Microscope system and setting value calculation method

A microscope system comprising:

• a microscope apparatus comprising:
• an objective;
• and
• a correction device that corrects a spherical aberration;
• and
• a computing device comprising a hardware processor that operates under control of a stored program, the computing device being configured to:
• generate, based on an output from the microscope apparatus, image data of a surface to be observed of a sample in each of a plurality of states having different setting values of the correction device, so as to obtain plural pieces of image data;
• and
• calculate an evaluation value of the image data based on each of the plural pieces of image data so as to calculate evaluation values of the plural pieces of image data, the evaluation value being larger as the spherical aberration is corrected more satisfactorily,
• wherein, when a combination of the evaluation value calculated by the computing device and the setting value of the correction device that corresponds to the evaluation value is defined to be first coordinate information, the computing device calculates, for each of a plurality of Z-positions of the objective, a function using interpolation or function approximation based on first coordinate information of at least three pieces of image data selected from the plural pieces of image data, the at least three pieces of image data including the image data for which a maximum evaluation value of the evaluation values is calculated, and calculates, for each of the plurality of Z-positions, a target value from the calculated function, the target value being the setting value of the correction device for correcting the spherical aberration on the surface to be observed.

A setting value calculation method for a microscope system, the method comprising:

• generating, by a computing device, based on an output from a microscope apparatus including an objective and a correction device that corrects a spherical aberration, image data of a surface to be observed of a sample in each of a plurality of states having different setting values of the correction device, so as to obtain plural pieces of image data;
• calculating, by the computing device, an evaluation value of the image data based on each of the plural pieces of image data so as to calculate the evaluation values of the plural pieces of image data, the evaluation value being larger as the spherical aberration is corrected more satisfactorily;
• repeating, under control of the computing device, for each of a plurality of Z-positions of the objective, the obtaining of the plural pieces of image data in such a way that (i) a distribution range and an average interval of the setting values of the correction device are narrowed in each repetition, the setting values being set in the plurality of states, and (ii) the setting value of the correction device that corresponds to a maximum evaluation value calculated by the computing device is included within the distribution range;
• and
• calculating, by the computing device, for each of the plurality of Z-positions, a target value based on the evaluation values calculated by the computing device and the setting values that correspond to the evaluation values, the target value being the setting value of the correction device for correcting the spherical aberration in the surface to be observed.