JP2004309716A - Microscopic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatized microscopic device in which information enough to specify a faulty or consumed mechanism is storable. <P>SOLUTION: The microscopic device is equipped with a microscope equipped with a plurality of mechanisms (12x, 12y, 15 and 16) for changing observation environment, control means (120, 112, 115 and 116) for driving a plurality of mechanisms in compliance with various instructions from a user, and log recording means (120, 120a, 12x', 12y', 15', 16' and 120b) time-sequentially recording log data indicating whether each of the plurality of mechanisms driven in compliance with the instructions is normally driven or abnormally driven in association with the kind of the instruction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a microscope apparatus in which various operations for changing an observation environment, such as switching of an observation magnification and movement of an observation point, are automated.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a computer system having a plurality of magnetic disk drives, an error log file of each drive is constructed while the computer is operating (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-133,028).
If this error log file is used at the time of maintenance, the administrator can specify a failure point or a wear point in the system.
[0003]
On the other hand, in the field of the microscope apparatus, the electrification has progressed, and mechanisms such as an objective lens holder and a stage have been electrified.
In such a microscope apparatus, it is possible to automate operations related to the change of the observation environment, that is, switching of the observation magnification, movement of the observation point, and the like (Patent Document 2 and the like).
[0004]
In this microscope apparatus, focus adjustment (parfocal correction) for correcting defocus occurring when switching the observation magnification, stage adjustment (eccentricity correction) for correcting deviation of the observation point occurring when switching the observation magnification, It is also possible to automate focus adjustment (tilt correction) for correcting a defocus generated when the observation point is moved (for example, Patent Document 3).
[0005]
In such an automated microscope apparatus as well, as in a computer system, an error log file is desired to be constructed in order to allow a manager to identify a failure location or a wear location during maintenance.
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-324214
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2003-5079
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-11-231228
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
If the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to a microscope apparatus, the error log file records the date and time of occurrence of each error of the objective lens movement and the stage movement.
[0007]
However, a failure point or a wear point in the microscope apparatus may not be specified from the error log file. The reason is as follows.
For example, if the eccentricity correction is automatically performed at the time of switching the observation magnification, the movement of the objective lens and the movement of the stage can be achieved almost simultaneously.
A part of the movable range of the objective lens and the stage overlap each other.
[0008]
Therefore, if an error occurs in the replacement of the objective lens and the objective lens stops at an inappropriate position, the stopped objective lens becomes an obstacle even if there is no abnormality on the stage, and the required amount of movement will occur. There are things you can't do.
In this case, since not only the error of the objective lens movement but also the error of the stage movement is recorded in the error log file, the administrator considers that both the mechanism for replacing the objective lens and the stage have a failure or wear. Would.
[0009]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automated microscope apparatus capable of accumulating information sufficient to identify a failed or worn out mechanism.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The microscope device according to claim 1, wherein the microscope includes a plurality of mechanical units for changing an observation environment, and a control unit that drives a necessary one of the plurality of mechanical units in response to various instructions from a user. And a log that records, in chronological order, log data indicating whether each of the plurality of mechanism units driven according to the instruction is normally driven or abnormally driven in association with the type of the instruction. Recording means.
[0011]
3. The microscope device according to claim 2, wherein the log data is data of “mechanical unit name” of the plurality of mechanical units, the log data being driven in accordance with the type of the instruction. And data of "error presence / absence" which is a driving result of the mechanism section.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the microscope apparatus according to the second aspect, the log data further includes data of “state before driving”, data of “drive target”, and “drive” of the mechanism unit. Data in a "later state".
[0012]
The microscope device according to claim 4 is the microscope device according to claim 1, wherein the log recording unit records information indicating a use state of each of the mechanism units in addition to the log data. And
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the microscope apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the information indicating the use state is data indicating “total number of times of driving” of the mechanism unit or data indicating “driving time”. There is a feature.
[0013]
7. The microscope device according to claim 6, wherein the log recording unit is configured to correspond to the respective operations in a time-series manner in the order of ending the operations of the plurality of mechanism units. The log data is recorded in association with the log data.
[0014]
The microscope device according to claim 7, wherein in the microscope device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, all of the plurality of mechanism units are housed in a housing, and the microscope includes The section is a motorized box-type microscope.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a microscope system 1 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in the upper part of FIG. 1, the microscope system 1 includes a microscope device 10, a monitor 20 connected thereto, and an input device 30. The input device 30 is a mouse, a keyboard, or the like.
[0017]
The microscope device 10 is a box-type microscope device in which each component is housed in a box-shaped housing as shown in the lower part of FIG.
In this microscope apparatus 10, the stage 12 on which a sample (preparation) 10A is placed conveys the sample 10A into and out of the housing in response to operation of an insertion / removal button 10a provided on the outer wall of the housing.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the microscope device 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, inside the microscope apparatus 10, a stage 12, a plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications (hereinafter, referred to as a 10 × objective lens 11 a and a 40 × objective lens 11 b), and different magnifications. (Hereinafter referred to as a 1 × reduction lens 13a and a 1/2 × reduction lens 13b), a CCD camera 19, a light source 141, a diffusion plate 142, a collector lens 143, an aperture 144, and a condenser lens 145. Be provided.
[0019]
In the optical path from the light source 141 to the CCD camera 19, in order from the light source 141 side, a diffusion plate 142, a collector lens 143, an aperture 144, a condenser lens 145, a sample 10A on the stage 12, an objective lens 11a or an objective lens 11b (in FIG. A lens 11b), a reduction lens 13a, or a reduction lens 13b (reduction lens 13b in the figure) is arranged. In FIG. 2, reference numeral "M" denotes an optical path deflecting mirror provided for saving space.
[0020]
In the above arrangement, the CCD camera 19 acquires an image (sample image) of a part of observation points on the sample 10A captured in the field of view of the objective lens (the objective lens 11b in the figure) inserted in the optical path.
Inside the microscope apparatus 10, there are further provided a diaphragm drive mechanism 14 for expanding and contracting the diameter of the diaphragm 144, an X movement mechanism 12x for moving the stage 12 in the X direction and a Y direction orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to the optical path, and a Y movement. A mechanism 12y, an objective lens exchange mechanism 15 for exchanging the objective lens inserted in the optical path between the objective lens 11a and the objective lens 11b, and an exchange of the reduction lens inserted in the optical path between the reduction lens 13a and the reduction lens 13b And a focus mechanism 16 for moving at least an objective lens inserted in the optical path (hereinafter, the objective lenses 11a and 11b as a whole) in the optical axis direction.
[0021]
Further, a control device 110 is provided inside the microscope device 10. The control device 110 includes a controller 120, an illumination control circuit 111, an aperture control circuit 114, a stage control circuit 112, which operates under the instruction of the controller 120, An objective lens driving circuit 115, a focus control circuit 116, a reduction lens driving circuit 117, and a CCD control circuit 119 are provided.
[0022]
Reference numerals 120a and 120b in FIG. 2 are a timer and a memory in the controller 120, respectively.
The illumination control circuit 111 controls turning on / off of the light source 141, the aperture control circuit 114 drives and controls the aperture drive mechanism 14, the stage control circuit 112 drives and controls each of the X movement mechanism 12x and the Y movement mechanism 12y, The objective lens drive circuit 115 controls the drive of the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the focus control circuit 116 controls the drive of the focus mechanism 16, the reduction lens drive circuit 117 controls the drive of the lens exchange mechanism 17, and the CCD control circuit 119 controls the CCD. The camera 19 is controlled.
[0023]
Further, inside the microscope apparatus 10, a sensor 14 'for detecting the diameter of the diaphragm 144, a sensor 12x' for detecting the position of the stage 12 in the X direction, a sensor 12y 'for detecting the position of the stage 12 in the Y direction, and replacement of the objective lens A sensor 15 'for detecting the type of the objective lens inserted into the optical path by the mechanism 15 and whether or not the objective lens is inserted, a sensor 16' for detecting the position of the objective lens in the optical axis direction by the focusing mechanism 16, and an optical path by the reduction lens replacing mechanism 17. Are provided with sensors 17 ′ for detecting the type of the reduction lens inserted in the camera and the presence / absence of the insertion. The outputs of the sensors are recognized by the controller 120 via the corresponding circuits in the control device 110.
[0024]
Further, the microscope device 10 and the monitor 20 and the input device 30 are connected via the controller 120.
A sample image acquired by the CCD camera 19 is displayed on the monitor 20 by the controller 120.
In addition, the monitor 20 displays an operation GUI (graphical user interface) such as operation buttons for prompting the user to perform various operations together with the sample image (details will be described later).
[0025]
When the user prompted by the GUI operates the input device 30, the controller 120 controls each unit in the microscope device 10 according to the operation.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display image 21 on the monitor 20.
In the display image 21, a micro sample image I, a macro sample image I ', an operation panel 22, and the like are arranged.
[0026]
The micro sample image I is an image of an observation point on the sample 10A. This micro sample image I is acquired in real time by the CCD camera 19.
The macro sample image I ′ is an entire image of the sample 10A. The macro sample image I ′ is obtained in advance by the CCD camera 19.
The operation panel 22 includes a tool section 22a, an arrow button 22b, a magnification switching button 22c, a focus button 22d, an aperture button 22f, and the like.
[0027]
A cursor 21a is displayed on the display image 21. The user can instruct the microscope system 1 to switch the observation environment by moving the cursor 21 a by operating the input device (mouse) 30 and selecting (clicking) each position on the display image 21.
The switching of the observation environment includes magnification switching for changing the observation magnification, stage movement for moving the observation point, focus adjustment for adjusting the focus of the micro sample image I, and aperture adjustment.
[0028]
In the microscope system 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of operations are simultaneously controlled (multitask control) by the control device 110, and each operation is executed in accordance with each of the instructions. In advance, the parfocal correction and the eccentricity correction are automatically performed, and the tilt correction is automatically performed as needed when the stage is moved.
[0029]
First, the magnification switching will be described.
To switch the observation magnification, the user may click the magnification switching button 22c.
Since the magnification switching button 22c is prepared for each magnification of 5 ×, 10 ×, 20 ×, and 40 ×, the user clicks a button corresponding to a desired observation magnification and designates the observation magnification. I do.
[0030]
The controller 120 includes, among the 10 × objective lens 11a, the 40 × objective lens 11b, the 1 × reduction lens 13a, and the 倍 × reduction lens 13b, an objective lens and a reduction lens that realize a designated observation magnification. Is determined. Then, the objective lens exchanging mechanism 15 is driven via the objective lens driving circuit 115 so that the determined objective lens is inserted into the optical path, and the reducing lens driving circuit 117 is driven so that the determined reducing lens is inserted into the optical path. The reduction lens exchanging mechanism 17 is driven via this.
[0031]
Incidentally, when “5 ×” is designated, the 10 × objective lens 11a and the 1/2 × reduction lens 13b are combined, and when “10 ×” is designated, the 10 × objective lens 11a and 1 × When "20x" is specified, the 40x objective lens 11b and 1/2 reduction lens 13b are combined. When "40x" is specified, the 40x objective is combined. The lens 11b and the 1 × reduction lens 13a are combined.
[0032]
The parfocal correction and the eccentricity correction are executed as follows.
The controller 120 stores in advance information on the amount of shift of the focal plane before and after the magnification switching, and in the parfocal correction, the focus control circuit 116 controls the objective lenses 11a and 11b to move in the optical axis direction by the amount of shift. The focus mechanism 16 is driven via the.
[0033]
In addition, the controller 120 previously stores information on the shift amount of the observation point before and after the magnification switching, and in the eccentricity correction, the X moving mechanism via the stage control circuit 112 moves the stage 12 by the shift amount. 12x and / or the Y moving mechanism 12y is driven.
Next, the stage movement will be described.
[0034]
To move the stage 12, the user may click on the micro-sample image I.
The controller 120 drives the X moving mechanism 12x and the Y moving mechanism 12y via the stage control circuit 112 so that the clicked position becomes the center of the observation point.
[0035]
To increase the movement amount, the user may click on the macro sample image I ′.
The controller 120 drives the X moving mechanism 12x and the Y moving mechanism 12y via the stage control circuit 112 so that the clicked position becomes the center of the observation point.
[0036]
When the user wants the movement amount to be a predetermined amount, the user may click the arrow button 22b.
Since the arrow buttons 22b are provided for each moving direction, the user clicks the button in the desired direction.
The controller 120 drives the X moving mechanism 12x and / or the Y moving mechanism 12y via the stage control circuit 112 by a predetermined amount (one half screen or one screen depending on the observation magnification) per click.
[0037]
Then, the inclination correction is executed as follows.
The controller 120 previously stores information on the amount of deviation of the height of the sample 10A in the optical axis direction before and after the stage movement, and in tilt correction, the objective lenses 11a and 11b move in the optical axis direction by the amount of deviation. Thus, the focus mechanism 16 is driven via the focus control circuit 116.
[0038]
Next, focus adjustment will be described.
To adjust the focus, the user may click the focus button 22d.
The focus button 22d includes a button for bringing the objective lens and the stage closer to each other and a button for keeping the objective lens and the stage away from each other, so that the user clicks the desired button.
[0039]
The controller 120 drives the focus mechanism 16 via the focus control circuit 116 by a predetermined amount per click (depth of focus or depth of focus × 10 depending on the observation magnification).
To automatically focus, click the "AF" button.
Next, the aperture adjustment will be described.
[0040]
To adjust the diameter of the aperture 144, the user may click the aperture button 22f.
The aperture button 22f is provided with a button for reducing the diameter and a button for enlarging the diameter, and the user clicks the desired button.
The controller 120 drives the aperture driving mechanism 14 via the aperture control circuit 114 one step at a time for each click (one step for each of the opening rates of 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%).
[0041]
Immediately after the magnification switching, the diameter of the aperture 144 is automatically set to 75%.
As the illumination button 22g, a button for brightening the illumination and a button for dimming the illumination are provided, respectively, so that the user clicks a desired button.
The controller 120 turns on / off / changes the voltage of the light source 141 via the illumination control circuit 111 by a predetermined amount (each voltage of 0.1 V) per one click.
[0042]
As described above, the controller 120 for switching the magnification, moving the stage, adjusting the focus, and adjusting the aperture includes the respective mechanisms at that time, that is, the aperture drive mechanism 14, the X movement mechanism 12x, the Y movement mechanism 12y, and the objective lens exchange mechanism 15. , The drive log of each of the focus mechanism 16 and the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 and the respective error logs into information indicating the type of user's instruction (here, magnification switching, stage movement, focus adjustment, and aperture adjustment). The information is recorded in the memory 120b in association with the information.
[0043]
In recording an error log, the presence or absence of an error in the aperture drive mechanism 14 is determined as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the aperture control circuit 114 to the aperture drive mechanism 14, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 14 ', and the diameter of the aperture 144 matches the target value within a predetermined time measured by the timer 120a. It detects whether or not it has been done. If they do not match, an error is recorded.
[0044]
The presence or absence of an error in the X moving mechanism 12x is determined as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the X moving mechanism 12x, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12x 'and sets the X direction position of the stage 12 within the predetermined time measured by the timer 120a to the target value. Is detected. If they do not match, an error is recorded.
[0045]
The presence or absence of an error in the Y moving mechanism 12y is determined as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the Y moving mechanism 12y, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12y 'and sets the position of the stage 12 in the Y direction within a predetermined time counted by the timer 120a. Is detected. If they do not match, an error is recorded.
[0046]
The presence or absence of an error in the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 is determined as follows.
After a drive signal is output from the objective lens drive circuit 115 to the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 15 'and switches the optical path of the designated objective lens within a predetermined time measured by the timer 120a. To detect whether or not it has been inserted. If not inserted, record an error.
[0047]
The presence or absence of an error in the focus mechanism 16 is determined as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the focus control circuit 116 to the focus mechanism 16, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 16 ′, and the drive position of the objective lens matches the target position within a predetermined time measured by the timer 120 a. It detects whether or not it has been done. If they do not match, an error is recorded.
[0048]
The presence or absence of an error in the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 is determined as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the reduction lens drive circuit 117 to the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 17 'and switches the specified reduction lens within the predetermined time counted by the timer 120a. To detect whether or not it has been inserted. If not inserted, record an error.
[0049]
As a result of the above recording, a log file of the microscope device 10 is constructed in the memory 120b.
Next, this log file will be described.
The user or the administrator of the microscope system 1 may click the spanner button 23 (for example, provided on the tool unit 22a in the operation panel 22) on the display image 21 shown in FIG. .
[0050]
When the spanner button 23 is clicked, the controller 120 displays the information menu 24 on the display image 21 as shown in FIG. The contents of the log file are displayed in the information menu 24 (in FIG. 5, it is described as [log]).
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a log file.
In this log file, each log data is arranged in the order of recording time as 1), 2), 3),.
[0051]
Note that the amount of log data that can be displayed at one time is predetermined (for example, 27).
The user can shift the display range to the new log data by clicking the next page button 28 shown in FIG. 5, and shift the display range to the old log data by clicking the previous page button 29. (The shift of the display range is performed by the controller 120 in response to the operation of the input device 30.)
Also, the amount of log data that can be stored is predetermined (for example, 50 to 100), and when it exceeds that, the log data is deleted in order from the oldest log data.
[0052]
At the beginning of each of the log data 1), 2), 3),..., Information of the type of user's instruction (information such as “switch magnification”, “stage movement”, “aperture adjustment”) is added. You.
In each of the log data 1), 2), 3),..., A mechanism name, presence / absence of an error, a state before driving, a target, a state after driving, and the like are listed after information of the type.
[0053]
“Objective lens” in the column of mechanism name indicates the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, “reduction lens” indicates the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17, “focus” indicates the focus mechanism 16, and “X stage” indicates the X movement mechanism 12 x “Aperture” indicates the aperture drive mechanism 14. [OK] indicates drive log data (no error) indicating normal drive, and [NG] indicates drive log data (error included) indicating abnormal drive.
[0054]
Here, in the series of log data 1), 2), 3) and 4) and the series of log data 24), 25), 26) and 27) in FIG. This is the log data when it was made.
A case where an error occurs while the user is performing the operation of switching the observation magnification will be described with reference to FIG.
[0055]
When the user issues an instruction to switch the magnification of the objective lens from 10 × (10 ×) to 40 × (40 ×), the operations are simultaneously controlled (multitask control) based on the control signal of the control device 110. You.
As shown in 1) to 4) in FIG. 5, log data is formed in the order of completion of each operation, and the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 → reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 → X moving mechanism 12x → focus mechanism 16 (parfocal correction operation). Log data is formed in order.
[0056]
In this case, since “NG” is recorded in the operation of the focus mechanism 16, an error has occurred in the focus mechanism, and an error is displayed on the monitor 20 at the same time.
[0057]
The user knows from the error display that an error has occurred in the operation of the microscope. However, since the objective lens is normally switched, the user may ignore the error display and continue observation as it is.
When observing another sample while continuing observation, the user temporarily performs an operation of switching the objective lens to a low magnification.
[0058]
When the user issues an instruction to switch the magnification of the objective lens from 40 × (40 ×) to 10 × (10 ×), the control device 110 outputs a control signal in accordance with the magnification switching instruction, and outputs each control signal required for magnification switching. Simultaneous control of mechanisms (multitask control).
Then, as shown in 24) to 27) in FIG. 5, log data is formed in the order in which the operation of each mechanism ends.
[0059]
In this case, unlike the operation order of each mechanism of 1) to 4) in FIG. 5, the focus mechanism 16 (parfocal correction operation) → the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 → the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 → the X movement mechanism 12x. The operation has been completed.
This is because the drive end time is case-by-case depending on the state of each mechanism for multitask control.
[0060]
In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, since “NG” is recorded as log data in the operation of the focus mechanism 16 and the operation of the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, an error occurs in the focus mechanism 16 and the objective lens exchange mechanism 15. This means that an error is displayed on the monitor 20.
The user notices from the error display that there is something abnormal in the operation of the microscope, and can recognize the error because there is no actual change in the observation magnification.
[0061]
At this point, the user is convinced that the microscope is not working properly and will contact the service center of the microscope manufacturer.
The administrator of the service center who has been notified can refer to the log file of the microscope to understand which mechanism of the microscope has an error and which part needs to be replaced.
[0062]
The administrator can identify the “OK” mechanism and the focus mechanism 16 in which “NG” is recorded a plurality of times by checking the log data of the log file in FIG.
In other words, the administrator can identify the order in which the mechanisms are operated and the mechanism in which “NG” has occurred according to the user's instruction to switch the magnification, and the focus mechanism 16 has an error cause. I can guess.
[0063]
Specifically, the objective lens 11a, 11b stops at an inappropriate position because the focus mechanism 16 has failed to adjust the focus, and immediately thereafter, the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 attempts to exchange the objective lens 11a with the objective lens 11b. It can be inferred that either the objective lens 11a or the objective lens 11b hits the stage 12 and cannot be replaced.
[0064]
As described above, the administrator can determine from the log file that the focus mechanism 16 has failed and the objective lens replacement mechanism 15 has not failed.
In addition, the administrator refers to the log file of the microscope and, when a plurality of “NG” are not recorded, asks the user about the occurrence status of the error and performs the reverse operation of the operation in which the error occurred, or By repeating the same operation, log data of the operation of each mechanism of the microscope is acquired, and a failure location can be estimated by comprehensively analyzing the log data.
[0065]
That is, since the log data is recorded in the order of the end of the operation of each mechanism that performs a series of operations according to the user's instruction, the failure location is estimated by paying attention to the “OK” operation and the “NG” continuous operation. it can.
[0066]
In the information menu 24 described above, in addition to the log file, information indicating the use state of each mechanism, such as [total number of times of driving], [driving time], and [state] are displayed as shown in FIG.
From the log file of FIG. 5, it was possible to determine which mechanism had a failure. Until the failure was caused by exhaustion of the mechanism or a defect other than exhaustion. Can not judge.
[0067]
In order to make the determination, information indicating the use state of each mechanism shown in FIG. 6 is required.
By comparing the information on the use state with the durability information (the number of times of durable driving of each mechanism, the durability time, and the like), it can be determined whether or not a failure has occurred at least due to wear.
If the use state of each mechanism is less than the durability information, it can be inferred that the failure is caused by another cause, and the administrator of the service center can pursue the cause.
[0068]
[Total number of times of driving] includes the following information.
・ Total number of driving of the objective lens changing mechanism 15
・ Total number of times the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 is driven
・ Total number of drives of X moving mechanism 12x (regardless of distance)
・ Total number of driving of Y moving mechanism 12y (regardless of distance)
・ Total number of driving of the focus mechanism 16 (regardless of the distance)
・ Total number of driving of the aperture driving mechanism 14 (regardless of the amount)
・ Total number of times of turning on / off the light source 141
[Driving time] includes the following information.
[0069]
・ Driving time of the objective lens exchange mechanism 15
・ Driving time of the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17
・ Driving time of X moving mechanism 12x
・ Driving time of Y moving mechanism 12y
.Driving time of the focus mechanism 16
[State] includes the following information.
[0070]
-Lighting / extinguishing state of the light source 141
-Voltage level when light source 141 is turned on (0 to 255)
If the information of [the total number of driving], [driving time], and [state] is used together with the information of the log file shown in FIG. 5, the administrator can make a more accurate determination. is there.
[0071]
Note that the information of [total number of times of driving] and [driving time] is obtained by the controller 120 and recorded in the memory 120b in the same manner as the log file described above. The information of [state] is acquired by the controller 120 for each display.
The total number of driving of the objective lens conversion mechanism 15 in [the total number of driving] is obtained as follows.
[0072]
After a drive signal is output from the objective lens drive circuit 115 to the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 15 'and recognizes that the exchange of the objective lens has started. Is added to the total number of times the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 is driven.
Further, the total number of times of driving of the reduction lens replacing mechanism 17 in [total number of times of driving] is obtained as follows.
[0073]
After the drive signal is output from the reduction lens drive circuit 117 to the reduction lens replacement mechanism 17, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 17 'and recognizes that the replacement of the reduction lens has been started. Is added to the total number of times the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 is driven.
In addition, the total number of driving of the X moving mechanism 12x in [the total number of driving] is obtained as follows.
[0074]
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the X moving mechanism 12x, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12x 'and recognizes that the movement of the stage 12 in the X direction has been started. 1 is added to the total number of drives of the X moving mechanism 12x.
Further, the total number of driving of the Y moving mechanism 12y in [the total number of driving] is acquired as follows.
[0075]
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the Y movement mechanism 12y, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12y 'and recognizes that the movement of the stage 12 in the Y direction has been started. 1 is added to the total number of drives of the Y moving mechanism 12y.
Further, the total number of driving of the focus mechanism 16 in [the total number of driving] is obtained as follows.
[0076]
After the drive signal is output from the focus control circuit to the focus mechanism 16, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 16 'and recognizes that the movement of the objective lens in the optical axis direction has been started. Is added to the total number of times the focus mechanism 16 is driven.
Further, the total number of driving of the aperture driving mechanism 14 in [total number of driving] is acquired as follows.
[0077]
After the drive signal is output from the aperture control circuit 114 to the aperture drive mechanism 14, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 14 ′ and recognizes that the change of the diameter of the aperture 144 has started. Is added to the total number of times the aperture drive mechanism 14 is driven.
Further, the total number of times of turning on / off the light source 141 in the [total number of times of driving] is obtained as follows.
[0078]
When a driving voltage is applied from the illumination control circuit 111 to the light source 141, the controller 120 refers to the voltage level of the light source 141 via an A / D converter (not shown) and, for example, sets a numerical value in the range of 0 to 255. recognize. When it is recognized from the voltage level that the light source is turned on or off, the number of times of driving 1 is added to the total number of times of driving of the light source 141.
[0079]
The drive time of the objective lens conversion mechanism 15 in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After a drive signal is output from the objective lens drive circuit 115 to the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 15 'and inserts the designated objective lens into the optical path from the start of objective lens exchange. The time up to a certain point is measured by the timer 120a, and the measured time is used as the driving time of the objective lens changing mechanism 15.
[0080]
The drive time of the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17 in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the reduction lens drive circuit 117 to the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 17 'and inserts the specified reduction lens into the optical path from the start of the reduction lens exchange. The time up to a certain point is measured by the timer 120a, and the measured time is used as the drive time of the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17.
[0081]
The drive time of the X moving mechanism 12x in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the X moving mechanism 12x, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12x 'and starts moving the stage 12 in the X direction to move to the target position in that direction. Is measured by the timer 120a, and the measured time is set as the driving time of the X moving mechanism 12x.
[0082]
The drive time of the Y movement mechanism 12y in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the stage control circuit 112 to the Y moving mechanism 12y, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 12y 'and starts moving the stage 12 in the Y direction to move to the target position in that direction. Is measured by the timer 120a, and the measured time is set as the driving time of the Y moving mechanism 12y.
[0083]
The drive time of the focus mechanism 16 in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the focus control circuit to the focus mechanism 16, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 16 ′ and measures the time from the start of the movement of the objective lens in the optical axis direction to the movement to the target position by a timer. The time is measured at 120a, and the measured time is set as the drive time of the focus mechanism 16.
[0084]
The drive time of the aperture drive mechanism 14 in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
After the drive signal is output from the aperture control circuit 114 to the aperture drive mechanism 14, the controller 120 refers to the output of the sensor 14 'and determines the time from the start of changing the diameter of the aperture 144 to the target value by the timer 120a. And the measured time is defined as the drive time of the aperture drive mechanism 14.
[0085]
The drive time for turning on / off the light source 141 in [drive time] is obtained as follows.
When a driving voltage is applied from the illumination control circuit 111 to the light source 141, the controller 120 refers to the voltage level of the light source 141 via an A / D converter (not shown) and, for example, sets a numerical value in the range of 0 to 255. recognize. From the voltage level, the time during which the drive voltage is applied is measured by the timer 120a, and the measured time is added to the drive time of the light source 141 (in the case of the light source 141, the total drive time is indicated).
[0086]
The lighting / unlit state of the light source 141 in [state] and the voltage level at the time of lighting are acquired as follows.
The controller 120 refers to the voltage level of the light source 141 via an A / D converter (not shown) and recognizes the voltage level as, for example, a numerical value in the range of 0 to 255. Based on the magnitude of the value, distinction of lighting / unlighting and recognition of a voltage level are performed.
[0087]
<Others>
In the above description, the case where the objective lens exchange mechanism 15 is affected by the error of the focus mechanism 16 has been described. However, according to the log file of the present embodiment, the focus mechanism 16, the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the X movement If either the mechanism 12x or the Y movement mechanism 12y affects any other, the administrator can similarly discover it.
[0088]
If the amount of information in the log file is small and a conclusion cannot be drawn, the administrator issues various instructions to the microscope apparatus 1 on a trial basis to perform various operations, thereby increasing the amount of information in the log file. And then refer to the log file again.
In addition, the display format of the log file is not limited to the above-described format, and the drive log and the error log of each of the objective lens exchange mechanism 15, the reduction lens exchange mechanism 17, the X movement mechanism 12x, and the Y movement mechanism 12y are provided. May be in another format as long as is associated with the type of user's instruction. Other information such as driving time may be added to each log data.
[0089]
Further, the display method of the log file is not limited to the method of superimposing and displaying the log file on the micro sample image I as described above, and other display methods such as displaying on a separate screen from the micro sample image I are adopted. May be. The microscope system 1 may be configured to transfer the log file to an external device such as a printing press or a computer instead of (or in addition to) displaying the log file on the monitor.
[0090]
Further, the microscope apparatus 10 described above is configured to perform all of the parfocal correction, the eccentricity correction, and the tilt correction, but may be configured to perform only a part of them.
The microscope apparatus 10 employs a focus mechanism for moving the objective lens in the optical axis direction, but may employ a focus mechanism for moving the stage in the optical axis direction.
[0091]
In the microscope system 1 described above, the control device is disposed inside the microscope device 10, but a part or all of the control device may be configured separately from the microscope device 10. For example, a dedicated control board for the microscope device 10 may be mounted on a computer, and the computer may have the same function as the control device.
In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a box-type microscope, but the present invention is also applicable to microscopes other than a box-type microscope.
[0092]
However, with a box-type microscope in which the components are housed in a housing, it is difficult to check the failure and wear of each mechanism such as the stage as compared with a microscope other than a box-type microscope. The present invention in which the degree can be specified is preferable.
[0093]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, an automated microscope apparatus capable of accumulating information sufficient to identify a failed or worn out mechanism is realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a microscope system 1 according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the microscope apparatus 10.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display image 21 on a monitor 20.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display method of an information menu 24.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a log file.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an information menu 24.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Microscope system
10 Microscope equipment (corresponding to microscope)
30 input device
12 stages (corresponding to mechanism and moving mechanism)
12x X moving mechanism (corresponds to mechanism, moving mechanism)
12y Y movement mechanism (corresponds to mechanism, movement mechanism)
12x ', 12y', 14 ', 15', 16 ', 17' sensors (corresponding to log recording means)
10A specimen
10a Insertion / removal button
11a 10x objective lens
11b 40x objective lens
13a 1x reduction lens
13b 1 / 2x reduction lens
141 light source
142 Diffuser
143 Collector lens
144 aperture
145 Condenser lens
14 Aperture drive mechanism
15 Objective lens exchange mechanism (corresponds to mechanism and lens exchange mechanism)
16 Focus mechanism (corresponding to mechanism, focus mechanism)
17 Reduction lens exchange mechanism
19 CCD camera
110 control device (corresponding to control means)
120 controller (corresponding to control means and log recording means)
111 Lighting control circuit
114 Aperture control circuit
112 Stage control circuit (corresponding to control means)
115 Objective lens drive circuit (corresponding to control means)
116 Focus control circuit (corresponding to control means)
117 Reduction lens drive circuit
119 CCD control circuit
120a timer (corresponding to log recording means)
120b memory (corresponding to log recording means)
21 Display image
22 Operation panel
I Micro specimen image
I 'macro specimen image
21a Cursor
22a Tool part
22b Arrow button
22c Magnification switching button
22d focus button
22f Aperture button
22g lighting button
23 Spanner button
24 Information menu

Claims (7)

A microscope having a plurality of mechanisms for changing an observation environment,
Control means for driving necessary ones of the plurality of mechanism units in accordance with various instructions from a user,
Log recording means for recording, in chronological order, log data indicating whether each of the plurality of mechanism units driven according to the instruction is normally driven or abnormally driven in association with the type of the instruction A microscope device comprising: The microscope device according to claim 1,
The log data is composed of data of “mechanism part names” of the plurality of mechanism parts and data of “error presence / absence” which is a driving result of the mechanism parts, which are driven in accordance with the type of the instruction. A microscope device characterized by being performed. The microscope device according to claim 2,
The said log data is further comprised of the data of the "state before drive" of the said mechanism part, the data of "drive target", and the data of "state after drive", The microscope apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The microscope device according to claim 1,
The microscope apparatus, wherein the log recording unit records information indicating a use state of each of the mechanism units in addition to the log data. The microscope device according to claim 4,
The microscope device, wherein the information indicating the use state is data indicating “total number of times of driving” of the mechanism unit or data indicating “driving time”. The microscope device according to claim 1,
The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the log recording unit records the log data corresponding to each of the operations in a time-series manner in association with the end of each operation of the plurality of mechanism units. In the microscope device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The microscope is
A microscope apparatus wherein all of the plurality of mechanism units are housed in a housing, and each of the mechanism units is a motorized box-type microscope.

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