Microscope system and method for microscope system

摘要

A desired observation timing is ensured, and simultaneity of observation among different observation positions is ensured. Provided is a microscope system including an electrically powered stage, a scanner, objective lenses, a revolver, an image-acquisition portion, an autofocus portion, a first storage portion that stores one of the focal positions of the low-magnification objective lens as a reference position, a focal-position setting portion that sets a focal position at which an image is acquired with reference to the reference position for the low-magnification objective lens, an acquisition-position setting portion that sets acquisition positions for partial images, and a map-image generating portion that generates a map image based on the partial images acquired at the set focal position, wherein the autofocus portion detects a focal position of the high-magnification objective lens at an observation position set on the map image with reference to the reference position for the low-magnification objective lens.

主权项

1. A microscope system comprising:
an electrically powered stage configured to have a specimen placed thereon, the stage being operable to adjust a position of the specimen; a scanner configured to scan laser light to irradiate the specimen on the electrically powered stage; a low-magnification objective lens configured to focus the laser light scanned by the scanner onto the specimen and a high-magnification objective lens having a higher magnification than the low-magnification objective lens; a revolver that supports the low-magnification objective lens and the high-magnification objective lens so as to make it possible to selectively place the low-magnification objective lens or the high-magnification objective lens in an optical path of the laser light; an image-acquisition portion configured to acquire an image of the specimen by detecting first return light that returns from the specimen due to the irradiation with the laser light; and a controller configured to: (i) adjust a distance in an optical-axis direction between the revolver and the electrically powered stage based on a luminance of second return light, and detect focal positions of the low-magnification objective lens and the high-magnification objective lens, (ii) store in a memory one of the detected focal positions of the low-magnification objective lens as a reference position for the low-magnification objective lens, (iii) set the focal position at which the image is acquired by the image-acquisition portion with reference to the reference position for the low-magnification objective lens stored in the memory, (iv) set acquisition positions in a direction that intersects the optical axis for partial images of the specimen that are acquired by the image-acquisition portion in divided form based on predetermined viewing-field areas, and (v) when the partial images are acquired by the image-acquisition portion at the set focal position by moving the viewing-field areas to the acquisition positions by means of the electrically powered stage, generate a map image by arranging the acquired partial images in accordance with the acquisition positions, wherein the controller detects the focal position of the high-magnification objective lens at an observation position set on the map image with reference to the reference position for the low-magnification objective lens stored in the memory.