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US 6,191,885 B1Granted
Confocal microscope apparatus and photographing apparatus for confocal microscope
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorHisao Kitagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A confocal microscope apparatus includes a disk scanner for scanning a specimen with a laser beam, and camera main body for photographing a still image. An exposure time calculation circuit is arranged to generates an exposure time signal for the camera main body. A rotation sensor, a scan track start point/end point determination circuit, and a rotation period calculation circuit are arranged to generate a rotational period signal for the disk scanner. A comparator compares the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal, so that a motor controller and a motor driver control rotation of a motor of the disk scanner by a comparison output from the comparator.
Claims18
A confocal microscope apparatus comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, along with rotation of said disk scanner;
- a confocal optical system for conjugating said first position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be changed among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- wherein said certain condition comprises a rotational speed of said disk scanner;
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result;
- and
- means for switching whether to control the rotational speed of said disk scanner in association with the exposure time.
8 more elements
A confocal microscope apparatus comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, alone with rotation of said disk scanner;
- a confocal optical system for conjugating said first position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be changed among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result;
- wherein said certain condition comprises a rotational speed of said disk scanner;
- and
- a rotation sensor for detecting a rotational position of said disk scanner, and wherein the rotational period signal is calculated based on a detection result by said rotation sensor.
8 more elements
A confocal microscope apparatus comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, alone with rotation of said disk scanner;
- a confocal optical system for conjugating said first position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be changed among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- wherein said certain condition comprises an intensity of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting portion;
- and
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result.
7 more elements
An apparatus for photographing a confocal image in cooperation with a microscope, comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, along with rotation of said disk scanner;
- an optical system portion for forming, in cooperation with an optical system portion of said microscope, a confocal optical system for conjugating said first position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be changed among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- wherein said certain condition comprises a rotational speed of said disk scanner;
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result;
- and
- means for switching whether to control the rotational speed of said disk scanner in association with the exposure time.
8 more elements
An apparatus for photographing a confocal image in cooperation with a microscope, comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, along with rotation of said disk scanner;
- an optical system portion for forming, in cooperation with an optical system portion of said microscope, a confocal optical system for conjugating said first Position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be changed among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- wherein said certain condition comprises a rotational speed of said disk scanner;
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result;
- and
- a rotation sensor for detecting a rotational position of said disk scanner, and wherein the rotational period signal is calculated based on a detection result by said rotation sensor.
8 more elements
An apparatus for photographing a confocal image in cooperation with a microscope, comprising:
- a light-emitting portion for emitting a light beam with which a specimen to be observed is irradiated;
- a rotatable disk scanner having a plurality of pinholes formed in a disk for the light beam to pass therethrough between said light-emitting portion and the specimen, said pinholes being arranged to move through a first position facing said light-emitting portion and scan the specimen with the light beam having passed through said pinholes, along with rotation of said disk scanner;
- an optical system portion for forming, in cooperation with an optical system portion of said microscope, a confocal optical system for conjugating said first position and a second position on the specimen to cause the light beam having passed through said pinholes to be radiated onto the specimen, and to cause a light beam from the specimen to form an image on said disk;
- a camera for photographing a still image of the image formed by said confocal optical system;
- means for generating an exposure time signal representing an exposure time of said camera;
- means for generating a rotational period signal representing a rotational period of said disk scanner;
- means for comparing the exposure time signal with the rotational period signal to generate based on a comparison result a signal concerning at least one certain condition which must be chanted among conditions of said disk scanner, said confocal optical system, and said camera;
- and
- means for automatically changing said certain condition on the basis of the comparison result;
- and
- wherein said certain condition comprises an intensity of the light beam emitted by said light-emitting portion.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.