Observation system, observation program, and observation method

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a computer program product causing a computer to function as an image pickup control unit configured to cause

• an image pickup unit to take first images of a first field-of-view range of a microscope optical system within an observation range at a first plurality of focal positions and generate first detection images at a first magnification;
• and if the first field-of-view range is smaller than the observation range, take second images of a second field-of-view range within the observation range at a second plurality of focal positions, and generate second detection images at the first magnification,
• a detection unit to analyze each of the first and second detection images, detect an observation target object from the first and second detection images, supply a three-dimensional position of the observation target object to an observation control unit and notify the image pickup control unit of the observation range if no observation target object is detected, and
• the observation control unit to adjust the microscope optical system to a third field-of-view range with a center corresponding to the three-dimensional position and cause the image pickup unit to take an image of the third field-of-view range at a second magnification higher than the first magnification.

An observation method, comprising:

• causing, by an image pickup control unit, an image pickup unit to take first images of a first field-of-view range of a microscope optical system within an observation range at a first plurality of focal positions and generate first detection images at a first magnification;
• and if the first field-of-view range is smaller than the observation range, take second images of a second field-of-view range within the observation range at a second plurality of focal positions, and generate second detection images at the first magnification;
• detecting a three-dimensional position of an observation target object from the detection images by a detection unit;
• adjusting the microscope optical system to a third field-of-view range with a center corresponding to the three-dimensional position by an observation control unit;
• and
• causing, by the observation control unit, the image pickup unit to take an image of the third field-of-view range of the microscope optical system at a second magnification higher than the first magnification.