# US 2015/0177501 A1 · Microscope system and image data transfer method therefor

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- Number: US 2015/0177501 A1
- Document ID: US20150177501A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/574,840
- Filed: 2014-12-18
- Published: 2015-06-25
- Earliest claimed: 2013-12-25
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Koichiro Kishima; Masaaki Hara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150177501A1

## CPC

- G02B 21/008: {Details of detection or image processing, including general computer control}
- G02B 21/0024: {Confocal scanning microscopes (CSOMs) or confocal "macroscopes"; Accessories which are not restricted to use with CSOMs, e.g. sample holders}
- G02B 21/0076: {arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence}
- G02B 21/16: adapted for ultraviolet illumination {; Fluorescence microscopes (G02B21/0076 takes precedence)}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A microscope system includes a microscope apparatus including a stage on which a sample is placed and an objective lens that collects laser light to the sample on the stage, a light source unit including a light source that emits the laser light, a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light from the light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage, a photodetector configured to guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal, a controller configured to control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal output from the photodetector, and a computer connected to the controller through a bus interface and configured to process the image data transferred from the controller through the bus interface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microscope system, comprising:
a microscope apparatus including a stage on which a sample is placed and an objective lens that collects laser light to the sample on the stage;
a light source unit including a light source that emits the laser light;
a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light from the light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage;
a photodetector configured to guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal;
a controller configured to control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal output from the photodetector; and
a computer connected to the controller through a bus interface and configured to process the image data transferred from the controller through the bus interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further controls the light source unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The microscope system according to claim 2, wherein the computer includes at least one of GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units) and GPU (Graphics Processing Units) for processing of the image data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The microscope system according to claim 3, wherein
the scanning mechanism, the photodetector, and the controller are integrated as a scanner unit.

### Claim 5

An image data transfer method for a microscope system including
a microscope apparatus including an objective lens that collects laser light to a sample on a stage,
a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light emitted from a light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage,
a photodetector configured to guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal,
a controller configured to control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal output from the photodetector, and
a computer configured to process the image data generated by the controller,
the image data transfer method comprising
transferring the image data from the controller to the computer through a bus interface.