Microscope system
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorsTakashi Yoneyama, Nobuaki Sakai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a microscope system in which at least one of a stage on which a sample 4 is mounted and an objective lens 6 can move relatively in a direction of an optical axis, a contact judgment section 12 judges the possibility of contact between the sample 4 and the objective lens 6 based on a result of comparison between a detection output from a contact sensor 11 which detects contact between the sample 4 and the objective lens 6 and a preset threshold value, excessive contact between the sample 4 and the objective lens 6 is avoided based on a result of this judgment, and a threshold value in the contact judgment section 12 is updated based on the output from the contact sensor 11 every predetermined time.
Claims7
A microscope system in which an objective lens for observing an observation object can be relatively moved in a direction of an optical axis with respect to a stage on which the observation object is mounted, said microscope system comprising:
- (i) a detector for detecting non-contact and contact between the observation object and the objective lens, and for outputting a detection signal which is changed depending on one of the detected non-contact and a degree of the detected contact in a use condition of the microscope system, wherein the detection signal is varied in accordance with a change of the use condition of the microscope;
- (ii) a judging section comprising:
- storing means for storing a default threshold value corresponding to a contact state in the use condition;
- setting means for setting the default threshold value as a first reference threshold value in a first timing, resetting the first reference threshold value, and setting a second reference value in a second timing based on the detection signal output by the detector in a state in which the observation object is separated from the objective lens;
- and
- a comparator for comparing the first reference threshold value with the detection signal to generate a contact signal in a period between the first and second timing, and for comparing the second reference threshold value with the detection signal to generate a contact signal after the second timing;
- and
- (iii) a controller for controlling relative movement of the stage and the objective lens in response to the contact signals output by the comparator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.