Hamamatsu-photonics K.k.

Jeremy Cooke

Takayuki Inoue

Shigeru Uchiyama

Masatoshi Okugawa

A semi-automatic mode according to which an operator makes a necessary confirmation when an image pickup condition for a micro image is set with reference to a macro image is provided in controlling the acquisition of the macro image, the setting of the image pickup condition, and the acquisition of the micro image with respect to each of a plurality of samples S stored in a sample storage unit, and in the semi-automatic mode, the sample S whose macro image has been acquired by a macro image acquiring unitis placed at a standby position without being moved directly to an image acquiring position for a micro image acquiring unit. According to this structure, image acquisition with respect to each of the samples S can be efficiently performed, and an operational burden imposed on the operator is reduced. Accordingly, it becomes possible to realize an image acquiring apparatus, an image acquiring method, and an image acquiring program each of which is capable of performing image acquisition with respect to each of the samples with high efficiency.

Image acquiring apparatus, image acquiring method, and image acquiring program

An image acquiring apparatus is made up of a macro image acquiring unitused to acquire a macro image of each of a plurality of samples S, and a control unitincluding a macro image acquisition control unit used to control a macro image acquiring operation and an image pickup condition setting unit used to set an image pickup condition for a micro image of the sample S with reference to the macro image. The control unitincludes a session managing unit used to define a session in accordance with a sample group consisting of the samples S and to manage a data group including data of the macro image and the image pickup condition as session data associated with the sample group for each session. According to this structure, it is possible to realize an image acquiring apparatus, an image acquiring method, and an image acquiring program capable of suitably managing image acquisition processing performed to acquire an image of each of a plurality of samples.

In acquisition of a micro image of a sample by a micro image acquiring unit, when a plurality of image acquiring ranges are set for the sample as an object of image acquisition, a plurality of corresponding focus information are set, and furthermore, when a plurality of partial images acquired by scanning the sample by the micro image acquiring unit include a partial image including mixing of a plurality of image acquiring ranges, the focus information is switched in the middle of scanning of the partial image. With such a structure, even when a plurality of objects are contained in the sample, images of the respective objects can be preferably acquired. Thereby, an image acquiring apparatus, an image acquiring method, and an image acquiring program which are capable of preferably acquiring images of a plurality of objects are realized even when the plurality of objects are contained in a sample.

In acquisition of a micro image of a sample S by a micro image acquiring unit, when a plurality of image acquiring ranges are set for the sample S as an object of image acquisition, a plurality of corresponding focus information are set, and furthermore, when a plurality of partial images acquired by scanning the sample S by the micro image acquiring unit include a partial image including mixing of a plurality of image acquiring ranges, the focus information is switched in the middle of scanning of the partial image. With such a structure, even when a plurality of objects are contained in the sample S, images of the respective objects can be preferably acquired. Thereby, an image acquiring apparatus, an image acquiring method, and an image acquiring program which are capable of preferably acquiring images of a plurality of objects are realized even when the plurality of objects are contained in a sample S.

Growing community of inventors

Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom

Jeremy Cooke