System and method for monitoring of states of components of a microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379581-B2
Application number	US-202318487032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Aug 20, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

System for state monitoring of a microscope the system having at least one measuring sensor in each case for capturing at least one time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity, a camera for recording an image in a field of view and a processing unit. The at least one measuring sensor has a display area and displays thereon a measured value for the captured time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity. The camera is arranged so that the display areas of at least one measuring sensor are located in the field of view and the processing unit is configured to evaluate the image and to extract the display areas contained in the image therefrom. Also, a method for state monitoring of a microscope is disclosed, wherein at least one measuring sensor with a display area is provided in order to capture in each case at least one time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity, and an image is recorded. The image is recorded so that it contains the display areas of at least one measuring sensor. The display areas are identified in the image, the image is evaluated and the measured values contained in the image are extracted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for state monitoring of a microscope, the system having:
at least one measuring sensor in each case for capturing at least one time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity associated with the microscope, associated with an environment of the microscope, associated with a sample within an optical axis of the microscope, or a combination thereof,
a camera for recording an image in a field of view, and
a processing unit,
wherein:
the at least one measuring sensor has a display area and displays a measured value thereon for the at least one captured time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity,
the camera is arranged so that the display area of the at least one measuring sensor is located in the field of view,
the processing unit is configured to evaluate the image and to extract therefrom the measured values displayed on the display area contained in the image, and
the processing unit is configured to evaluate the image and extract the measured values using a machine learning model.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one measuring sensor is not connected with the processing unit for the exchange of measured values, and the camera is a component of the microscope.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to filter out the display area contained in the image and to join them together to form an overall image.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to read out the measured values from the display area by means of text recognition and/or image analysis.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit has a memory in which the measured values provided with a time stamp are stored.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a display device is provided which displays the results of the extraction of the measured values displayed in the display area.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the display device is formed as a warning device by means of which the system, controlled by the processing unit, signals the overshooting or undershooting of fixed measured values to the user.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the results of the extraction of the measured values displayed in the display area are transmitted to a control loop and/or a workflow.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one measuring sensor is formed as a passive sensor or as a module with internal power supply.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to evaluate the image and to extract therefrom information identifying a type of the at least one measuring sensor.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to evaluate the image to independently determine the location of the display area of the at least one measuring sensor based on machine learning.

12. A method for state monitoring of a microscope, the method comprising:
providing at least one measuring sensor, which in each case captures at least one time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity associated with the microscope, associated with an environment of the microscope, associated with a sample within an optical axis of the microscope, or a combination thereof,
recording an image with a camera,
wherein:
the at least one measuring sensor has a display area and a measured value is displayed thereon for the at least one time-variable chemical and/or physical quantity,
the image is recorded so that it contains the display area of the at least one measuring sensor,
the display areas are identified in the image, and
evaluating the image to extract therefrom the measured values displayed on the display area contained in the image, wherein evaluating the image and extracting the measured values includes using a machine learning model.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one measuring sensor is not connected with the processing unit for the exchange of measured values, and the camera is a component of the microscope.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the display area contained in the image are filtered out and joined together to form an overall image.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the measured values are read out from the display area by means of text recognition and/or image analysis.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the measured values are provided with a time stamp and stored in a memory.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the results of the extraction of the measured values displayed in the display area are displayed with a display device.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein an overshooting or undershooting of fixed measured values is signaled to the user by the display device formed as a warning system.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the results of the extraction of the measured values displayed in the display area are used in a control loop and/or a workflow.

20. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising evaluating the image to extract therefrom information identifying a type of the at least one measuring sensor.

21. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising evaluating the image to independently determine the location of the display area of the at least one measuring sensor based on machine learning.

22. The method according to claim 12 , wherein a measured value is manually assigned to an optical or mechanical component of the microscope and this measured value is displayed on the display area.

23. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the machine learning model is trained at least in part using one or more training images acquired by the camera while the camera is arranged so that the display area of the at least one measuring sensor is located in the field of view.

24. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the machine learning model is trained at least in part using one or more training images acquired by the camera while the camera is arranged so that the display area of the at least one measuring sensor is located in the field of view.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Microscopy Gmbh

Inventors

• Ohrt Thomas
• Haase Daniel

Classifications

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B21/368

  details of associated display arrangements, e.g. mounting of LCD monitor · CPC title

• G02B21/0016

  Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes · CPC title

• G02B21/365 Primary

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

• G01M11/02 Primary

  Testing optical properties · CPC title