same processing as S94 to S97 is performed in subsequent S101 to S104, and this flow ends. However, in S102, imaging conditions are set in the digital camera 18 in accordance with the driven cube.

  According to such an operation example, when the drive part instructed to drive is the stage 9 or the zoom optical system 14 that changes the relative position between the sample 8 and the objective lens 12, illumination light to the sample 8 is obtained. , The display of the live image on the observation image display area 31 on the screen of the monitor 22, and the driving of the stage 9 according to the drive instruction are performed in this order. As a result, the stage 9 or the zoom optical system 14 starts to be driven after the image displayed in the image display area 31 is switched to the live image. The observation image of the sample 8 can be confirmed as a live image from the start of driving.

  Further, when the drive part instructed to drive is the objective lens 12 or the cube, the objective lens 12 or the cube is driven according to the drive instruction, the illumination light is projected onto the sample 8, and the screen of the monitor 22 is displayed. Processing is performed in the order of displaying a live image in the observation image display area 31. As a result, illumination light projection and live image display are performed after the driving of the objective lens 12 or the cube is completed, and therefore unnecessary until the switching of the objective lens 12 or the cube is completed. It is possible to prevent illumination light from being projected and to prevent unnecessary images from being displayed as live images.

  In this flow, an example in which the drive part instructed to drive is the stage 9, the zoom optical system 14, the objective lens 12, or the cube has been described. Similar processing can be performed based on various viewpoints. That is, if it is desired to confirm the observation image of the sample 8 as a live image from the start of driving of the drive part, the process when the drive part is the stage 9 when the drive part is instructed to drive (process after S83). If it is not necessary to project illumination light and display a live image before the drive of the drive part is completed, the drive part is instructed to drive. Then, the same process as the process when the drive part is the objective lens 12 or the cube (the process after S91 or S98) may be performed.

  As described above, according to the microscope system according to the present embodiment, the processing is performed in an appropriate order according to the drive part that is instructed to drive, so that the damage to the sample 8 can be reduced as much as possible. More excellent operability can be obtained.

Although the first to third embodiments have been described above, the following modifications can be made in each embodiment.
For example, in each embodiment, the illumination light to the sample 8 is blocked by controlling the epi-illumination light source 3 to be off, but the illumination light to the sample 8 is blocked by closing the epi-illumination shutter 5. It can also be done.

  In each embodiment, instead of blocking the illumination light to the sample 8, the ND filter 6 is inserted into the illumination optical path so that the illumination light is dimmed to a level that does not damage the sample 8. Is also possible.

  In each embodiment, instead of blocking the illumination light by turning off the epi-illumination light source 3, the illumination light is blocked by closing the epi-illumination shutter 5, or the ND filter 6 is connected to the illumination optical path. The illumination light is dimmed to a level that does not damage the sample 8 by being inserted into the light source, or the illumination light is brought to a level that does not damage the sample 8 by controlling the epi-illumination light source 3 to be dimmed. It is also possible to configure so that the user can arbitrarily select and set from the control application GUI of the microscope apparatus 2 displayed on the screen of the monitor 22. Alternatively, any of them can be configured to be arbitrarily selected and set by the operation of the microscope operation unit 17.

  Moreover, in each embodiment, it is configured such that various instructions that have been performed on the control application GUI of the microscope apparatus 2 displayed on the screen of the monitor 22 can be performed by operating the microscope operation unit 17. Is also possible.

  Further, in each embodiment, the illumination light is projected or blocked automatically on the sample 8. For example, this is performed on the control application GUI of the microscope apparatus 2 displayed on the screen of the monitor 22 or the microscope. It can also be configured to be performed manually by operating the operation unit 17.

  In each embodiment, an automatic mode and a manual mode are provided as selectable operation modes. When the automatic mode is selected, one or more of the operations shown in FIGS. 3 to 8 are performed. When the manual mode is selected, it is configured so that illumination or projection of illumination light to the sample 8, imaging of a still image, display of a still image or a live image, etc. can be performed manually. Is also possible.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various improvements and changes may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the microscope system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the application GUI for control of the microscope apparatus displayed on the screen of a monitor. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example 1 of the microscope system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example 2 of the microscope system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the modification which combined the operation examples 1 and 2. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a modification of Operation Example 2; It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the microscope system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the microscope system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microscope system 2 Microscope apparatus 3 Light source for epi-illumination 4 Collector lens 5 Shutter for epi-illumination 6 ND filter 7 Cube turret 8 Sample 9 Stage 10 Stage XY drive control part 11 Stage Z drive control part 12 Objective lens 13 Revolver 14 Zoom optics System 15 Microscope controller 16 Host system 17 Microscope operation section 18 Digital camera 19 Video board 20 Camera controller 21 Data recording section 22 Monitor 23 Input section 24, 25, 26 Motor 31 Observation image display area 32a, 32b, 32c Objective lens switching button 32
32d Magnification switching slide bar movement button 32e Magnification switching slide bar 32f Magnification switching slide bar movement button 33 Observation method switching button 34a Focus slide bar movement button 34b Focus slide bar 34c Focus slide bar movement button 35 Stage operation buttons 36, 37 Coarse / fine movement switching Button 38 Notification section during live observation

Claims (20)

A microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
Illuminating means for illuminating the sample with illumination light;
Driving means for driving one or more optical members including an objective lens;
Position changing means for changing a relative position between the sample and the objective lens;
Detecting means for detecting whether one of the one or more optical members is being driven, and whether the relative position is being changed;
Control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked or dimmed;
A microscope system comprising: When the detecting means detects that the one or more optical members are not being driven and the relative position is not being changed, the control means is controlled so as to cut off or reduce the illumination light to the sample. To
The microscope system according to claim 1. A timing means for timing a time when the one or more optical members are not being driven and the relative position is not being changed;
When the time measured by the time measuring means has passed a predetermined time, the control means controls the illumination light to the sample to be blocked or dimmed.
The microscope system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein An imaging means for capturing an observation image of the sample;
Display means for displaying an image captured by the imaging means;
Further comprising
The imaging means captures the observation image as a still image immediately before illumination light to the sample is blocked or dimmed under the control of the control means, and the display means displays the still image.
The microscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An instruction means for instructing the change of the relative position;
If the change of the relative position is instructed by the instruction unit when the illumination light to the sample is blocked or dimmed by the control by the control unit, the control unit projects the illumination light to the sample. To control,
The microscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: An instruction means for instructing the change of the relative position;
When the change of the relative position is instructed by the instruction means while the still image is being displayed by the display means, the control means controls to project illumination light to the sample, and the sample After the illumination light is projected, the imaging unit starts capturing the observation image as a live image, and the display unit starts displaying the live image.
The microscope system according to claim 4. An image capturing condition storage means for storing an image capturing condition when the still image is captured;
When the imaging unit starts capturing the observation image as a live image, the imaging unit starts imaging the observation image under the imaging condition stored in the imaging condition storage unit.
The microscope system according to claim 6. An imaging means for capturing an observation image of the sample;
Automatic focusing means for automatically focusing the observation image based on the output of the imaging means;
Further comprising
When the focusing of the observation image is completed by the automatic focus adjustment unit, the imaging unit captures the observation image as a still image, and the control unit blocks or reduces the illumination light to the sample. Control,
The microscope system according to claim 1. A microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
Illuminating means for illuminating the sample with illumination light;
An imaging means for capturing an observation image of the sample;
Automatic focusing means for automatically focusing the observation image based on the output of the imaging means;
Control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked or dimmed;
With
When the focusing of the observation image is completed by the automatic focus adjustment unit, the imaging unit captures the observation image as a still image, and the control unit blocks or reduces the illumination light to the sample. Control,
A microscope system characterized by that. A method for controlling a microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
Detecting whether one of the one or more optical members including the objective lens is being driven and whether the relative position between the sample and the objective lens is being changed;
When detecting that the one or more optical members are not being driven and the relative position is not being changed, the illumination light to the sample is controlled to be blocked or dimmed.
A control method for a microscope system, characterized in that: A method for controlling a microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
Automatically focusing the observation image based on the output of the imaging means for imaging the observation image of the sample;
When the focusing of the observation image is completed, the imaging unit images the observation image as a still image,
Controlling the illumination light to the sample to be blocked or dimmed;
A control method for a microscope system, characterized in that: A microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
Illuminating means for illuminating the sample with illumination light;
Driving means for driving one or more optical members including an objective lens;
Position changing means for changing a relative position between the sample and the objective lens;
Control means for controlling the illumination light to the sample to be projected, blocked or dimmed;
Indicating means for instructing driving of the one or more optical members or changing the relative position;
Imaging means for capturing an observation image of the sample as a still image or a live image;
Display means for displaying a still image or a live image captured by the imaging means;
With
An operation for driving the one or more optical members or changing the relative position in response to an instruction from the instruction means, an operation for blocking illumination light to the sample or switching from dimming to light projection, and the display Change the execution order of the operation to switch the image displayed on the means from a still image to a live image
A microscope system characterized by that. When the instruction by the instruction means is a zoom optical system drive instruction or a relative position change instruction, the illumination light to the sample is blocked or switched from dimming to light projection, and displayed on the display means. Each operation is performed in the order of an operation for switching an image from a still image to a live image, an operation for driving the zoom optical system, or an operation for changing the relative position.
The microscope system according to claim 12. After completing the operation of switching the image displayed on the display means from a still image to a live image, the operation of driving the zoom optical system or the operation of changing the relative position is started.
The microscope system according to claim 13. An imaging condition storage unit that stores imaging conditions when the still image is captured;
In the operation of switching the image to be displayed on the display unit from a still image to a live image, the live image is an image captured as a live image under the imaging condition stored last in the imaging condition storage unit.
The microscope system according to claim 13 or 14, When the instruction by the instruction means is an instruction to drive the objective lens or cube, an operation of driving the objective lens or cube, an operation of blocking illumination light to the sample or switching from light reduction to light projection, the display Each operation is executed in the order of switching the image displayed on the means from a still image to a live image.
The microscope system according to claim 12. After completing the operation of driving the objective lens or the cube, the execution of the operation of switching the illumination light to the sample from blocking or dimming to projecting is started.
The microscope system according to claim 16. A method for controlling a microscope system capable of changing the observation state of a sample,
An operation to drive the one or more optical members or change the relative position in response to an instruction to drive one or more optical members including the objective lens or an instruction to change the relative position between the sample and the objective lens; Changing the execution order of the operation of switching the illumination light to the sample from blocking or dimming to projecting, and the operation of switching the image to be captured and displayed from the still image to the live image.
A control method for a microscope system, characterized in that: In response to an instruction to drive the zoom optical system or an instruction to change the relative position, the illumination light to the sample is blocked or switched from light reduction to light projection, and an image to be captured and displayed on the sample is displayed as a still image. Each operation is performed in the order of an operation of switching from a live image to a live image, an operation of driving the zoom optical system, or an operation of changing the relative position.
The method of controlling a microscope system according to claim 18. In response to an instruction to drive the objective lens or cube, an operation to drive the objective lens or cube, an operation to block illumination light to the sample or switch from dimming to light projection, and an observation image of the sample is captured and displayed. Perform each operation in the order of switching the image from a still image to a live image.
The method for controlling a microscope system according to claim 18.