Image acquisition apparatus for use with a microscope, an image recording system that uses the image acquisition apparatus, and an image storage method

An image acquisition apparatus for use with a microscope comprising:

• an image pickup element that acquires images obtained using the microscope;
• a controller;
• a change detector that, when operated by the controller, detects the amount of change between an image acquired by the image pickup element and a subsequent image acquired by the image pickup element and outputs a comparison result signal;
• a compression means that, depending on a signal received from the controller and the value of the comparison result signal output by the change detector, either compresses observed pixels acquired by the image pickup element so as to output reduced-data images, or outputs image data from the image pickup element without performing data compression;
• and
• a timer;
• wherein
• when the compression means is operated by the controller so as to output reduced-data images, a compression ratio of the compression means is changed to accomplish compression of data output by the image acquisition apparatus based on the amount of change detected by the change detector;
• and
• when image acquisition is directed, images are output from the image acquisition apparatus for a period of time as determined by the timer.