LASER SCANNING MICROSCOPE

• US 20110006217A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Satou, Kohichi, Hoebe, Antonius Ronald, Manders, Erik Martinus Marie, MANO, Shigeyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/858,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/458.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0076 arrangements using fluorescence or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/008 Details of detection or image processing, including general computer control

Abstract

A fluorescence detection unit measures light quality of fluorescence from a sample excited by irradiation of a laser beam, and a transmitted light detection unit measures light quantity of the laser beam transmitted through the sample. A CLEM processing unit stops irradiation of the laser beam at every one pixel correspondence range scanning time, in one of a case where light quality of fluorescence at a lower limit value determination time is less than a lower limit threshold, and a case where light quantity of fluorescence is an upper limit threshold or more during the one pixel correspondence range scanning time. The CLEM processing unit extrapolates light quantity of the transmitted light that is supposed to be measured if exposure is performed for the one pixel correspondence range scanning time, and an image obtaining unit obtains a transmitted light image based on the extrapolated light quantity.

Claims

1. A laser scanning microscope for obtaining an image by scanning a sample with a laser beam, comprising:

fluorescence measurement means for measuring light quantity of fluorescence which is excited by irradiation of the laser beam and emitted from the sample;

transmitted light measurement means for measuring light quantity of transmitted light which is the laser beam transmitted through the sample;

irradiation control means for performing control to stop irradiation of the laser beam at every one pixel correspondence range scanning time, which is the time of scanning a range corresponding to one pixel of the image, in at least one of a case where the light quantity of the fluorescence at a lower limit value determination time, which is earlier than the time at which scanning of the range corresponding to one pixel of the image is completed, is less than a lower limit threshold, and a case where the light quantity of the fluorescence is an upper limit threshold or more during the time of scanning the range corresponding to one pixel of the image;

extrapolation means for extrapolating the light quantity of the transmitted light that is supposed to be measured if the irradiation is performed for the one pixel correspondence range scanning time, based on the light quantity of the transmitted light measured by the transmitted light measurement means at the lower limit value determination time at which it is determined by the irradiation control means whether or not the light quantity of fluorescence measured by the fluorescence measurement means is less than the lower limit threshold; and

image processing means for processing an image based on the light quantity extrapolated by the extrapolation means and obtaining an extrapolated transmitted light image.

2. The laser scanning microscope according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing means further has a function to obtain a non-extrapolated transmitted light image, for which extrapolation processing by the extrapolation means is not performed, based on the light quantity of the transmitted light measured by the transmitted light measurement means when the one pixel correspondence range scanning time has elapsed.

3. The laser scanning microscope according to claim 2, further comprising:

display control means for displaying the extrapolated transmitted light image or non-extrapolated transmitted light image obtained by the image processing means and a fluorescent image based on the light quantity of fluorescence measured by the fluorescence measurement means, so as to be superimposed, or so as to be in a split state on one screen according to the specification of a user.