MICROSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20130088776A1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: NAKAYAMA, Hiroaki, OUCHI, Yumiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,773,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/381
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/02 Objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/367 providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/58 Optics for apodization or superresolution; Optical synthetic aperture systems

Abstract

There is provided a microscope apparatus including: a plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications; an imaging system that receives light, which is generated from a sample and emitted from the objective lens when excitation light is emitted to a sample including a fluorescent material that is activated when irradiated with activation light having a predetermined wavelength and fluoresces to be inactivated when irradiated with excitation light having a different wavelength from the activation light in the activation state and that images the light in a state where an astigmatic difference is given to the image of the sample; and an imaging device that captures the image of the sample from the imaging system. The imaging system includes an astigmatic difference changing device that changes the astigmatic difference according to the depth of focus of the objective lens.

Claims

1. A microscope apparatus comprising:

a plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications;

an imaging system that receives fluorescence, which is emitted from a sample including a fluorescent material, through the objective lens and that forms an image of the sample to which an astigmatic difference is given; and

an imaging device that captures the image of the sample from the imaging system,

wherein the imaging system includes an astigmatic difference changing device that changes the astigmatic difference according to a depth of focus of the objective lens.

2. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an irradiation device allowing light for activation to move toward the sample or allowing at least one of light for activation and light for excitation to move toward the sample.

3. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the astigmatic difference changing device includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses capable of giving different astigmatic differences to the image of the sample and a reciprocating section that moves the plurality of cylindrical lenses back and forth with respect to an optical path of light emitted from the objective lens.

4. The microscope apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the reciprocating section includes a disk member that is rotatable in a circumferential direction, and

the plurality of cylindrical lenses are disposed along the circumferential direction of the disk member.

5. The microscope apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a generatrix direction of each of the plurality of cylindrical lenses is disposed toward a radial direction of the disk member.

6. The microscope apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the reciprocating section includes a sliding plate that slides with respect to the optical path of the light emitted from the objective lens, and

the plurality of cylindrical lenses are disposed along a sliding direction of the sliding plate.

7. The microscope apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein a generatrix direction of each of the plurality of cylindrical lenses is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction.

8. The microscope apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the reciprocating section has an opening section for a two-dimensional image which is acquired without giving the astigmatic difference to the image of the sample.

9. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the imaging system includes an afocal optical system, and

the astigmatic difference changing device is disposed in the afocal optical system.

10. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the astigmatic difference is substantially twice as large as a depth of focus of the objective lens.

11. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the astigmatic difference changing device includes a pair of cylindrical lenses, and

the cylindrical lenses are rotatable with respect to each other around a predetermined rotation axis.

12. The microscope apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the pair of cylindrical lenses rotate by the same angle in the opposite directions.

13. The microscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a control unit that rotates the pair of cylindrical lenses controls the pair

of cylindrical lenses based on data in which a depth of focus of the objective lens is linked with the angle.

14. The microscope apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the astigmatic difference is substantially twice as large as a depth of focus of the objective lens.