JP2004287043A - Microscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent such contact that an objective or a sample is damaged with simple constitution. <P>SOLUTION: A microscope system is equipped with a tactile sensor 22 which detects the object 15 from coming into contact with the sample, and a dummy sample 26 which artificially generates a contact state for the tactile sensor 22 is selectively arranged on a stage 11 instead of the sample; and a self-diagnosis part 25 diagnoses the state of the tactile sensor 22 according to the detection output of the tactile sensor 22 in the artificial contact state generated by the dummy sample 26 and according to the diagnosis result, desired processing is indicated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a microscope system and, more particularly, to an improvement in a mechanism for preventing contact that might damage a sample or an objective lens thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, when observing a sample with a microscope, first, a biological specimen is placed on a stage as a sample, and the relative distance between the objective lens and the sample in the optical axis direction is adjusted while observing the image through an eyepiece or a TV monitor. Then, a method of adjusting the position of the XY plane perpendicular to the optical axis to obtain a desired observation image is adopted.
[0003]
Incidentally, such a relative distance between the objective lens and the sample is determined by a working distance (hereinafter, referred to as WD) of the objective lens. The WD differs depending on the magnification of the objective lens, and becomes shorter as the magnification becomes higher. For example, the WD is about 10 mm for a 10 × objective lens, but is about 0.2 mm for a 100 × objective lens.
[0004]
Therefore, in the case of observation at a high magnification, there is a possibility that the sample and the objective lens may come into contact even by a slight erroneous operation when adjusting the relative distance between the objective lens and the sample for focusing.
[0005]
Further, even when observing a sample having a large difference in elevation due to severe unevenness, there is a risk that the sample and the objective lens come into contact when the sample is moved on the XY plane during the observation. Furthermore, the contact between the sample and the objective lens can similarly occur when the objective lens is exchanged in a microscope system having a function of automatically exchanging a plurality of objective lenses due to differences in WD, depth of focus, and the like.
[0006]
Such contact between the sample and the objective lens may occur under various circumstances. For example, if the sample is thin such as a semiconductor wafer, the sample may be damaged depending on the degree of contact, Considering the processing time of the damaged wafer, a great loss is caused in terms of both yield and man-hours.
[0007]
Therefore, as means for avoiding contact between the sample and the objective lens, a contact detection sensor is attached to the tip of the objective lens, the pressure applied to the sensor at the time of contact is detected as a signal, and the sample is retracted according to the detection signal. (See, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
[0008]
However, in the above protection method, it is difficult to detect whether or not the contact prevention function operates normally due to its configuration. Therefore, if the contact prevention function is observed in an insufficient state and a contact occurs, For example, when the sensitivity of the tactile sensor is lower than usual, the pressure of the sensor on the sample is high, and there is a possibility that the sample may be damaged. Further, when the sensitivity of the tactile sensor is too high, there is a disadvantage that a weak vibration other than the contact between the sample and the sensor is erroneously detected.
[0009]
Furthermore, when an element such as a piezo piezoelectric element having a large resistance value variation due to temperature is used as the contact detection sensor, the detection signal is likely to vary due to environmental changes, and the sample is damaged at the time of contact. Having.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2000-199885 (Paragraph No. 0019 to Paragraph No. 0024, FIG. 1)
[0011]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-10-260361 (paragraph numbers 0017 to 0049, FIG. 2)
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, the conventional microscope system has a disadvantage that the objective lens comes into contact with the sample and is damaged or damaged.
[0013]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a microscope system having a simple configuration and capable of reliably preventing a contact that may damage an objective lens or a sample.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a microscope system including at least one of a driving unit that changes a relative distance between a stage on which a sample is mounted and an objective lens in an optical axis direction and an objective lens exchange unit that exchanges an objective lens on the optical axis. Contact detecting means for detecting contact between the sample and the objective lens; control means for controlling the driving means or the objective lens replacing means based on the output of the contact detecting means; The state of the contact detection means is diagnosed from a contact output and a detection output from the contact detection means in a pseudo contact state generated by the pseudo contact means, and an instruction corresponding to the diagnosis result is output to the control means. And a self-diagnosis unit.
[0015]
According to the configuration, when a pseudo contact state is generated by the pseudo contact unit with respect to the contact detection unit, a detection output due to the contact is transmitted to the self-diagnosis unit, and the self-diagnosis unit diagnoses the state of the contact detection unit. Then, an instruction corresponding to the diagnosis result is output to the control means. Therefore, whether or not the sensor function is normal can be detected in advance, so that a contact that may damage the objective lens or the sample due to a malfunction can be reliably prevented.
[0016]
Further, in the present invention, the pseudo contact means is arranged on one of the stage and the objective lens exchange means with respect to the contact detection means.
[0017]
According to the configuration described above, the self-diagnosis using the pseudo contact means can be performed without temporarily retracting the sample, and the diagnosis of the function of preventing the contact that may damage the sample or the objective lens quickly. It can be performed.
[0018]
Further, in the present invention, the pseudo contact means includes an oscillating element, and the vibration by the oscillating element is applied to the contact detecting means together with the stress caused by the pseudo contact.
[0019]
According to the configuration, not only the stress due to the generated pseudo-contact but also the desired vibration is applied to the contact detecting means by the pseudo-contact means, so that the pseudo-contact means is applied to the contact detecting means at the time of contact between the objective lens and the sample. It is also possible to diagnose the sensor function for vibration. Therefore, the reliability of diagnosis can be improved.
[0020]
Further, in the present invention, the self-diagnosis unit is configured to change an instruction to be output to the control unit in response to a detection output of the pseudo contact unit.
[0021]
According to the above configuration, the self-diagnosis unit changes the instruction to the control unit in accordance with the detection output of the pseudo contact unit, even when performing observation in a place where a change in temperature or the like of the observation environment is large, The sensor function can be finely adjusted according to the sensitivity of the contact detection means.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0023]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a microscope system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a microscope main body, on which a sample (observation sample) is placed. A stage 11 is provided to be able to move up and down. The stage 11 is moved and adjusted in the optical axis direction by a stage motor 12 built in the microscope main body 10, and is freely adjustable in the XY directions on a horizontal plane orthogonal to the optical axis by operating the stage XY handle 13. Distributed to On the surface of the stage 11, a crememel (not shown) for fixing a sample is attached.
[0024]
The microscope body 10 is provided with a revolver 14 facing the stage 11. The revolver 14 is provided with a plurality of objective lenses 15, and the plurality of objective lenses 15 are selectively inserted on the optical axis by a revolver motor 16 built in the revolver 14. Accordingly, the spectator observes the sample by viewing the sample illuminated with the illumination light from the light source 20 that has passed through the aperture stop 17, the field stop 18, the corner cube 19, and the objective lens 15 through the eyepiece 21. Can be.
[0025]
At the tip of each objective lens 15 on the revolver 14, a tactile sensor 22 is provided as contact detection means. The tactile sensor 22 is composed of, for example, a piezoelectric element, and detects a slight contact state with the sample. The tactile sensor 22 is connected to a central processing unit (CPU) 23 disposed in the microscope main body 10 via a lead wire 101 passing through the side surface of the objective lens 15, and outputs a detection signal to the CPU 23.
[0026]
An operation unit 24 is connected to the CPU 23. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 24 drives the focusing handle 241 and the revolver 16 when the objective lens is switched, in order to move the stage 11 in the optical axis direction by the focusing stage 12. Switch 242, an AF switch 243 and a SEACH switch 244 for performing an autofocus operation, and a switch 245 for starting self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22.
[0027]
The switch 245 is, for example, of an illuminated type, and has a built-in warning notification LED 246.
[0028]
Further, a self-diagnosis unit 25 is connected to the CPU 23. The self-diagnosis unit 25 includes, for example, an arithmetic unit 251 and a read only memory (ROM) 252 as a read-only storage unit, as shown in FIG. In response to the operation of the switch 245, the self-diagnosis unit 25 reads out the normal reference signal level stored in the ROM 252 by the calculation unit 251 and compares it with the data from the tactile sensor 22 input via the CPU 23. Then, the presence or absence of contact is determined, and the diagnostic processing data is output to the CPU 23.
[0029]
A procedure for performing a self-diagnosis in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. That is, in step S1, the speculum evacuates the sample, which is the observation sample, from the stage 11, places the dummy sample 26 constituting the pseudo contact means on the stage 11, and uses the above-mentioned crememel (not shown) to perform a predetermined operation. To the position. Next, in step S2, the switch 245 of the operation unit 24 is pressed, the stage motor 12 is driven via the CPU 23, and the stage 11 is moved by a predetermined distance in the ascending direction in which the dummy sample 26 and the tactile sensor 22 approach. .
[0030]
Here, the CPU 23 receives a detection signal from the tactile sensor 22 and transfers the detection signal to the self-diagnosis unit 25. The self-diagnosis unit 25 determines the presence or absence of a detection signal based on the reference signal level stored in the ROM 252 by the calculation unit 251 (step S3). Returning to S2, the stage motor 12 is driven to move the stage 11 by a predetermined distance in the ascending direction in which the dummy sample 26 and the tactile sensor 22 approach, and the process proceeds to step S3 to perform the same determination.
[0031]
In step S3, when the self-diagnosis unit 25 detects the detection signal and determines YES, the process proceeds to step S4, in which the CPU 21 drives the stage motor 12 to invert and lower the stage 11, and The process moves to S5. Here, in the self-diagnosis unit 25, the calculation unit 251 reads the normal reference signal level stored in the ROM 252, and compares the read reference signal level with the detection signal. If the detection signal is higher than the reference signal level, it is determined that the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 is good and the function of preventing contact that might damage the sample or the objective lens 15 is normal, and the detection signal is higher. When the signal level is smaller than the reference signal level, the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 is insufficient, so that it is determined that the function of preventing contact that might damage the sample or the objective lens 15 does not operate normally.
[0032]
If the self-diagnosis unit 25 determines that the tactile sensor 22 operates normally, the self-diagnosis unit 25 gives an instruction to the CPU 23 and turns on the LED 246 of the operation unit 24 to detect that the function is normal. Report to the mirror. In addition, when the self-diagnosis unit 25 determines that the tactile sensor 22 does not operate normally, the process proceeds to step S <b> 7, for example, sounds a buzzer or the like, and notifies the speculum operator that the operation of the tactile sensor 22 is abnormal. .
[0033]
Here, the dummy sample 26 to be brought into contact with the tactile sensor 22 can be replaced according to the sample (observed sample), so that the state of the tactile sensor 22 can be more accurately self-diagnosed.
[0034]
Further, a mechanism capable of finely adjusting the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 may be provided. In this case, when the abnormality of the tactile sensor 22 is detected, the self-diagnosis is repeated again while adjusting the sensitivity, so that the tactile sensor 22 can be configured to be operable.
[0035]
As described above, the microscope system includes the tactile sensor 22 that detects the contact between the sample and the objective lens 15, and replaces the dummy sample 26 that generates a pseudo contact state with the tactile sensor 22 with the stage 11 instead of the sample. The self-diagnosis unit 25 diagnoses the state of the tactile sensor 22 based on the detection output in the pseudo contact state generated by the dummy sample 26 by the tactile sensor 22, and according to the diagnosis result. It is configured to instruct desired processing.
[0036]
According to this, when the dummy sample 26 generates a pseudo contact state with the tactile sensor 22, a detection output due to the contact is transmitted to the self-diagnosis unit 25, and the self-diagnosis unit 25 changes the state of the tactile sensor 22. By diagnosing and instructing processing in accordance with the diagnosis result, it is possible to detect in advance whether or not the sensor function is normal, so that the objective lens 15 erroneously contacts the sample due to malfunction, and Damage to the lens 15 or the sample can be reliably prevented.
[0037]
In the first embodiment, as a self-diagnosis method, the stage 11 is driven up and down to perform the self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22, but in addition, the revolver 14 is fixed in a state where the stage 11 is fixed. May be rotated so that the tactile sensor 22 and the dummy sample 26 are brought into contact with each other to perform self-diagnosis. Further, in the present invention, the self-diagnosis may be performed by bringing the tactile sensor 22 and the dummy sample 26 into contact with each other in both the state of the elevation drive of the stage 11 and the state of the rotation of the revolver 14. In this case, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the self-diagnosis result.
[0038]
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment, and may include, in addition, the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It may be configured as in the embodiment. However, in the description of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 to FIG. The detailed description is omitted hereafter.
[0039]
First, in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the dummy sample mounting unit 30 can be moved up and down to the microscope main body 10 so that the tactile sensor 22 can perform self-diagnosis while the sample is mounted on the stage 11. And arranged.
[0040]
That is, the microscope main body 10 has a built-in first drive motor 31 for arranging dummy samples together with the revolver motor 16, and one end of an arm 32 is linked to a drive shaft of the first drive motor 31. (See FIG. 6). The other end of the arm 32 is link-coupled to an arm storage section 33 which is arranged to be able to move up and down in the direction of the arrow. A second drive motor 34 is built in the arm storage unit 33. The drive shaft of the second drive motor 34 can freely move in and out of the dummy sample mounting unit 30 in the direction of the arrow via a gear mechanism (not shown). Is combined with The dummy sample mounting section 30 has the dummy sample 26 mounted at the tip thereof, and forms a pseudo contact means in cooperation with the dummy sample 26.
[0041]
The first and second drive motors 31, 34 are connected to the CPU 23. The CPU 23 generates a drive signal in response to the operation of the switch 245 of the operation unit 24 in FIG. 2 to selectively drive the first and second drive motors 31 and 34, and performs self-control as described later. Perform diagnostics.
[0042]
In the above configuration, when performing self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22, first, the speculum mounts the dummy sample 26 on the dummy sample mounting unit 30. In this state, when the switch 245 of the operation unit 24 is pressed, the stage motor 17 is driven, the stage 11 is lowered, and the sample is retracted to a safe position.
[0043]
Here, the first and second drive motors 31 and 34 are sequentially driven and controlled to lower the arm storage unit 33 via the arm 32 to the lowest position, and the dummy sample mounting unit 30 to the lowest position. The dummy sample 26 on the dummy sample mounting unit 30 is moved to the observation position. Thereafter, the second drive motor 34 is driven in reverse, the dummy sample mounting part 30 is raised, and the dummy sample 26 is brought into contact with the tactile sensor 22. Here, the tactile sensor 22 detects a contact state and outputs a detection signal to the CPU 23. The CPU 23 outputs the input detection signal to the self-diagnosis unit 25.
[0044]
Here, the self-diagnosis unit 25 executes the self-diagnosis in the same procedure as in steps S3 to S7 of FIG. 3 described above, and notifies the self-diagnosis result. In the state where the self-diagnosis is completed, the speculum removes the dummy sample 26 of the dummy sample mounting unit 30 and then operates the operation unit 24 again. Then, the first and second drive motors 31 and 34 are operated. Is driven in reverse, the dummy sample mounting section 30 is raised, the arm 32 is reversed, and the arm storage section 22 is raised, and evacuated to a safe position where it does not interfere with the sample (observed sample). Thereafter, the stage 11 is raised to the initial observation position, and observation of the sample on the stage 11 can be performed in consideration of the self-diagnosis result.
[0045]
According to the second embodiment, a series of self-diagnosis operations for determining whether or not the tactile sensor 22 functions normally can be realized only by pressing the switch 245 of the operation unit 24. A more rapid self-diagnosis can be performed by eliminating the need to mount the dummy sample 26 on the stage 11 and temporarily save the sample outside the stage 11.
[0046]
In the third embodiment, for example, an oscillating element (not shown) is provided as a dummy sample 26 constituting a pseudo contact means mounted on the dummy sample mounting section 30 in the second embodiment of FIGS. The contact state of the oscillation element (not shown) is detected by the tactile sensor. The oscillating element (not shown) is arranged via an electrode for vibrating the oscillating element (not shown), and the electrode is driven and controlled via the CPU to control the vibration.
[0047]
In the above configuration, when performing self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22, the speculum examiner presses the switch 245 of the operation unit 24 to drive the stage motor 12 to lower the stage 11 to secure the sample. Evacuate to a position.
[0048]
Here, the first and second drive motors 31 and 34 are sequentially driven and controlled, so that the arm storage unit 33 is lowered to the lowest position via the arm 32 and the dummy sample mounting unit 30 is lowered to the lowest position. Then, the oscillation element (not shown) on the dummy sample mounting section 30 is moved to the observation position. Thereafter, the second drive motor 34 is driven in reverse to raise the dummy sample mounting section 30 to a desired position, and the tactile sensor 22 is brought into contact with an oscillation element (not shown).
[0049]
Here, the CPU 21 drives the electrodes of the oscillation element (not shown) to vibrate the oscillation element (not shown), a detection signal corresponding to the vibration is detected by the tactile sensor 22, and the detection signal is It is input to the self-diagnosis unit 25. The self-diagnosis unit 25 determines whether the tactile sensor 22 is normal or abnormal based on the input detection signal, for example, according to the procedure shown in FIG. 3 described above.
[0050]
According to the third embodiment, the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 can be confirmed even for a weak vibration applied to the tactile sensor 22 when the sample and the objective lens 15 are in contact with each other. Further, by changing the frequency of the oscillation element (not shown), it is possible to perform self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22 under various contact situations.
[0051]
In the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the level of the contact signal and the driving method are made variable according to the detection signal of the tactile sensor 22 at the time of self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22 so that the tactile sensor 22 operates normally. It is configured to give feedback so as to perform.
[0052]
That is, in the fourth embodiment, in addition to the arithmetic unit 251 and the ROM 252, the self-diagnosis unit 35 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 351 which is a writable and readable storage unit for storing signal level values. It is characterized by comprising.
[0053]
The RAM 351 stores three values of the signal level lower limit value, the contact reference value, and the contact determination value. Among these, the lower limit is the lowest value for the calculation unit 251 to recognize the detection signal, and if the detection signal level is smaller than this value, the calculation unit 251 cannot detect contact. The contact reference value is an average value of the detection signals output by the tactile sensor 22 at the time of contact in a steady state. At the time of sample observation, the calculation unit 251 determines the presence or absence of contact based on the contact determination value.
[0054]
In the above configuration, the self-diagnosis is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG. That is, in step S10, when the speculum operates the operation unit 24 as described above, the dummy sample 26 of the dummy sample mounting unit 30 is brought into contact with the tactile sensor 22, and the detection signal is output to the self-diagnosis unit 35. (Steps S11 to S13). Then, the self-diagnosis unit 35 determines in the calculation unit 251 whether or not the input detection signal is a contact signal based on the reference signal level stored in the RAM 351, and determines whether the detection signal is not a contact signal. Is determined, the dummy sample mounting unit 30 is raised.
[0055]
Then, if the self-diagnosis unit 35 determines that the input detection signal is YES, which is a contact signal, the self-diagnosis unit 35 lowers the dummy sample mounting unit 30 and determines the lower limit (steps S14 and S15). In step S15, the self-diagnosis unit 35 causes the calculation unit 251 to compare the lower limit value stored in the RAM 351 with the detection signal, determine whether the detection signal is larger than the lower limit value, and determine a small NO. Then, it is determined that the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 is insufficient and it is impossible to operate normally, and the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, for example, a buzzer is sounded to notify the speculum examiner, and thereafter, the process proceeds to step S17 to return to the initial state, and the self-diagnosis operation ends.
[0056]
At the same time, the self-diagnosis unit 35 outputs a control change command signal to the CPU 23. In response to the control change command signal, the CPU 23 sets, for example, the motor control of the stage motor 12 and the revolver motor 16 so that the operation speed is reduced, and minimizes damage at the time of sample contact during observation. Stop it.
[0057]
If it is determined in step S15 that the detection signal is larger than the lower limit, the process proceeds to step S18, where the LED 246 is turned on to notify the speculative user that contact detection is possible. In S19, the contact reference value is read from the RAM and compared with the detection signal. If YES is determined in step S19 that the detection signal is larger than the contact reference value, the sensitivity of the tactile sensor is determined to be better than usual, and the process proceeds to step S20, the contact determination value is held as it is, and the process proceeds to step S17. Then, the self-diagnosis operation ends.
[0058]
On the other hand, if NO is determined in step S19 that the detection signal is smaller than the contact determination value, the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 is determined to be lower than normal, and the process proceeds to step S21 to detect the contact determination value stored in the RAM 351 at that time. The value is replaced with a value to prevent the sample from being unnecessarily overloaded at the time of contact, and the process proceeds to step S17 to terminate the self-diagnosis operation.
[0059]
As described above, in the fourth embodiment, not only a warning is given in accordance with the level of the detection signal, but also the signal level of the contact determination is made variable, so that observation is made in a place where the environmental change such as temperature is large. In this case, since stable contact detection corresponding to the sensitivity of the tactile sensor 22 can be performed, more reliable sample protection can be realized, and yield in the case of sample breakage and loss in terms of man-hours can be reduced.
[0060]
Further, in the fourth embodiment, the case where the dummy sample 26 is provided and applied to the configuration has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the oscillation element described in the embodiment of FIG. The present invention can also be applied to a configuration having a pseudo contact means provided on the dummy sample mounting section 30, and similarly, an effective effect can be expected. Further, if a pressure sensor and a length measuring sensor are used for the dummy sample itself, the reliability can be further improved.
[0061]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the case has been described in which the touch detection unit is configured using the tactile sensor 22. It is. When this proximity sensor is used, a more effective effect can be expected because detection by non-contact can be realized.
[0062]
Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the dummy sample 26 and the oscillating element (not shown) constituting the pseudo contact means are arranged corresponding to the stage 11 so that the self-diagnosis of the tactile sensor 22 is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured to perform self-diagnosis of other components by arranging the pseudo contact means corresponding to other components mounted on the microscope main body 10. Is also possible.
[0063]
In each of the above-described embodiments, for example, the driving unit that moves the stage 11 up and down to change the relative distance in the optical axis direction from the objective lens 15 and the objective lens exchange unit that exchanges the objective lens 15 on the optical axis are used. Although the description has been given of the case where the present invention is applied to a microscope system having both of them, similar effects can be expected by applying the present invention to a microscope system having any one of these driving means and objective lens exchanging means. Can be.
[0064]
Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various other modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements.
[0065]
For example, even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in each embodiment, the problem described in the section of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effects described in the effects of the invention can be obtained. In this case, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0066]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a microscope system which has a simple configuration and can surely prevent a contact that may damage an objective lens or a sample.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microscope system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the operation unit of FIG. 1 taken out.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing details of a self-diagnosis unit in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a follow chart showing the self-diagnosis operation of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a microscope system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a detailed view showing the configuration of the pseudo contact means of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a main part of a microscope system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a follow chart showing the self-diagnosis operation of FIG. 7;
[Explanation of symbols]
10… microscope body
101 ... Lead wire
11 ... Stage
12… Stage motor
13… Stage XY handle
14… Revolva
15… Objective lens
16… Revolver motor
17… aperture stop
18… Field stop
19… Corner Cube
20 ... light source
21… Eyepiece
22… tactile sensor
23 ... CPU
24… operation unit
241… Focusing handle
242… switch
243… AF switch
244… SEACH switch
245… switch
246… LED
25, 35 ... Self-diagnosis unit
251… arithmetic unit
252… ROM
351… RAM
30… Dummy sample mounting part
31... First drive motor
32… arm
33… Arm storage section
34 second drive motor

Claims (4)

In a microscope system including at least one of a driving unit that changes a relative distance in the optical axis direction between a stage on which a sample is mounted and an objective lens and an objective lens exchange unit that exchanges an objective lens on the optical axis,
Contact detection means for detecting contact between the sample and the objective lens,
Control means for controlling the driving means or the objective lens exchange means by the output of the contact detection means,
Pseudo contact means for generating a contact state in the contact detection means in a pseudo manner,
A self-diagnosis unit for diagnosing the state of the contact detection unit from a detection output from the contact detection unit in a pseudo contact state generated by the pseudo contact unit, and outputting an instruction corresponding to the diagnosis result to the control unit; A microscope system comprising: The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the pseudo contact unit is provided on one of the stage and the objective lens exchange unit with respect to the contact detection unit. 3. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the pseudo contact unit includes an oscillation element, and applies the vibration generated by the oscillation element to the contact detection unit together with a stress caused by the pseudo contact. 4. 4. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis unit changes an instruction to be output to the control unit in response to a detection output of the pseudo contact unit. 5.

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