Microscope system and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928620-B2
Application number	US-201615780302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 10, 2015
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

A microscope system includes an observation optical system including an objective lens, an XY stage capable of moving an XY plane in an X-axis direction and an Y-axis direction, a first change unit configured to change a slant of the XY plane with respect to an optical axis direction of the objective lens, and a second change unit configured to change a slant of a slide placed on the XY stage with respect to the XY plane. Changing the slant of the XY plane by the first change unit is performed based on a first mark arranged on the XY plane at a position observable by the observation optical system. Changing the slant of the slide with respect to the XY plane by the second change unit is performed based on a second mark arranged on the slide.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microscope system comprising:
a microscope base stand;
an observation optical system configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including an objective lens having an optical axis;
an XY stage configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including a stage including a placement region upon which is to be placed a slide glass to be observed, wherein the stage of the XY stage (a) includes a plurality of first marks each having a plurality of lines having different line width and extending along one of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and (b) is capable of moving in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction;
a first change unit configured to change a slant of the stage of the XY stage with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens;
a second change unit configured to change a slant of the slide glass with respect to the stage of the XY stage; and
a control unit (a) configured to control the first change unit to change the slant of the stage of the XY stage based on detection of the plurality of first marks in an observable region of the observation optical system and (b) configured to control the second change unit to change the slant of the slide glass with respect to the stage of the XY stage based on detection of a plurality of second marks arranged in the slide glass.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the change of the slant of the stage of the XY stage by the first change unit such that the stage of the XY stage becomes orthogonal to the optical axis.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the first change unit to change the slant of the stage of the XY stage such that a first virtual plane, computationally obtained based on at least three focused positions in respective association with at least three specific points in the plurality of first marks in the stage of the XY stage, becomes orthogonal to the optical axis.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the three focused positions are respectively obtained by setting a focus of an imaging unit configured to capture an observation image under a microscope on the three specific points in the plurality of first marks.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first change unit comprises a plurality of AZ lift units configured to support the XY stage and to move in a Z-axis direction, and
wherein the control unit changes the slant of the stage of the XY stage by individually driving the plurality of ΔZ lift units.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of ΔZ lift units comprise three ΔZ lift units arranged at apexes of a triangle with one side aligned with one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein an observation range of the microscope system exists inside the triangle.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second change unit (a) comprises a ΔΘ stage which comprises a rotary stage having a first surface to place the slide glass upon in the placement region and capable of rotating about a Z-axis direction together with the slide glass and (b) changes a slant of the first surface of the rotary stage with respect to the Z-axis direction, and
wherein the control unit controls the second change unit to change a slant of a second surface of the ΔΘ stage, on which the rotary stage is placed, based on a second virtual plane in association with the slide glass, the second virtual plane being computationally obtained based on at least three focused positions in respective association with at least three specific points in the plurality of second marks in the slide glass placed on the second surface of the ΔΘ stage.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit controls the change of the slant of the second surface of the ΔΘ stage by the second change unit such that a surface of the slide glass becomes orthogonal to the Z-axis direction.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit controls the second change unit to change the slant of the second surface of the ΔΘ stage such that the second virtual plane becomes orthogonal to the Z-axis direction.

11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the at least three focused positions are respectively measured by setting a focus of an imaging unit configured to capture an observation image under a microscope on the at least three specific points in the plurality of second marks provided on the slide glass.

12. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a display control unit configured to display, on a display unit, an image of an observation object of the slide glass placed on the XY stage by the imaging unit in a state in which the display control unit is controlled by the control unit.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the display control unit displays, on the display unit, a plurality of images obtained by capturing the observation object in different states of staining.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the display control unit displays, on the display unit, a first image and a second image obtained by capturing two observation objects that are sliced from the same specimen and are adjacent in a direction orthogonal to a slice surface.

15. A microscope system comprising:
a microscope base stand;
an observation optical system configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including an objective lens having an optical axis;
an XY stage configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including a stage including a placement region upon which is to be placed a slide glass to be observed, wherein the stage of the XY stage (a) includes a plurality of first marks each of which extends along one of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and (b) is capable of moving in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction;
a first change unit configured to change a slant of the stage of the XY stage with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens;
a second change unit configured to change a slant of the slide glass with respect to the stage of the XY stage; and
a control unit (a) configured to control the first change unit to change the slant of the stage of the XY stage such that a first virtual plane, computationally obtained based on three focused positions in respective association with three specific points in the plurality of first marks in an observable region of the observation optical system, becomes orthogonal to the optical axis and (b) configured to control the second change unit to change the slant of the slide glass with respect to the stage of the XY stage based on detection of a plurality of second marks arranged in the slide glass,
wherein the three specific points are arranged at apex positions of a triangle with one side aligned with one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and
wherein the three focused positions are respectively obtained by setting a focus of an imaging unit configured to capture an observation image under a microscope on the three specific points.

16. A microscope system comprising:
a microscope base stand;
an observation optical system configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including an objective lens having an optical axis;
an XY stage configured to be adjustably secured to the microscope base stand and including a stage including a placement region upon which is to be placed a slide glass to be observed, wherein the stage (a) includes a plurality

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sakamoto Michiie
• Hashiguchi Akinori
• Masuda Shinobu
• Sakata Tsuguhide
• Shimada Tsutomu
• Ando Hirotake
• Kato Kazuhiko

Classifications

• G02B21/365

  Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B21/367

  providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison · CPC title

• G02B21/244

  using image analysis techniques · CPC title

• G02B21/24

  Base structure · CPC title

• G02B21/34

  Microscope slides, e.g. mounting specimens on microscope slides · CPC title