Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Jitsunari Kojima

Takashi Nagano

Tetsuo Tatsuda

Shinichiro Aizaki

Keiichi Iizuka

Kazuhiko Tsubota

Takashi Yoneyama

Atsuhiro Tsuchiya

Masakazu Shimada

Hideaki Endo

Junzo Sakurai

Hitoshi Ueda

Nobuyuki Nagasawa

Mitsuhiko Saito

Hideyuki Masuyama

Tomohiro Uchida

Yutaka Takabayashi

Ri Sei

Yukiko Saeki

Hiromi Utsunomiya

Koji Fujiyoshi

In a correction data storing unit of a digital camera which captures a microscopic image, image data of a light image without a sample, image data obtained by using a filter for removing a defective portion for the light image without a sample, image data where a region without being corrected (or a region being corrected) is set in the light image without the sample, and shading correction data calculated from image data obtained by setting a mask region where data after being corrected is set to 0 are stored. An operator obtains, captures, records, and stores an observation image satisfactory for great-looking by using arbitrary shading correction data. In this way, a captured image satisfactory for great-looking is obtained by making a suitable shading correction according to a shading characteristic, which is caused by an optical system.

Microscopic image capturing apparatus, microscopic image capturing method, and storage medium having a microscope image capturing program stored thereon

This is a microscope observation system comprising a microscope, a camera unit, a light-amount adjustment unit for controlling adjustment parts included the microscope in order to suppress the amount of reflected light of a specimen image formed on the camera unit, a camera adjustment unit for controlling an adjustment part group of the camera unit in order to adjust image signals photo-electrically converted by the camera unit to a desired state, a light measurement unit for measuring the brightness of the specimen, a display unit for displaying a captured image, a control unit for controlling continuous display speed indicating the continuous display interval of an image continuously displayed on the display unit and at least one of an observation position shifting unit for changing the observation position or observation magnification of the specimen or an observation state detection unit for detecting the observation position or the observation magnification.

Microscope observation system

An image recording apparatus for a microscope having a still camera function and/or a video photography function is disclosed. Automatic exposure (AE) adjustment is performed at appropriate time intervals in the photographic period so as to obtain sample images of roughly uniform brightness. Also, image data and data of plural photographic conditions are recorded in a single photographic session by setting up an AE adjustment time (Tae) and an exposure time (Texp) so as not to exceed a photographic interval (Tint) that is constant.

Image recording apparatus for microscopes

A microscope system provided by the present invention in which an electronic camera is used to pick up an observation image by a microscope, comprising a controlling section for setting an image pickup operation of an image pickup element in the electronic camera to an optimum state in accordance with a state of at least one of an optical system combination for a projection magnification of at least an objective lens and a photo eyepiece on a microscope side, an observation method, and lighting conditions.

Microscope system

A photometric apparatus for a microscope comprises a light-reception element having a plurality of concentrically arranged photometric measurement areas, the light-reception element receiving observation light from the microscope and measuring a brightness of an observation image of the observation light, a calculation circuit for calculating an exposure time necessary for photographing the observation image, on the basis of a photometric measurement value obtained from at least one of the photometric measurement areas of the light-reception element, and a control circuit for performing an exposure operation on the basis of the exposure time calculated by the calculation circuit.

Photometric apparatus for microscope

A focal point adjustment apparatus applied to an optical apparatus with a projection optical system, comprises, an object lens, a stage on which a plate member on which a subject is put for measurement is placed, provision unit for providing the thickness of the plate member for measurement, determining unit for determining data on the distance between the object lens and the stage on the basis of the thickness of the plate member for measurement provided by the provision unit, and focusing unit for adjusting the distance between the object lens and the stage on the basis of the data on the distance between the object lens and the stage determined by the determining unit.

Focal point adjustment apparatus and method applied to microscopes

A microscope apparatus includes a light source for generating illumination light, an illumination optical system for illuminating an object to be observed with the illumination light, and an observation optical system for conducting an observation image of the illuminated object to an observation site. An objective change unit is arranged in the observation optical system for holding a plurality of objectives and for selectively inserting one of the objectives onto an optical path of the observation optical system. An optical system controller, which independently controls an optical element arranged in the illumination optical system and independently controls an optical element arranged in the observation optical system, includes a frame controller for controlling the objective change unit to insert one of the plurality of objectives selected onto the optical path of the observation optical system. A recognition unit recognizes one of a plurality of predetermined observation methods designated by the observer. A memory has a table for registering setting conditions of the optical elements which correspond to the respective observation methods, and fit/unfit information indicating whether or not each of the plurality of objectives is fit for the respective observation methods. A fit determination module operates in accordance with the fit/unfit information registered in the table of the memory for: (i) when the observer designates the observation method, determining whether or not the designated observation method is fit for the selected objective, and (ii) when the observer selects the objective, determining whether or not the selected objective is fit for the designated observation method.

Microscope system for controlling optical elements in interlock with a

An optical microscope including a revolver for mounting a plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications, a stage for holding a specimen to be inspected and being movable in a plane perpendicular to an inspection optical axis, a television camera for picking-up an image of the specimen by means of an objective lens which is indexed into the inspection optical axis, and a television monitor for displaying an image of the specimen on a display screen. In order to select an objective lens having a desired magnification and to move the stage with respect to the inspection optical axis automatically, a desired region is denoted on the image displayed on the display screen by operating a mouse. Then, a necessary magnification is calculated in accordance with a division ratio obtained by dividing an area of the desired region by a full area of the display screen. An objective lens having a magnification which is equal to the necessary magnification or which is closest to the necessary magnification, but is smaller than the necessary magnification is selected and is automatically indexed into the inspection optical axis. At the same time, a moving amount of the stage is calculated and the stage is automatically moved such that a center point of the desired region comes into a center point of the display screen.

Optical microscope with variable magnification

A microscope has a plural number of objective lenses switchable from one to another, a memory circuit for storing parfocality data for the individual objective lenses, and a correcting device for correcting imaging conditions on the basis of the parfocality data for an objective lens currently used and another objective lens to be selected for microscopy. The microscope is capable of always providing favorably focused condition even when the objective lenses are switched from one to another for changing observation magnification levels.

Microscope

A photographing apparatus for microscopes is constructed so that a simultaneous observation is made by overlapping an image of a sample formed by transmitted illumination with that formed by reflected fluorescence, in which signals for designating the simultaneous observation at once cause a second shutter for the transmitted illumination to be closed and a first shutter for the reflected fluorescence to be opened, the brightness of the sample image formed by the reflected fluorescence is measured by a light-detecting element disposed in an optical path for observation, and after a light-adjusting member for the transmitted illumination is controlled so that, based on data outputted from a memory device corresponding to a measured value, the brightness of the sample image by the transmitted illumination in the simultaneous observation is balanced with that of the sample image by the reflected fluorescence, the second shutter is opened. Thus, this photographing apparatus has advantages that whenever the microscopy is switched, an operator can dispense with the need for a fine adjustment of the amount of transmitted illumination light, with the resultant ease of operation, the balance adjustment of brightness in switching is made in a short time, and the bleaching of fluorescence of the sample can be suppressed.

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Hachioji, Japan

Jitsunari Kojima