# US 10,484,614 B2 · Apparatus for observing fine object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,614 B2 - Document ID: US10484614B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/623,131 - Filed: 2017-06-14 - Published: 2018-04-05 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-14 - Assignees: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology - Applicants: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology - Inventors: Woo-Keun Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484614B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming - G01N 21/253: {for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus (analytical automats G01N35/00)} - G01N 21/84: Systems specially adapted for particular applications - G01N 33/4833: {of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures (tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735)} - G02B 21/002: {Scanning microscopes (scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18)} - G02B 21/362: {Mechanical details, e.g. mountings for the camera or image sensor, housings (G02B21/364 takes precedence)} - G02B 21/365: {Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence)} - H04N 7/185: {from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control} - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/631: {Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters} - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An apparatus for observing a fine object is disclosed. The observation apparatus includes: a camera configured to capture each of a plurality of fine objects contained in at least some of a plurality of partitioned wells of a plate; a drive unit configured to allow the camera to relatively move with respect to the plate in such a manner that the camera scans the plate; and a controller configured to control the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures only at least some wells having the plurality of fine objects from among the plurality of wells. The controller determines a shortest movement route of the camera on the basis of a position of at least some wells having the plurality of fine objects, and controls the drive unit in such a manner that the camera moves in the determined shortest movement route. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for observing a fine object comprising: a camera configured to capture each of a plurality of fine objects contained in at least some of partitioned wells of a plate; a drive unit coupled to the camera and configured to allow the camera to relatively move with respect to the plate in such a manner that the camera scans the plate; and a controller coupled to the drive unit and configured to control the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures the at least some of partitioned wells having fine objects, wherein the controller operates to determine a shortest movement route of the camera based on a position of the at least some of partitioned wells having the fine objects, and control the drive unit to move the camera in the determined shortest movement route, and when the camera captures each of the at least some of the partitioned wells having the plurality of fine objects, the camera captures each well at a first magnification and additionally captures each well at a second magnification higher than the first magnification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines the positions of the at least some of the partitioned wells having the fine objects according to a predetermined method. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller operates to determine the positions of the at least one of the partitioned wells based on an image capturing all of the partitioned wells and having a specific position satisfying a predetermined condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit configured to output an image captured by the camera, wherein the image includes a still image and a moving image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display unit operates to output a plurality of images corresponding to the respective wells, and the controller changes the shortest movement route on the basis of the positions of wells corresponding to user-selected images among the plurality of images. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drive unit in a manner that the camera sequentially performs first movement and second movement, wherein the first movement causes the camera to move along the shortest movement route at one side of the plate, and the second movement causes the camera to move along the shortest movement route at the other side of the plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the camera is located at one side and the other side of the plate and operates to rotate about the fine object by the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures an upper part of the fine object and a lower part of the fine object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the controller determines a detailed position of the fine object as a specific part of an image captured at the first magnification, the image satisfying a predetermined condition; and when the camera additionally captures each well at the second magnification, the controller controls the drive unit in a manner that the position of the camera is adjusted on the basis of the determined detailed position of the fine object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: a fine-object image magnified at the second magnification is located at the center of the captured image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the drive unit controls the camera to move in a single direction parallel to one surface of the plate having the fine object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the single direction is at least one of first and second directions orthogonal to each other and a third direction denoted by a combination of the first direction and the second direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a backlight unit located to face the camera, and configured to emit light to the fine object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the camera and the backlight unit are integrated into a frame in such a manner that the camera rotates along with the backlight unit. ### Claim 14 An apparatus for observing a fine object comprising: a camera configured to capture each of a plurality of fine objects contained in at least some of partitioned wells of a plate; a drive unit coupled to the camera and configured to allow the camera to relatively move with respect to the plate in such a manner that the camera scans the plate; and a controller coupled to the drive unit and configured to control the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures the at least some of partitioned wells having fine objects, wherein the controller operates to determine a shortest movement route of the camera based on a position of the at least some of partitioned wells having the fine objects, and control the drive unit to move the camera in the determined shortest movement route, wherein the camera is located at one side and the other side of the plate and operates to rotate about the fine object by the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures an upper part of the fine object and a lower part of the fine object, and wherein the controller controls the drive unit in such a manner that the camera repeatedly performs a single set of the first movement and the second movement according to the number of iterations entered by a user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller controls the drive unit in such a manner that the camera performs the single set of movements and then performs a next set of movements according to a time interval value entered by the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: if the fine object includes a fish egg, at least one of a movement speed of the camera and an image capture time for each well is determined on the basis of a differentiation time of the fish egg, the determined shortest movement route, and the number of iterations entered by the user in such a manner that camera movement is repeatedly performed according to the user-input iteration number received within the differentiation time of the fish egg. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein: if the fine object includes a fish egg, at least one of a movement speed of the camera and an image capture time for each well is determined on the basis of a differentiation time of the fish egg, the determined shortest movement route, and the number of iterations entered by the user in such a manner that camera movement is repeatedly performed according to the user-input iteration number received within the differentiation time of the fish egg. ### Claim 18 An apparatus for observing a fine object comprising: a camera configured to capture each of a plurality of fine objects contained in at least some of partitioned wells of a plate; a drive unit coupled to the camera and configured to allow the camera to relatively move with respect to the plate in such a manner that the camera scans the plate; and a controller coupled to the drive unit and configured to control the drive unit in such a manner that the camera captures the at least some of partitioned wells having fine objects, wherein the controller operates to determine a shortest movement route of the camera based on a position of the at least some of partitioned wells having the fine objects, and control the drive unit to move the camera in the determined shortest movement route, and wherein if the fine object includes a fish egg, at least one of a movement speed of the camera and an image capture time for each well is determined on the basis of a differentiation time of the fish egg and the determined shortest movement route in such a manner that the scanning is completed within the differentiation time of the fish egg.