Examination method and examination device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021165202-A1
Application number	US-202017106340-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2020
Priority date	Nov 29, 2019
Publication date	Jun 3, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

One object is to reduce the time required for focusing. When an image capturing condition is not stored (when image capturing of an observation area is performed for the first time), an examination device performs an autofocus process, obtains a focus position where a microscope camera is in focus on the observation area, and stores the obtained focus position in a storage device. In contrast, when the image capturing condition is stored (when image capturing of the observation area is performed for the second and subsequent times), the examination device captures an image of the observation area by reading out the focus position from the storage device and setting a focal point of the microscope camera at the read-out focus position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An examination method for examining dynamics of a biological factor by capturing, with a microscope camera, an image of at least one observation area on a plate with the biological factor arranged therein, the examination method comprising:
obtaining a focus position by focusing the microscope camera on the observation area during a first image capturing process for the observation area; storing the obtained focus position in a storage device; and performing a second image capturing process for the observation area after the first image capturing process, the performing including:
reading out the focus position from the storage device;
setting a focal point of the microscope camera at the read-out focus position; and
capturing an image of the observation area.

2 . The examination method according to claim 1 , further comprising reading identification information assigned to the plate, wherein
the storing the obtained focus position further including storing the focus position in association with the identification information, and the reading out further including reading out the focus position corresponding to the read identification information.

3 . The examination method according to claim 1 , wherein
the plate has a plurality of observation areas, the storing further including storing observation area information in association with the focus position, the observation area information indicating a relative positional relationship between the microscope camera and the observation area, and the performing further including setting an image-capturing field of view of the microscope camera in accordance with the observation area information corresponding to the read-out focus position.

4 . The examination method according to claim 1 , wherein
the biological factor is bacteria, and an object to be observed is arranged at the observation area, the object to be observed being obtained by bringing an antibacterial drug into contact with a sample including the bacteria.

5 . The examination method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
housing the plate in an incubator for a predetermined time period; and correcting the focus position stored in the storage device in accordance with a culture condition.

6 . The examination method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
housing the plate in an incubator for a predetermined time period; capturing an image of the observation area at a position of the focal point of the microscope camera displaced from the focus position in a vertical direction with respect to the plate by a prescribed distance; and obtaining an observation result using an in-focus image, of the image captured at the focus position and the image captured at the position displaced in the vertical direction by the prescribed distance.

7 . The examination method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
housing the plate in an incubator for a predetermined time period; capturing an image of the observation area at a position of the focal point of the microscope camera displaced from the focus position in a vertical direction with respect to the plate by a prescribed distance; and correcting the focus position stored in the storage device to a position of the focal point of the microscope camera in capturing an in-focus image, of the image captured at the focus position and the image captured at the position displaced in the vertical direction by the prescribed distance.

8 . An examination device that examines dynamics of a biological factor by capturing an image of at least one observation area on a plate with the biological factor arranged therein, the examination device comprising:
a microscope camera that captures an image of the observation area; a focal point changing unit that changes a focal point of the microscope camera; an obtainment unit that obtains a focus position by focusing the microscope camera on the observation area during a first image capturing process for the observation area; a storage unit that stores the obtained focus position in a storage device; and an image capturing control unit that causes the microscope camera to capture the image of the observation area by controlling the microscope camera and the focal point changing unit, wherein the image capturing control unit performs a second image capturing process for the observation area after the first image capturing process; the second image capturing process includes:
reading out the focus position from the storage device;
setting the focal point of the microscope camera at the read-out focus position; and
capturing an image of the observation area.

9 . The examination device according to claim 8 , further comprising
a reading unit that reads identification information assigned to the plate, wherein the storage unit stores the focus position in the storage device in association with the identification information, and the image capturing control unit reads out the focus position corresponding to the identification information read by the reading unit from the storage device in the second image capturing.

10 . The examination device according to claim 8 , further comprising
an image-capturing field-of-view changing unit that changes an image-capturing field of view of the microscope camera, wherein the plate has a plurality of observation areas, the storage unit stores observation area information in association with the focus position, the observation area information indicating a relative positional relationship between the microscope camera and the observation area, and the image capturing control unit causes the image-capturing field-of-view changing unit to set the image-capturing field of view of the microscope camera by controlling the image-capturing field-of-view changing unit in accordance with the observation area information corresponding to the read-out focus position.

11 . The examination device according to claim 8 , wherein
when the image of the observation area on the plate taken out of an incubator is captured, the image capturing control unit corrects the focus position stored in the storage device in accordance with a culture condition of an object to be observed arranged on the observation area.

12 . The examination device according to claim 8 , wherein
the image capturing control unit obtains a first image and a second image when the image of the observation area on the plate taken out of an incubator is captured, the first image being an image captured at the focus position, the second image being an image captured at a position displaced from the focus position in a vertical direction with respect to the plate by a prescribed distance, and obtains an observation result using an in-focus image, of the first image and the second image.

13 . The examination device according to claim 8 , wherein
the image capturing control unit obtains a first image and a second image when the image of the observation area on the plate taken out of an incubator is captured, the first image being an image captured at the focus position, the second image being an image captured at a position displaced from the focus position in a vertical direction with respect to the plate by a prescribed distance, and corrects the focus position stored in the storage device to a position of the focal point of the microscope camera in capturing an in-focus image, of the first image and the second image.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Iwata Hiroshi
• ZODA Shigehiko
• Goto Hiroomi
• Ozeki Eiichi
• Yoneda Yasuko
• Nishimoto Takahiro
• Sakauchi Naofumi
• Takeuchi Ippei

Classifications

• H04N23/675

  comprising setting of focusing regions · CPC title

• G01N21/84 Primary

  Systems specially adapted for particular applications · CPC title

• G02B21/244 Primary

  using image analysis techniques · CPC title

• G02B21/365

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

• C12Q1/18

  Testing for antimicrobial activity of a material · CPC title