Hair observation method, phase contrast microscope system, and preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209348-B2
Application number	US-201816608012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2018
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Provided are a hair observation method, a phase contrast microscope system, and a preparation. The hair observation method includes capturing an infrared image of the hair using an image sensor that is capable of detecting infrared light. A phase contrast microscope system includes: a stage having a sample placed thereon; an infrared light irradiation source for irradiating infrared light to the sample placed on the stage; an image sensor that is capable of detecting infrared light and configured to capture an infrared image of the sample; and a display apparatus configured to display the infrared image captured by the image sensor. The preparation includes a microscope glass and a plurality of hair pieces that are obtained by cutting one hair and arranged on the microscope glass in a manner parallel with one another from one end to another end in a cutting order.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hair observation method for observing an inside of a hair, the hair observation method comprising:
performing phase contrast observation by irradiating infrared light from an infrared light irradiation source to the hair;
capturing an infrared image of the hair using an image sensor capable of detecting infrared light; and
displaying the infrared image captured by the image sensor on a display apparatus and observing the inside of the hair,
wherein
the hair observation method further comprises performing bright field observation by irradiating visible light from a visible light irradiation source to the hair, the visible light irradiation source being different from the infrared light irradiation source,
the visible light irradiation source is disposed downstream of the infrared light irradiation source along an optical path of the infrared light, and
the visible light irradiation source and the infrared light irradiation source are disposed above a stage having the hair placed thereon in a vertical direction.

2. The hair observation method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
capturing a visible light image of the hair using an image sensor capable of detecting visible light; and
observing the inside of the hair using a first captured image obtained by performing the phase contrast observation that irradiates infrared light to the hair and a second captured image obtained by performing bright field observation that irradiates visible light to the hair.

3. The hair observation method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first captured image and the second captured image are comparably displayed on the display apparatus.

4. The hair observation method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first captured image is colored by adding color information of the second captured image to illuminance information of the first captured image, and a colored first captured image is displayed on the display apparatus.

5. The hair observation method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the image sensor is used as the image sensor for capturing the infrared image of the hair and also as the image sensor for capturing a visible light image of the hair.

6. The hair observation method according to claim 1 ,
wherein infrared light irradiated to the hair is near infrared light having a peak intensity at a wavelength in a range of 0.70 to 1.45 μm.

7. A phase contrast microscope system for performing phase contrast observation of a sample, the phase contrast microscope system comprising:
a stage having the sample placed thereon;
an infrared light irradiation source for irradiating infrared light to the sample placed on the stage;
an image sensor that is capable of detecting infrared light and configured to capture an infrared image of the sample; and
a display apparatus configured to display the infrared image captured by the image sensor,
wherein
the phase contrast microscope system further comprises a visible light irradiation source different from the infrared light irradiation source and configured for irradiating visible light to the sample placed on the stage to perform bright field observation,
the visible light irradiation source is disposed downstream of the infrared light irradiation source along an optical path of the infrared light, and
the visible light irradiation source and the infrared light irradiation source are disposed above the stage in a vertical direction.

8. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an image sensor that is capable of detecting visible light and configured to capture a visible light image of the sample,
wherein the phase contrast microscope system is configured to be able to switch between a phase contrast observation mode for performing phase contrast observation by irradiating infrared light to the sample and a bright field observation mode for performing visible light observation by irradiating visible light to the sample, and
the phase contrast microscope system can display a first captured image obtained in the phase contrast observation mode and a second captured image obtained in the bright field observation mode on the display apparatus.

9. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 8 , comprising:
a memory configured to store the first captured image and the second captured image,
wherein the first captured image and the second captured image are comparably displayed on the display apparatus.

10. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 8 , comprising:
an image processing unit configured to color the first captured image by adding color information of the second captured image to illuminance information of the first captured image,
wherein the first captured image colored by the image processing unit is displayed on the display apparatus.

11. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the image sensor is used as the image sensor for capturing the infrared image of the sample and also as the image sensor for capturing the visible light image of the sample.

12. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the infrared light irradiation source irradiates near infrared light having a peak intensity at a wavelength in a range of 0.70 to 1.45 μm.

13. A preparation used for the hair observation method according to claim 1 , the preparation comprising:
a microscope glass: and
a plurality of hair pieces obtained by cutting one hair and arranged on the microscope glass in a manner parallel to one another in a cutting order from one end to another end.

14. The preparation according to claim 13 ,
wherein the microscope glass is provided with a graduation line that enables determination on a longitudinal location of the hair piece.

15. The preparation according to claim 14 ,
wherein the microscope glass is provided with a plurality of scales that are arranged in parallel with the hair piece.

16. The preparation according to claim 13 ,
wherein the plurality of hair pieces are fixed to the microscope glass by a cover glass.

17. The hair observation method according to claim 1 , wherein a mirror is disposed between the infrared light irradiation source and the visible light irradiation source to change the optical path of the infrared light to a direction perpendicular to the stage.

18. The phase contrast microscope system according to claim 7 , further comprising a mirror disposed between the infrared light irradiation source and the visible light irradiation source to change the optical path of the infrared light to a direction perpendicular to the stage.

Assignees

• Riken
• Organ Technologies Inc
• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Tsuji Takashi
• TOYOSHIMA Koh-ei
• Miyazaki Kazuto
• Saotome Takashi

Classifications

• G01N21/27 Primary

  using photo-electric detection (G01N21/31 takes precedence){; circuits for computing concentration (logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J)} · CPC title

• G02B21/14

  affording illumination for phase-contrast observation · CPC title

• G02B21/12 Primary

  affording bright-field illumination (G02B21/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/359

  using near infrared light · CPC title

• G02B21/06

  Means for illuminating specimens · CPC title