Still-picture acquisition method and apparatus applied to microscope

• US RE41,984 E1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/962,258
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 348/79
• US Class Current: 348/79
• 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 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2133 Recording or reproducing at a specific moment, e.g. time interval or time-lapse
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0079 Medical imaging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A still-picture acquisition section in a computer selects a brightness-periodically-varying portion of image data of a living cell like a cardiac cell, as a sample, which makes a self-ordered periodic motion, monitors a change in brightness, generates a trigger signal at the timing at which the value of the brightness exceeds a specific threshold value, causes a camera body to repeatedly pick up the image of the living cell after a predetermined delay time, and then averages the picked-up images. This makes it possible to acquire as high-quality still pictures the instantaneous status of a living cell which varies with time in accordance with the application of external stimulation or the in-vivo order.

Claims

1. A still-picture acquisition apparatus for a microscope, comprising:

means for repeatedly picking up an image of a sample at a timing based on a dynamic behavior of said sample; and

means for acquiring a still picture by accumulating or averaging picked-up images.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a periodic change in brightness of said sample and determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with said change in brightness.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determining means sets said image-pickup timing to a point of a predetermined delay time from a timing at which a value of said brightness exceeds a specific threshold value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with an electric signal to be detected in accordance with said dynamic behavior of said sample.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determining means sets said image-pickup timing to a point of a predetermined delay time from a timing at which a value of said electric signal exceeds a specific threshold value.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with a timing at which said sample is stimulated.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said determining means sets said image-pickup timing to a point of a predetermined delay time from a timing at which said sample is stimulated.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for stimulating said sample by a chemical.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for stimulating said sample by light.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for stimulating said sample by electricity.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a scanner for scanning said sample with a laser beam; and

means for controlling said scanner in accordance with said timing based on said dynamic behavior of said sample.

12. A still-picture acquisition apparatus for a microscope, comprising:

an image pickup device for accumulating images of a sample in synchronism with an electric signal to be detected in accordance with a dynamic behavior of said sample; and

means for transferring a still picture formed by accumulation of said images of said sample in said image pickup device.

13. A still-picture acquisition method applied to a microscope, comprising the steps of:

repeatedly picking up an image of a sample at a timing based on a dynamic behavior of said sample; and

acquiring a still picture by accumulating or averaging picked-up images.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of detecting a periodic change in brightness of said sample and determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with said change in brightness.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with an electric signal to be detected in accordance with said dynamic behavior of said sample.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of determining said image-pickup timing in synchronism with a timing at which said sample is stimulated.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program components stored thereon that perform acquiring a still picture, the program components comprising:

means for causing a computer to perform control to repeatedly pick up an image of a sample at a timing based on a dynamic behavior of said sample; and

means for causing a computer to acquire a still picture by accumulating or averaging picked-up images.

18. A computer program data signal embodied in a data stream comprising program components that perform acquiring a still picture, the program components comprising:

means for causing a computer to perform control to repeatedly pick up an image of a sample at a timing based on a dynamic behavior of said sample; and

means for causing a computer to acquire a still picture by accumulating or averaging picked-up images.

19. A still-picture acquisition apparatus for a microscope, comprising:

means for determining image-pickup timings for picking up images of a living cell as a sample, based on timings of periodic behaviors of the living cell;

means for picking up only images of instantaneous statuses in the periodic behaviors of the living cell at specific timings, in synchronism with the determined image-pickup timings; and

means for acquiring a still picture of the instantaneous statuses of the living cell by accumulating or averaging the picked-up images.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the timings of the periodic behaviors of the living cell are determined by detecting changes in brightness.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the picking-up means repeatedly picks up only images of the living cell at specific timings in periodic changes in cardio pulsations of the living cell.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the determining means determines each of the image-pickup timings as a timing that is a predetermined delay time after a timing at which a value of the brightness exceeds a specific threshold value.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising means for determining the timings of the periodic behaviors of the living cell by detecting electric signals with a probe.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the living cell is a neurocyte, and the probe is transfixed into the neurocyte and detects electric signals which vary in accordance with transmissions of excitation of the neurocyte.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the picking-up means repeatedly picks up only images of the living cell at specific timings immediately after the periodic behaviors of the living cell occur.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the determining means determines each of the image-pickup timings as a timing that is a predetermined delay time after a timing at which an electric signal that exceeds a specific threshold value is detected with the probe.

27. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising means for determining the image-pickup timings in synchronism with timings at which the living cell is stimulated.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the determining means determines each of the image-pickup timings as a timing that is a predetermined delay time after a timing at which the living cell is stimulated.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising means for stimulating the living cell with a chemical.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising means for stimulating the living cell with light.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising means for stimulating the living cell with electricity.

32. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a scanner for scanning the living cell with a laser beam; and

means for controlling the scanner in accordance with the determined image-pickup timings.

33. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for transferring the acquired still picture to a computer.

34. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a scanner scans the living cell with a laser beam.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the scanner includes a rotary disk scanner.

36. A still-picture acquisition method for a microscope, comprising:

determining image-pickup timings for picking up images of a living cell as a sample, based on timings of periodic behaviors of the living cell;

picking up only images of instantaneous statuses in the periodic behaviors of the living cell at specific timings, in synchronism with the determined image-pickup timings; and

acquiring a still picture of the instantaneous statuses of the living cell by accumulating or averaging the picked-up images.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising determining the timings of the periodic behaviors of the living cell by detecting changes in brightness.

38. The method according to claim 36, further comprising determining the timings of the periodic behaviors of the living cell by detecting electric signals with a probe.

39. The method according to claim 36, further comprising determining the image-pickup timings in synchronism with timings at which the living cell is stimulated.

40. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program that is executable by a computer to perform a process comprising:

determining image-pickup timings for picking up images of a living cell as a sample, based on timings of periodic behaviors of the living cell;

picking up only images of instantaneous statuses in the periodic behaviors of the living cell at specific timings, in synchronism with the determined image-pickup timings; and

acquiring a still picture of the instantaneous statuses of the living cell by accumulating or averaging the picked-up images.

41. A still-picture acquisition apparatus for a microscope, comprising:

a computer configured to determine image-pickup timings for picking up images of a living cell as a sample, based on timings of periodic behaviors of the living cell;

a scanner which picks up only images of instantaneous statuses in the periodic behaviors of the living cell at specific timings, in synchronism with the determined image-pickup timings; and

a processor configured to acquire a still picture of the instantaneous statuses of the living cell by accumulating or averaging the picked-up images.

42. A still-picture acquisition apparatus for a microscope, comprising:

a monitoring device which detects periodic behaviors of a living cell as a sample;

a computer configured to determine image-pickup timings for picking up images of the living cell, based on timings of the periodic behaviors of the living cell;

a scanner which picks up only images of instantaneous statuses in the periodic behaviors of the living cell at specific timings, in synchronism with the determined image-pickup timings; and

a processor configured to acquire a still picture of the instantaneous statuses of the living cell by accumulating or averaging the picked-up images.