Image acquisition device, image forming system, and image forming method

• US 10,241,315 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Taichi, Sawada, Yoshihide, Adachi, Yasuhiko, Motomura, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad J
• Application Number:
  US15/224,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/49 within a body or fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/59 Transmissivity G01N21/25 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0662 Comparing measurements on two or more paths in one sample
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0008 Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/086 for transillumination only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/26 Stages; Adjusting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

An image acquisition device according to the present disclosure includes a lighting system and an irradiation direction decision section. In a module, a subject and an imaging element are integrally formed. The lighting system sequentially irradiates the subject with illumination light in a plurality of different irradiation directions based on the subject such that the illumination light transmitted through the subject is incident on the imaging element. The module acquires a plurality of images according to the plurality of different irradiation directions. Before the plurality of images are acquired according to the plurality of different irradiation directions, the irradiation direction decision section decides the plurality of different irradiation directions based on a difference between a first preliminary image and a second preliminary image. The first preliminary image is acquired when the subject is irradiated with first illumination light in a first irradiation direction, and the second preliminary image is acquired when the subject is irradiated with second illumination light in a second irradiation direction.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

an image acquisition device comprising;

a lighting system that sequentially irradiates a subject of a module with illumination light in a plurality of different irradiation directions;

an imaging element for acquiring a plurality of images according to the plurality of different irradiation directions, the subject and the imaging element being integrated with each other in the module such that illumination light transmitted through the subject is incident on the imaging element; and

an irradiation direction decision section that decides the plurality of different irradiation directions based on a difference between a first preliminary image and a second preliminary image before the imaging element acquires the plurality of images according to the plurality of different irradiation directions, the first preliminary image being acquired with the imaging element when the subject is irradiated with first illumination light in a first irradiation direction, the second preliminary image being acquired with the imaging element when the subject is irradiated with second illumination light in a second irradiation direction; and

an image processing device that synthesizes the plurality of images acquired according to the plurality of different irradiation directions determined by the irradiation direction decision section to form a high-resolution image of the subject, the high-resolution image having a resolving power higher than a resolving power of each of the plurality of images.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation direction decision section is configured to decide the plurality of different irradiation directions based on the first and second irradiation directions that are selected such that the difference between the first and second preliminary images is smaller than a predetermined level.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein:

the lighting system changes at least one of the first and second irradiation directions,

the imaging element acquires at least one first preliminary image and at least one second preliminary image according to the change in the at least one of the first and second irradiation directions, and

the irradiation direction decision section decides an image set in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is smaller than the predetermined level from at least one image set that includes the first and second preliminary images, and decides the plurality of different irradiation directions based on the first and second irradiation directions corresponding to the decided image set.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the lighting system changes at least one of the first and second irradiation directions,

the imaging element acquires at least one first preliminary image and at least one second preliminary image according to the change in the at least one of the first and second irradiation directions, and

the irradiation direction decision section decides an image set in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is minimized from a predetermined number of different image sets each of which includes the first and second preliminary images, and decides the plurality of different irradiation directions based on the first and second irradiation directions corresponding to the decided image set.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction have a symmetrical relationship with respect to the subject.

6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the difference is an amount defined by a pixel luminance in the first preliminary image and a pixel luminance in the second preliminary image.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation direction decision section calculates the difference between the first and second preliminary images by comparing luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first preliminary image and luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the second preliminary image.

8. The image forming system according to claim 6, wherein the irradiation direction decision section calculates the difference between the first and second preliminary images after correcting the pixel luminance in at least one of the first and second preliminary images.

9. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation direction decision section is configured to acquire position information indicating a height of the subject relative to the imaging element, and decide the plurality of different irradiation directions according to the position information.

10. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting system includes a stage on which the module is detachably loaded and a stage driving mechanism that can change an attitude of the stage.

11. An image forming method comprising:

acquiring a first preliminary image of a subject by irradiating a module with first illumination light in a first irradiation direction, the subject and an imaging element being integrated with each other in the module such that the illumination light transmitted through the subject is incident on the imaging element;

acquiring a second preliminary image of the subject by irradiating the module with second illumination light in a second irradiation direction;

deciding a plurality of different irradiation directions relative to the subject based on a difference between the first and second preliminary images;

acquiring a plurality of images according to the plurality of different irradiation directions by sequentially irradiating the subject with the illumination light in the decided plurality of different irradiation directions; and

forming a high-resolution image of the subject by synthesizing the plurality of images, the high-resolution image having a resolving power higher than a resolving power of each of the plurality of images.

12. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein acquiring the first preliminary image is performed a plurality of times while the first irradiation direction is changed.

13. The image forming method according to claim 12, wherein acquiring the second preliminary images is performed a plurality of times while the second irradiation direction is changed.

14. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction have a symmetrical relationship with respect to the subject.

15. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein, in deciding the plurality of different irradiation directions, the plurality of different irradiation directions are decided based on the first and second irradiation directions in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is smaller than a predetermined level.

16. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein, in deciding the plurality of different irradiation directions, the plurality of different irradiation directions are decided based on the first and second irradiation directions in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is minimized.

17. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein the difference is an amount defined by a pixel luminance in the first preliminary image and a pixel luminance in the second preliminary image.

18. The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein deciding the plurality of different irradiation directions includes comparing luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first preliminary image to luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the second preliminary image.

19. The image forming method according to claim 11, further comprising correcting the pixel luminance in the second preliminary image between acquiring the second preliminary image and deciding the plurality of different irradiation directions.

20. An image acquisition device comprising:

an imaging element;

one or more memories; and

circuitry which, in operation,

acquires a first preliminary image of a subject by irradiating a module with first illumination light in a first irradiation direction to store the first preliminary image on the one or more memories, wherein the subject and the imaging element are integrated with each other in the module such that the illumination light transmitted through the subject is incident on the imaging element;

acquires a second preliminary image of the subject by irradiating the module with second illumination light in a second irradiation direction to store the second preliminary image on the one or more memories;

decides a plurality of different irradiation directions relative to the subject based on a difference between the first and second preliminary images;

acquires a plurality of images according to the plurality of different irradiation directions by sequentially irradiating the subject with the illumination light in the decided plurality of different irradiation directions; and

forms a high-resolution image of the subject by synthesizing the plurality of images, the high-resolution image having a resolving power higher than a resolving power of each of the plurality of images.

21. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry acquires a plurality of the first preliminary images each having a different first irradiation direction.

22. The image acquisition device according to claim 21, wherein the circuitry acquires a plurality of the second preliminary images each having a different second irradiation direction.

23. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction have a symmetrical relationship with respect to the subject.

24. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of different irradiation directions are decided based on the first and second irradiation directions in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is smaller than a predetermined level.

25. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of different irradiation directions are decided based on the first and second irradiation directions in which the difference between the first and second preliminary images is minimized.

26. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the difference is an amount defined by a pixel luminance in the first preliminary image and a pixel luminance in the second preliminary image.

27. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of different irradiation directions is decided based on comparison luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first preliminary image to luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the second preliminary image.

28. The image acquisition device according to claim 20, wherein:

the circuitry further corrects the pixel luminance in the second preliminary image in operation, and

the plurality of different irradiation directions are decided based on the difference between the first preliminary image and the second preliminary image having the corrected the pixel luminance.