JP2010224486A - Microscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microscope system excellent in terms of workability. <P>SOLUTION: The microscope system includes: a microscope for performing observation of a sample; an imaging apparatus for picking up the image of the sample through the microscope; an image processing means for forming an observation image of the sample from the picked-up image of the sample; a storage means for storing the observation image; an image analysis means for analyzing the observation image and the image stored in the storage means; an image retrieving means for retrieving the image fulfilling a predetermined condition and the image on a condition close to the predetermined condition from an image being a result of analysis, which is formed by the image processing means and stored in the storage means based on the result of the analysis; and a display means for displaying the observation image, the image being the result of analysis, and the image being the result of retrieval by the image retrieving means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscope system for use in pathological examination.

  In a pathological examination, an observation image of a sample is acquired using a microscope, and a report is created by filling in findings. Patent Document 1 describes a diagnosis support system that allows an observer to create observation findings while observing with a microscope.

JP 2006-71430 A

  In the conventional diagnosis support system, an observer creates an observation while observing a sample with a microscope, so an optical system that overlays the input information of the observation is necessary for the microscope, and the keyboard is operated while observing with the microscope. Therefore, it cannot be said that the workability at the time of finding input is good.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a microscope system with good workability such as operation of a microscope and input of observation findings information during pathological examination.

  In order to solve the above problems, a microscope system according to the present invention includes an image processing unit that generates an observation image of the sample from the image of the sample captured by an imaging device that captures an image of the sample through a microscope, and the observation An image analysis unit that analyzes at least one of the image and the observation image stored in the storage unit, and a specification from the analysis result image generated and stored by the image processing unit based on the analysis result A control unit including an image search unit that searches for at least one of an image satisfying the specified condition and an image having a condition close to the specified condition, wherein the control unit includes the observation image and the analysis result image. And an image of a search result obtained by the image search means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a microscope system with good workability during pathological examination.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of a microscope system. It is a functional block diagram of a microscope system. It is the figure which showed typically the screen of the display part in the observation mode of a microscope system. It is the figure which showed typically the screen of the display part in the image management mode of a microscope system. It is the figure which showed typically the screen of the display part in the report creation mode of a microscope system. (A) is the figure which showed typically the screen of the display part in the image analysis mode of a microscope system, (b) is the figure which showed typically the screen of the display part in image search mode.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a microscope system 1 according to this embodiment includes a microscope main body 3, a digital still camera head portion 5 (hereinafter abbreviated as camera 5) attached to the microscope main body 3, and a microscope main body 3. A microscope controller 7 for controlling the camera 5 and a camera controller 9 for controlling the camera 5.

  The microscope main body 3 is an electric microscope, and each component is not shown, but includes a stage, a revolver, a fluorescent filter, a diaphragm, a variable power optical system, a condenser, illumination, and the like. The camera 5 includes an image sensor (not shown) such as a CCD, and images the sample 11.

  The microscope control unit 7 and the camera controller 9 are connected to the main control unit 15. In the present embodiment, the main control unit 15 uses a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as PC). The PC 15 performs control of the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5, image processing for generating an image of the sample 11 imaged by the camera 5 by the image processing circuit 15a in the PC 15, and diagnosis support described later.

  An observation image of the sample 11 that has been image-processed by the PC 15 and generated is displayed on a display unit 17 (in this embodiment, the display of the PC 15) connected to the PC 15. The observer performs an observation finding creation process described later while viewing the observation image displayed on the display unit 17. Further, the PC 15 is provided with a storage unit 19. An observation image of the sample 11 generated by image processing by the PC 15 is stored in the storage unit 19 as image data. The image data stored in the storage unit 19 can be called when performing diagnosis support described later.

  An input device 21 is connected to the PC 15. Specifically, although not shown, a mouse and a keyboard are shown. The observer instructs the control of the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5 by operating these mice and keyboard, and the PC 15 controls the camera 5 and the like according to these instructions. The observer also gives various instructions and settings to the PC 15 when performing diagnosis support.

  Next, functions of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described. The microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment has a function of performing diagnosis support in pathological examination.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the microscope system 1 has four modes: an observation mode 100, an image management mode 110, a report creation mode 120, and a simple diagnosis mode 130. The observation mode 100 is a mode for observing the sample 11, and the image management mode 110, the report creation mode 120, and the simple diagnosis mode 130 are modes for providing diagnosis support for observation results.

  Hereinafter, each function will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the screens of the display unit 17 in the respective modes shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the observation mode 100 of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  The observation mode 100 is a mode for observing and imaging the sample 11 by adjusting the settings of the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 (see FIG. 2). An image of the sample 11 captured by the camera 5 and subjected to image processing by the PC 15 is displayed on the screen 23 of the display unit 17. In addition, the image of the sample 11 displayed on the screen 23 can be temporarily stored in the storage unit 19.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a main display area 25, an operation button display area 27 at the left end, and a work screen display area 29 at the bottom are set on the screen 23 of the display unit 17. In addition, an area 28 indicating a display mode (observation mode 100, image management mode 110, report creation mode 120, simple diagnosis mode 130) is set at the top of the screen 23, and the selected mode is highlighted. In the main display area 25, an observation image of the sample 11 being observed is displayed. This observation image is an image obtained by capturing the sample 11 being observed with the microscope body 3 with the camera 5. That is, an image signal is generated by converting the signal of the image of the sample 11 formed on the imaging device (not shown) of the camera 5 through the microscope body 3, and this image signal is imaged by the image processing circuit 15 a of the PC 15. It is an image generated by processing.

  In the operation button display area 27, operation buttons 30a to 30f for operating the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 on the screen 23 are displayed. In the present embodiment, the microscope operation buttons 30a to 30c, the camera operation buttons 30d and 30e, and the image save button 30f are displayed vertically along the left end of the screen 23. For example, in this embodiment, the microscope operation button 30a adjusts the zooming optical system (not shown), or rotates the revolver (not shown) to replace the objective lens (not shown) to increase the magnification of the microscope body 3. The button for changing, the microscope operation button 30b is a button for changing the brightness of the illumination device, and the microscope operation button 30c is a button for changing observation methods such as bright field observation, dark field observation, and fluorescence observation. ing. The camera operation button 30d is a button for changing the shooting mode of the camera 5, and the camera operation button 30e is a button for changing settings of the camera 5 such as exposure time and resolution.

  When a keyboard and mouse (not shown) are operated and each button is clicked on the screen, a sub-screen (not shown) on which detailed settings can be made is displayed, and adjustment and setting of each function can be input. The PC 15 controls the microscope main body 3 via the microscope control unit 7 and the camera 5 via the camera controller 9 according to the input instructions.

  Below the camera operation button 30e on the screen 23, an image save button 30f is displayed. When this button 30f is clicked, the currently displayed observation image of the sample 11 is temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 as image data. At this time, the setting states of the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5 when the observation image is acquired are also temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 in association with the image. In addition, the display form, the number, the display location, and the function of each button of the buttons 30a to 30f displayed on the screen 23 are examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The same applies to each button in FIGS. 4 to 6 described later.

  In this way, the observer can operate the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 with the operation buttons displayed simultaneously on the same screen as the screen 23 of the display unit 17 on which the observation image of the sample 11 is displayed. Can be improved.

  Nothing is displayed in the work screen display area 29 in the observation mode 100. Here, the work screen refers to a screen that displays an auxiliary image such as an image for comparison with an image to be worked by the observer while working, or a candidate image for an image to be searched by the observer. By displaying such an auxiliary image, the amount of information referred to by the observer can be increased and the information can be visually recognized simultaneously on the same screen, so that the work load on the observer is reduced and the work efficiency is improved.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the image management mode 110 of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image management mode 110 includes an image storage function 110a and an image call function 110b. The image calling function 110 b is a function for calling an image temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 in the observation mode 100 and image data already stored in the storage unit 19 and displaying the image data on the screen 23. The image displayed on the screen 23 can be given information related to the image, for example, the sample name, the sample reference number, the collection date and time, etc. for the temporarily stored image, and is already stored in the storage unit 19. For an image, the information related to the image can be corrected. The image saving function 110a is a function for storing the image called by the image calling function 110b in the storage unit 19 as image data together with information related to the image.

  As shown in FIG. 4, also in the image management mode 110, as in the above-described observation mode 100, the screen 23 of the display unit 17 has a main display area 25, an operation button display area 27 at the left end, and a display mode area at the top. 28 and a work screen display area 29 is set at the bottom.

  In the operation button display area 27, an image call button 32a, a call condition button 32b, an image save button 32c, and a screen switching button 32d are displayed side by side. When the call condition button 32b is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting the call condition is displayed. The calling condition is information related to an image, for example, a sample name, a sample reference number, a collection date and time, and the like, and each information can be input on the sub screen. Hereinafter, the functions of the image management mode 110 will be described separately for a case where image data already stored in the storage unit 19 is called up, a case where an image temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 is called in the observation mode 100, and a case where each is called. .

  When recalling image data already stored in the storage unit 19, information related to the image to be recalled, such as the sample name, sample serial number, and collection date and time, is input to the sub-screen (not shown) as a call condition. To do. Enter the necessary conditions on the sub-screen and click the image call button 32a. Then, a plurality of images that satisfy the input conditions are displayed as display candidates in the work screen display area 29. For example, in FIG. 4, eight images 34a to 34h are displayed as display candidate images. This is the number of displayed images per page of the work screen. The observer turns the page of the work screen, and when a desired image is displayed in the work screen display area 29, the image in the work screen display area 29 is selected. Then, the image is displayed in the main display area 25. At this time, a condition sheet screen (not shown) is simultaneously displayed in the main display area 25. The condition sheet screen displays information related to the image displayed in the main display area 25, such as the sample name, the sample reference number, the collection date and time, etc., and these information can be corrected. . When necessary correction of each information is performed on the condition sheet screen and the image save button 32 c is clicked, the image and the corrected information are saved in the storage unit 19. If it is not necessary to correct, the contents of the condition sheet screen are not corrected, and if the image save button 32c is clicked, the image is stored in the storage unit 19 again.

  On the other hand, when calling an image temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 in the observation mode 100, for example, instead of the sample name, characters “temporarily stored” are entered on the sub-screen as a calling condition and the image call button 32a is clicked. Alternatively, an item for temporarily saving image call may be displayed on the sub-screen, this item may be selected and the image call button 32a may be clicked. Then, an image temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 is displayed in the work screen display area 29. If there are a plurality of temporarily stored images, they are all displayed in the work screen display area 29. When a desired image is selected from the images displayed in the work screen display area 29, the selected image is displayed in the main display area 25. At this time, a condition sheet screen (not shown) is simultaneously displayed in the main display area 25. On the condition sheet screen, information related to the temporarily stored image such as a sample name, a sample reference number, and a sampling date and time can be input. When necessary information is input and the image save button 32c is clicked, the image and the input related information are saved in the storage unit 19. At this time, the setting states of the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5 when the observation image is acquired in the observation mode 100 are also stored in association with the observation image.

  The screen switching button 32d is used to change the screen display layout. For example, the position and size of the work screen display area 29 and the operation button display area 27 can be changed.

  As described above, even in the image management mode 110, the observer can call up the image data using the operation buttons displayed on the screen 23 and perform an operation of storing the called image in the storage unit 19, thereby improving workability. .

  FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the report creation mode 120 of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the report creation mode 120 has a report storage function 120a and a report call function 120b. The report storage function 120a is a function for supporting report creation based on observation results. Specifically, it is a function that allows the input of finding information about the acquired image and the editing of the report layout, and saves the created report in the storage unit 19. The report call function 120b is a function for calling a report stored in the storage unit 19.

  As shown in FIG. 5, even in the report creation mode 120, the screen 23 of the display unit 17 has a main display area 25, an operation button display area 27 at the left end, a display mode area 28 at the top, and a work at the bottom. A screen display area 29 is set.

  The target image for generating the report may be either an observation image of the sample 11 observed in the observation mode 100 or an image called from the storage unit 19 by the image calling function 110b of the image management mode 110. When creating a report for the observation image of the sample 11 observed in the observation mode 100, the mode is switched from the observation mode 100 to the report creation mode 120 during observation. When a report is created for an image called by the image call function 110b in the image management mode 110, the mode is switched from the image management mode 110 to the report creation mode 120 when a desired image is called. When the mode is switched to the report creation mode 120 in each case, a target image for creating a report is displayed in the main display area 25. Note that when the image operation button 36a is clicked, the mode is automatically switched to the image management mode 110, and a sub-screen (not shown) of the image call function 110b may be called so that the image can be called.

  In the operation button display area 27, an image operation button 36a, a text operation button 36b, a report save button 36c, a report call button 36d, a copy button 36e, and a screen switching button 36f are displayed in a line.

  The image operation button 36a can perform an operation for processing an image for a report. When the image operation button 36a is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting setting values for processing the image is displayed. For image processing, for example, trimming and adjustment of brightness and contrast can be performed.

  The text operation button 36b can input and edit text information to be input to the report. When the text information is input and edited, the text is displayed in the main display area 25 of the screen 23 together with the target image for generating the report. When the text operation button 36b is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) is displayed so that detailed settings can be made. The copy button 36e can copy an image and text information.

  The screen switching button 36f can change the layout of the report. The report save button 36 c can store the created report in the storage unit 19, and the report call button button 36 d can call the report stored in the storage unit 19.

  The report layout has a predetermined format registered in advance, and the processed image and edited text are automatically dropped into the format. When the image processing and text editing are completed, the report saving button 36c is clicked. Then, the completed report is displayed in the main display area 25, and at the same time, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting information for managing the report, for example, a classification number, a reference number, a creation date and time, and the like is displayed. A selection button (not shown) for determining whether or not to save the report is also displayed on the sub-screen. When necessary information is input on the sub-screen and the save execution button is selected, the report is saved in the storage unit 19. If correction is required, select the one that does not save the selection button. Then, the report is not stored in the storage unit 19, and the image processing and text editing can be performed again. If the layout is to be changed, necessary changes can be made by clicking the screen switching button 36f.

  When calling a report stored in the storage unit 19, the report call button 36d is clicked. When the report call button 36d is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting the report classification number, reference number, creation date and time, etc. is displayed. These items can be entered to call up the desired report. It is also possible to perform a keyword search that retrieves text information in the report and retrieves the matched information. In this case, information regarding the display candidate report having the matching keyword in the text is displayed on the auxiliary screen in the work screen display area 29. In FIG. 5, the information of each display candidate report is displayed on the auxiliary screens 37a to 37h. The information displayed on the auxiliary screen is, for example, the classification number, sample name, analysis method, etc. of each display candidate report. When the information of the desired report is displayed on the auxiliary screen in the work screen display area 29, the auxiliary screen is selected and displayed on the main display area 25. The called report can be corrected using the image operation button 36a, the text operation button 36b, the copy button 36e, and the screen switching button 36f.

  6A and 6B are diagrams schematically illustrating the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the simple diagnosis mode 130 of the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the simple diagnosis mode 130 has two functions of an image analysis mode 140 and an image search mode 150. In each mode, diagnosis can be supported by inputting conditions. In the image analysis mode 140, an image can be analyzed by inputting analysis conditions such as cell color, shape, size, etc. (analysis condition setting function 140a in FIG. 2). Further, in the image search mode 150, an image search condition to be searched can be input, and an image satisfying the condition or an image close to the condition can be searched from the storage unit 19 (the search condition in FIG. 2). Setting function 150a).

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, also in the simple diagnosis mode 130, the screen 23 of the display unit 17 has a main display area 25, an operation button display area 27 at the left end, and a display mode area 28 at the top. In the lower part, a work screen display area 29 is set.

  FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically showing the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the image analysis mode 140.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in the operation button display area 27, an analysis mode switching button 38a, an analysis condition button 38b, an analysis execution button 38c, and a screen switching button 38d are displayed. The analysis mode switching button 38a is a button for switching the analysis method. When the analysis mode switching button 38a is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for selecting an analysis method is displayed, and an appropriate analysis method can be selected depending on the type and state of the cell to be analyzed. The analysis condition button 38b is a button for inputting analysis conditions. When the analysis condition button 38b is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting detailed conditions such as the cell color, shape, size, or region to be analyzed is displayed. When the analysis mode and analysis conditions are input and the analysis execution button 38c is clicked, the analysis is executed. The analysis is performed by an image analysis circuit 15b (see FIG. 1) in the PC 15. The analysis result is output from the image analysis circuit 15b to the image processing circuit 15a (see FIG. 1) in the PC 15, and the image processing circuit 15a performs image processing to generate an image of the analysis result. The image obtained by the analysis is displayed on the screen 23 of the display unit 17 and is simultaneously stored in the storage unit 19.

  The image that can be analyzed in the image analysis mode 140 can be either an image that is called from the image data stored in the storage unit 19 or an observation image that is being observed in the observation mode 100. First, a case where an image called from image data stored in the storage unit 19 is analyzed will be described.

  Calling an image to be analyzed from the image data stored in the storage unit 19 is performed in the image management mode 110 described above. When a desired image is called up, the mode is switched to the image analysis mode 140 of the simple diagnosis mode 130 to perform image analysis. At this time, in the work screen display area 29 of the screen of the simple diagnosis mode 130, a history of the results of analysis performed under different conditions in the same image in the past is displayed. Individual result images of the analysis history are displayed as, for example, list screens 40a to 40h shown in FIG.

  In this way, the results of the analysis performed by changing the conditions for the predetermined image can be listed at the same time as the predetermined image, so that the observer can compare the images that are diagnostic judgment materials on the same screen, It is easy to judge whether the observed sample is normal or abnormal.

  Next, a case where an image being observed in the observation mode 100 is analyzed will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the PC 15 stores parameters for setting the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 so that an image suitable for image analysis in the simple diagnosis mode 130 can be taken. That is, when the mode is switched to the image analysis mode 140 of the simple diagnosis mode 130 while observing the sample in the observation mode 100, the PC 15 passes through the microscope control unit 7 and the camera controller 9, and the optical system and camera of the microscope body 3. 5 is changed to a state in which an image suitable for image analysis in the image analysis mode 140 can be captured. Specifically, in the microscope body 3, the brightness of the illumination from the light source is adjusted by the magnification of an objective lens (not shown) or a variable magnification optical system (not shown) and the ND filter (not shown). . In the camera 5, settings such as exposure time, resolution, and contrast are adjusted. The PC 15 is controlled via the camera controller 9 so that the sample 5 is imaged by the camera 5 in this state. Then, an observation image newly generated by the image processing circuit 15 a from the image of the sample 11 captured with the settings of the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 changed is displayed on the screen 23 of the display unit 17. At the same time, the newly generated observation image is stored in the storage unit 19. Thereafter, the PC 15 enables an image analysis operation on the screen 23.

  As described above, when the mode is switched from the observation mode 100 to the image analysis mode 140 of the simple diagnosis mode 130, the setting of the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5 can be automatically picked up an image suitable for image analysis in the image analysis mode 140. By adjusting, the observer can omit the work of individually adjusting the settings of the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 each time. In addition, it is possible to prevent the acquisition of an image that cannot be analyzed or cannot be accurately performed.

  FIG. 6B is a diagram schematically showing the screen 23 of the display unit 17 in the image search mode 150.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, a search mode switching button 42a, a search condition button 42b, a search execution button 42c, and a screen switching button 42d are displayed in the operation button display area 27. The search mode switching button 42a is a button for switching the search mode. As the search mode, for example, a cell name, a collection site, a symptom, or the like can be selected, or a plurality of search modes can be selected together.

  The search condition button 42b is used when searching the storage unit 19 for an image that satisfies a predetermined condition. When the search condition button 42b is clicked, a sub-screen (not shown) for inputting detailed conditions such as analysis methods, analysis conditions, cell states, and the like is displayed. The search mode switching button 42a and the search condition button 42b can function independently or can function together.

  When the search mode or the search condition, or both the search mode and the search condition (hereinafter referred to as “designated conditions”) are input and the search execution button 42c is clicked, the image stored in the storage unit 19 is searched. . The image search is performed by the image search unit 15c (see FIG. 1) of the PC 15. When the search is completed, images matching the designated condition or images close to the designated condition are displayed in the work screen display area 29 as candidate images 44a to 44h (see FIG. 6B). The image that matches the specified condition is an image that satisfies the input search mode or search condition, or both the search mode and search condition. An image close to a specified condition is an image that satisfies, for example, 70% or more of the input search mode or search condition, or both the search mode and search condition. The ratio that satisfies the condition may be changed. Moreover, you may enable it to designate the essential conditions which should be satisfied. Depending on the specified conditions, there may be no images that match the conditions. In this case, only images with conditions close to the specified conditions are displayed in the work screen display area 29. When it is desired to check the details of the displayed image, the corresponding image is displayed in the main display area 25 when the corresponding image is clicked. Since the work screen display area 29 displays an image that matches or is close to the specified condition, the observer compares the image in the main display area 25 with the image in the work screen display area 29 on the same screen. be able to. In this way, images that match or are close to the specified conditions are displayed on the same screen, so that the observer can compare the diagnostic judgment materials on the same screen, and determine whether the cells in the observation image are normal or abnormal. Becomes easier.

  The screen switching buttons 38 d and 42 d displayed in FIGS. 6A and 6B are buttons for switching between the image analysis mode 140 and the image search mode 150 in the simple diagnosis mode 130.

  These image analysis mode 140 and image search mode 150 can be used as follows, for example. First, in the image analysis mode 140, an image of a sample is analyzed by a predetermined method and conditions. The image to be analyzed may be an observation image of a sample observed in the observation mode 100 or an image called from the storage unit 19 in the image management mode 110. When the analysis result image is displayed in the main display area 25, the screen switching button 38d is operated to switch the screen 23 to the image search mode 150. And the conditions etc. which performed the said analysis are input into search mode and search conditions, and a search is performed. Since the analysis result is stored in the storage unit 19, the image search unit 15 c of the PC 15 searches for the image of the analysis result and displays it in the work screen display area 29. The image search unit 15c also searches the storage unit 19 for images of other samples analyzed under conditions close to the search mode and search conditions, that is, conditions close to the analysis conditions, etc., and displays a work screen display area. 29. The observer appropriately selects an image of the analysis result or an image of another sample from these images displayed in the work screen display area 29 and displays it on the main display area 25, and the analysis result and the other sample are displayed. Compare the image. If necessary, the list of analysis histories can be referred to by switching the screen 23 to the image analysis mode 140 for images of other samples.

  Thus, the observer can make a diagnosis by referring to an image that is a material necessary for the diagnosis with a simple operation. At this time, since all operations can be performed on the screen 23, the work while observing with the microscope main body 3 is not performed.

  As described above, the microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment can operate the microscope main body 3 and the camera 5 on the same screen 23 while observing the sample 11 on the screen 23 of the display unit 17. Diagnose and create reports. For this reason, since the operation | work which observes the sample 11 with the microscope main body 3 is not carried out, an observer's operation | work is easy to do and work efficiency improves. In addition, operation buttons necessary for each mode such as operation buttons of the microscope body 3 and the camera 5 are displayed on the screen 23, and various operations can be performed on the screen 23, so that the operations are easy to execute. Further, since the function of the microscope system 1 is specialized for providing diagnosis support in pathological examination, the configuration of the microscope system 1 is simple. For this reason, it is advantageous in terms of operation compared with a general-purpose microscope system that partially has a diagnosis support function in pathological examination.

  In the present embodiment, in the observation mode 100, the auxiliary screen is not displayed in the work screen display area 29. However, an image that serves as a reference for the observer, for example, an image temporarily stored during observation is displayed as appropriate. Anyway. In the present embodiment, the image processing circuit 15a, the image analysis circuit 15b, and the image search unit 15c in the PC 15 perform image processing, image analysis, and image search, respectively, but these functions are external to the PC 15. It may be provided. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 19 stores both the observation image and the analysis result image generated by the image processing circuit 15a. The first storage unit stores the image captured by the camera 5. The image analysis result may be provided separately from the second storage unit that stores the image.

  The configuration of the present embodiment is not limited to the above configuration, and can be changed as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microscope system 3 Microscope main body 5 Camera 7 Microscope control part 9 Camera controller 11 Sample 15 Main control part (PC)
15a Image processing circuit 15b Image analysis circuit 15c Image search unit 17 Display unit 19 Storage unit 23 Screen 25 Main display area 27 Operation button display area 28 Display mode area 29 Work screen display area 30, 32, 36, 38, 42 Operation button 34 37, 40, 44 Work screen 100 Observation mode 110 Image management mode 110a Image storage function 110b Image call function 120 Report creation mode 120a Report storage function 120b Report call function 130 Simple diagnosis mode 140 Image analysis mode 140a Analysis condition setting function 150 Image Search mode 150a Search condition setting function

Claims (10)

Image processing means for generating an observation image of the sample from the image of the sample imaged by an imaging device that images the image of the sample through a microscope;
Image analysis means for analyzing at least one of the observation image and the observation image stored in the storage means;
An image for retrieving at least one of an image satisfying a specified condition and an image close to the specified condition from an analysis result image generated and stored by the image processing unit based on the analysis result Having a control unit with search means;
The control unit displays the observation image, the analysis result image, and the search result image by the image search means.   When analyzing the observation image, the control unit adjusts the settings of the microscope and the imaging device so that an image suitable for analysis can be captured, and captures the image of the sample in the imaging device in the adjusted state. 2. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the image analysis unit is made to function after the image processing unit newly generates an observation image of the sample from the captured image of the sample.   The control unit causes the display unit to simultaneously display the observation image or the image stored in the storage unit and an input unit that can input observation finding information. The microscope system described in 1.   4. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the observation image is stored in the storage unit in association with a setting state of the microscope and the imaging device when the observation image is captured. Microscope system.   5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to simultaneously display the observation image and an operation unit for operating the microscope and the imaging device. Microscope system.   The control unit causes the display unit to simultaneously display an image to be analyzed and an image of an analysis result for the image to be analyzed and stored in the storage unit. The microscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:   The microscope system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit further causes the display unit to display an operation unit for performing image analysis.   The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the search result image displayed on the display unit by the control unit includes an image having a condition close to the specified condition.   9. The search result image displayed on the display unit by the control unit is an image satisfying the specified condition and an image close to the specified condition. The microscope system according to item.   The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display an operation unit for performing the image search.

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