Hamamatsu-Photonics K.k.

Hideshi Oishi

Norikazu Sugiyama

Shigeru Uchiyama

Fumio Iwase

Masahiko Hirano

Masatoshi Okugawa

Yoshinori Mizuguchi

Masaharu Tokiwa

Hideji Fujiwake

Iwayo Nakagawa

In the image capturing apparatus, the optical path difference producing member is disposed on the second optical path. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the amount of light when an optical image which is focused at the front of an optical image made incident into the first imaging device (front focus) and an optical image which is focused at the rear thereof (rear focus) are respectively imaged at the second imaging device and also to secure the amount of light on image pickup by the first imaging device. Further, in the image capturing apparatus, a position of the first imaging region and a position of the second imaging region on the imaging area are reversed with respect to the axis P in association with reversal of a scanning direction of the sample. Therefore, despite the scanning direction of the sample, it is possible to obtain a deviation direction of the focus position under the same conditions.

Image capturing apparatus and focusing method thereof

In the image capturing apparatus, the optical path difference producing member is disposed on the second optical path. Thereby, the amount of light for imaging an optical image which is focused at the front of an optical image made incident into the first imaging device (front focus) and an optical image which is focused at the rear thereof (rear focus) by the second imaging device can be suppressed to secure the amount of light on image pickup by the first imaging device. Further, in the image capturing apparatus, at least one of a position of the first imaging region and a position of the second imaging region on the imaging area is changed, thus making it possible to easily adjust an interval between the front focus and the rear focus. It is, thereby, possible to detect a focus position of the sample at high accuracy.

In the image capturing apparatus, the optical path difference producing member is disposed on the second optical path. Thereby, at the second imaging device, it is possible to suppress the amount of light on image pickup of an optical image which is focused at the front of an optical image made incident into the first imaging device (front focus) and on image pickup of an optical image which is focused at the rear thereof (rear focus) and also to secure the amount of light on image pickup by the first imaging device. Further, in the image capturing apparatus, based on a scanning velocity v of the stage and an interval d between the first imaging region and the second imaging region, a waiting time is set from image pickup at the first imaging region to image pickup at the second imaging region. As a result, light from the same position of the sample is made incident into the first imaging region and the second imaging region. Thus, it is possible to control a focus position at high accuracy.

In the image capturing apparatus, the optical path difference producing member is disposed on the second optical path. Thereby, the amount of light on imaging an optical image which is focused at the front of an optical image made incident into the first imaging device (front focus) and an optical image which is focused at the rear thereof (rear focus) by the second imaging device can be suppressed to secure the amount of light on image pickup by the first imaging device. Further, in the image capturing apparatus, the first imaging region and the second imaging region on the imaging area of the second imaging device are positioned on the front side of the imaging area in a scanning direction of the sample with respect to the region into which an optical image is made incident which is conjugate to the first optical image made incident into the first imaging device. Thereby, it is possible to obtain in advance a deviation direction of a focus position of the objective lens by a simple constitution.

In an image acquisition device, an optical path length difference in a second light figure can be formed by arrangement of an optical path difference generating member, without need for splitting light in a second optical path for focus control. Therefore, it reduces the quantity of light into the second optical path necessary for acquisition of information of focal position while ensuring the quantity of light enough for execution of imaging by a first imaging device. Furthermore, in this image acquisition device, a light reduction portion is provided between a first face and a second face of the optical path difference generating member. This light reduction portion can narrow a light superimposed region on the imaging surface of the second imaging device, which allows control of the focal position to a sample to be accurately carried out.

Image acquisition device and image acquisition device focusing method

In an image acquisition device, an optical path difference generating member can form an optical path length difference of a second light image without splitting light in a second optical path. This can suppress the quantity of light required for the second optical path to obtain information of the focal position, whereby a quantity of light can be secured for a first imaging device to capture an image. The image acquisition device synchronizes the movement of a predetermined part of a sample within a field of an objective lens with rolling readout such that each pixel column of a second imaging device is exposed to a light image of the predetermined part in the sample.

Image acquisition device and focusing method for image acquisition device

The present invention relates to an equipment for analyzing the Ca.sup.2+ concentration in the cardiomyocytes, wherein a fluorescent reagent is loaded into the cells to cause intracellular carboxyl groups to be coupled with Ca.sup.2+. The cells are subjected to pulse-excited lights of differing in wavelengths during a vertical blanking period following a predetermined period of time after application of the stimulative signal. The signal causes the cells to generate fluorescent images varying in fluorescence intensity due to the difference in the wavelength of the pulse-excited lights. The resultant images generated are captured by a high-sensitivity television camera and displayed on a video monitor. A plural number of image data are obtained by varying the timing of the stimulating signal with the images stored in image memory. Image data is accessed through a central processing unit which two-dimensionally analyzes the change in the shape of a single cardiomyocyte due to the contraction and the dynamic change in the intracellular Ca.sup.2+ concentration.

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Hamamatsu, Japan

Hideshi Oishi