Imaging apparatus and imaging method
AssigneeSCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
InventorMasahiko KOKUBO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging apparatus includes an imager with an imaging optical system to having an object-side hypercentric property, an illuminator with a plurality of illumination optical systems having mutually different exit pupil positions and a mover for relatively moving these with respect to a well plate. Imaging is performed simultaneously with stroboscopic illumination when the imager is located at a predetermined imaging position, and illumination optical systems are switched according to the imaging position.
Claims7
An imaging apparatus that images a raw sample as an imaging object carried together with liquid in a sample container with a bottom surface having optical transparency, the apparatus comprising:
- a holder that holds the sample container;
- an imaging optical system, arranged to face the sample container held by the holder, that has an object-side hypercentric property;
- a two-dimensional imaging element that images an image of the imaging object focused by the imaging optical system;
- a mover that relatively integrally moves the imaging optical system and the two-dimensional imaging element with respect to the imaging object in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the imaging optical system;
- an illuminator that illuminates the imaging object from a side opposite to the imaging optical system across the sample container held by the holder;
- and
- a controller that controls the two-dimensional imaging element, the mover and the illuminator, wherein:
- the illuminator includes a plurality of illumination optical systems that has mutually different exit pupil positions and coaxially emit lights toward the imaging object;
- the controller causes one of the plurality of illumination optical systems to emit light and causes the two-dimensional imaging element to image the imaging object when a relative position of the imaging optical system with respect to the imaging object reaches any one of a plurality of imaging positions determined in advance while causing the mover to relatively move the imaging optical system and the two-dimensional imaging element with respect to the imaging object;
- and
- the illumination optical system for emitting the light is switched according to the imaging position.
An imaging method that images a raw sample as an imaging object carried together with liquid in a sample container with a bottom surface having optical transparency, the method comprising:
- arranging an imaging optical system having an object-side hypercentric property and a two-dimensional imaging element for imaging an image of the imaging object focused by the imaging optical system to face the sample container and arranging an illuminator for illuminating the imaging object on a side opposite to the imaging optical system across the sample container;
- moving the imaging optical system and the two-dimensional imaging element with respect to the imaging object, relatively;
- and
- imaging the imaging object by the two-dimensional imaging element and emitting light from the illuminator when a relative position of the imaging optical system with respect to the imaging object reaches any one of a plurality of imaging positions determined in advance, wherein:
- the illuminator includes a plurality of illumination optical systems having mutually different exit pupil positions, emitted lights propagating toward the imaging object being coaxial with each other;
- and
- light is emitted selectively from one of the plurality of illumination optical systems and the illumination optical system for emitting the light is switched according to the imaging position in the imaging step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.