Immersion apparatus and method for dynamically adapting a medium to a specimen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649194-B2
Application number	US-201816142979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

An arrangement and method for supplying immersion media and a method for setting optical parameters of a medium, includes a media supply unit for the controlled supply of a medium or of a mixture into a contact region between an optical lens and a specimen slide, on which a specimen may be arranged. An image capture unit is provided for capturing image data on the basis of detection radiation from the object space along a detection beam path extending through the contact region. An evaluation unit is provided to establish current image parameters on the basis of captured image data, to compare said current image parameters to intended image parameters and to establish a desired mixing ratio of at least two components of the medium depending on the comparison. A mixing apparatus for the controlled setting of the mixing ratio of the components of the medium to be introduced into the contact region and a control unit for actuating the mixing apparatus depending on the established desired mixing ratio are parts of the arrangement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Arrangement for supplying media that serve as immersion media, said arrangement comprising:
a media supply unit comprising a mixing apparatus and pumps connected to the mixing apparatus for conveying components of a medium to the mixing apparatus, said media supply controlling for the controlled supply of a medium or of a mixture into a contact region between an optical lens and a specimen slide, on which a specimen may be arranged in an object space,
an image capture unit arranged on a detection beam path for capturing image data on the basis of detection radiation obtained from the object space along a detection beam path extending through the contact region,
an said evaluation unit being connected to the image capture unit and having a feedback loop and sensors for capturing a currently set mixing ratio of the components, said evaluation unit configured to establish current image parameters on the basis of captured image data, to compare said current image parameters to intended image parameters and to establish a desired mixing ratio of at least two components of the medium depending on the comparison,
a mixing apparatus for controlled setting of the mixing ratio of the components of the medium to be introduced into the contact region, and
a control unit, which is connected to the mixing apparatus as well as to the pumps and is configured to actuate the mixing apparatus depending on the established desired mixing ratio.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said mixing apparatus is a sawtooth mixer, a Dean flow mixer or a mixing line.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the optical lens has a first lens surface and a second lens surface, wherein the first lens surface faces a specimen to be observed and the second lens surface faces away from the specimen to be observed, and the optical lens has at least one channel opening at the contact region, and the channel extends through the optical lens.

4. Arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one channel opens up away from a highest point of the first lens surface in a vertical alignment.

5. Method for setting optical parameters of a medium acting as an immersion medium, comprising:
capturing image data of a specimen arranged in an object space along a detection beam path, wherein the detection beam path passes through the medium over a portion of its length;
evaluating the captured image data and establishing current image parameters;
comparing the current image parameters to intended image parameters and establishing a desired mixing ratio of at least two components of the medium depending on the comparison; and
generating control commands and actuating a mixing apparatus for producing the desired mixing ratio in a contact region between the optical lens and a specimen slide on which a specimen may be arranged in an object space, and/or for producing the desired mixing ratio and supplying the medium into the contact region.

6. Method according to claim 5 , further comprising establishing a maximum of an image quality parameter iteratively as intended image parameter.

7. Method according to claim 5 wherein the mixing ratio is set in such a way that a resultant refractive index of the medium is matched to a refractive index of the specimen.

8. Method according to claim 7 , wherein the refractive index of the medium is, selected from a range of 1.36-1.42, and in particular from a range of 1.36-1.40.

9. Method according to claim 5 , wherein the image quality parameters of image sharpness, image contrast, a signal-to-noise ratio and/or signal intensities are used as image parameters.

10. Method according to claim 5 , further comprising generating control commands depending on the result of the comparison of the current image parameters with the intended image parameters and a correction function of the objective is set using these control commands.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh

Inventors

• Kalkbrenner Thomas
• Borck Sebastian
• Siebenmorgen Jörg

Classifications

• G06T7/0014

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G05D11/02

  Controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid or fluent material · CPC title

• G02B21/33 Primary

  Immersion oils {, or microscope systems or objectives for use with immersion fluids} · CPC title

• G01N21/64

  Fluorescence; Phosphorescence · CPC title

• G06T2207/10056

  Microscopic image · CPC title