JP2009150924A - Image acquisition system and image acquisition device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain desired images by properly controlling units even when the units are changed. <P>SOLUTION: An image acquisition system includes a mutually communicatable server 3 through a network 4 and an image acquisition device 2. The image acquisition device 2 includes a plurality of the units 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22 for acquiring images of an observation object (A) and a control device 30 for controlling the units by storing a control software. The server 3 includes a storage part 35 for storing to correlate pieces of unit information 33a-33f for discriminating the units and the pieces of control software 34a, 34b in response to the pieces of unit information 33a-33f. The image acquisition device 2 transmits the unit information of the unit to the server 3. In the image acquisition system 1, the server 3 transmits the pieces of control software 34a, 34b stored to be correlated to transmitted unit information to the image acquisition device 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image acquisition system and an image acquisition device.

Conventionally, for example, an image acquisition device such as a laser scanning microscope is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The image acquisition device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured by a complex combination of a plurality of units such as a laser light source, a scanner, a stage, an objective lens, and a filter. In such an image acquisition device, a desired unit may be selected by the user and changed from the unit configuration at the time of shipment. In such a case, the control software needs to be changed according to the unit used by the user.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-206742

  However, an enormous storage capacity is required to store control software corresponding to a unit that may be selected by the user in the image acquisition apparatus in advance. Further, control software corresponding to a new unit developed after the image acquisition device is delivered to the user cannot be stored in the image acquisition device in advance, and the manufacturer visits the user each time and newly There is an inconvenience that it is necessary to set an appropriate control software.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and provides an image acquisition system and an image acquisition apparatus capable of appropriately controlling them and acquiring a desired image even when units are changed. The purpose is that.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
The present invention includes a server and an image acquisition device that can communicate with each other via a network, the image acquisition device stores a plurality of units for acquiring an image of an observation object, and control software, A control unit that controls the unit, and the server includes a storage unit that stores unit information for identifying the unit in association with control software corresponding to the unit information, and the image acquisition device includes: An image acquisition system is provided that transmits unit information of the unit to a server, and the server transmits control software stored in association with the transmitted unit information to an image acquisition apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the image acquisition device is controlled by the control software provided in the control device, and an image of the observation object is acquired. When any unit constituting the image acquisition apparatus is changed, the image acquisition apparatus transmits unit information of the unit to the server via the network.

In the server, control software corresponding to the transmitted unit information is retrieved from the storage unit and transmitted to the image acquisition device. Therefore, if the control software corresponding to all the units that may be used is stored in the server, it is not necessary to store the control software in each image acquisition device, and the control software suitable for the changed unit can be obtained. It can be used to control the image acquisition device and acquire a desired image.
Moreover, in the said invention, the said unit information may be memorize | stored for every unit.

In the above invention, the control software transmitted from the server to the image acquisition apparatus may include interface software that allows an operation input to the corresponding unit.
In the above invention, the unit information may include license information of a corresponding unit, and the server may transmit control software based on the license information included in the transmitted unit information.
In the above invention, the image acquisition device may be a laser scanning microscope.

Further, the present invention is an image acquisition device that can communicate with a server via a network, and includes a plurality of units for acquiring an image of an observation target and a control device that controls the units, Image acquisition in which an apparatus transmits unit information for identifying the unit to the server, receives control software corresponding to the unit information transmitted from the server, and controls the unit using the received control software Providing equipment.
The image acquisition device may be a laser scanning microscope.

  According to the present invention, even if the units are changed, there is an effect that a desired image can be acquired by appropriately controlling them.

An image acquisition system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, an image acquisition system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a laser scanning microscope (image acquisition device) 2 that acquires an image of a specimen A, a server 3, the server 3, and the laser scanning type. A network 4 such as an Internet network connecting the microscope 2 is provided.

The laser scanning microscope 2 includes a first scanning optical system 5 and a second scanning optical system 6 for observation. The optical paths of the two scanning optical systems 5 and 6 are made to coincide with each other, and the respective scanning optical systems. The sample A on the stage 9 is irradiated with the laser light guided from 5 and 6 by the common imaging lens 7 and objective lens 8.
The first and second scanning optical systems 5 and 6 are optical systems for two-dimensionally scanning laser light emitted from the laser light sources 10 and 11 on the specimen A, and are dichroic mirrors 12 and 13. Scanning optical units 14 and 15, relay lenses 16 and 17, and mirrors 18 and 19.

  Further, detection optical systems 20 and 21 are arranged on the branched optical paths by the dichroic mirrors 12 and 13 of the first and second scanning optical systems 5 and 6, respectively. These detection optical systems 20 and 21 have a function of detecting fluorescence generated in the specimen A when irradiated with laser light. Specifically, each of the detection optical systems 20 and 21 includes barrier filters 22 and 23, condenser lenses 24 and 25, confocal pinholes 26 and 27, and photodetectors 28 and 29.

  The laser scanning microscope 2 is a complex composed of various units such as these laser light sources 10 and 11, scanning optical units 5 and 6, stage 9, objective lens 8, dichroic mirrors 12 and 13, and barrier filters 22 and 23. Each unit is connected to the control device 30. The control device 30 stores a control unit 31 that controls the scanning optical units 14 and 15 and the photodetectors 28 and 29, and control software corresponding to each unit, and displays a GUI screen, an acquired fluorescent image, and the like. 32.

  In the laser scanning microscope 2, each unit is controlled by control software stored in the computer 32, so that the laser light emitted from the laser light sources 10 and 11 is in an appropriate range on the specimen A with an appropriate intensity. Irradiated and generated fluorescence is appropriately detected, and a bright and clear fluorescent image can be acquired.

  The server 3 includes a storage unit 35 that stores unit information 33a to 33f of all units that may be used and control software 34a and 34b corresponding to the unit information 33a to 33f in association with each other. ing. The server 3 is normally provided on the maker side, and when a new unit is developed by the maker, the storage content of the storage unit 35 is updated with information that associates the unit information with the control software. It has become.

  According to the image acquisition system 1 according to the present embodiment, the computer 32 provided in the laser scanning microscope 2 detects unit information of all units constituting the laser scanning microscope 1 or all unit information. When the unit information is changed, the changed unit information is transmitted to the server 3 via the network 4. When the unit information is transmitted, the server 3 searches the storage unit 35 for control software corresponding to the unit information, and transmits the detected control software to the laser scanning microscope 2. It has become.

  According to the image processing system 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, in the laser scanning microscope 2 including a large number of units, even if each unit is changed by the user, the changed unit is changed. Control software that can perform appropriate control corresponding to the above can be automatically obtained from the server 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to store control software for all units expected to be used in advance in each laser scanning microscope 2, and there is an advantage that it is only necessary to have a necessary minimum storage capacity. is there.

  Furthermore, when a user acquires and replaces a newly developed unit at the manufacturer, the corresponding control software cannot be stored in advance, but according to the image processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, Even in such a case, it is possible to supply new control software from the server 3 and acquire an appropriate image.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the number of any unit is increased from (a) 1 to (b) 2, the server 3 changes the window 36a, 36b of the GUI screen 36 accordingly. Control software with increased numbers can be supplied. Further, not only the number of windows but also setting items, display items and the like can be updated to appropriate ones according to the unit. Also, the control software can be updated according to the version of the unit.

  The control software is preferably obtained every time the laser scanning microscope 2 is activated. By doing in this way, it can always observe with the laser scanning microscope 2 of the state provided with the newest control software. In addition, even if the system status is not changed, when the corresponding control software is upgraded, the latest version of the control software can be distributed, and the work of upgrading the version can be saved. There is also. Alternatively, when the unit information of the laser scanning microscope 2 is added or changed, the unit software may be transmitted to acquire the control software.

  The license information may be included in the unit information sent from the laser scanning microscope 2 to the server 3 side. The license information is information indicating whether the user has purchased a unit or processing function for a specific unit or processing function on software. In this way, it is possible to determine whether control software can be supplied based on the presence or absence of license information. Therefore, there is an advantage that the control software can be quickly provided to the user who has obtained the unit properly.

  In the present embodiment, the unit information of the unit is stored for each unit in the storage unit provided in the corresponding unit, and the laser scanning microscope 2 itself is provided with detection means for reading it, and the user If the unit is replaced, the unit information of the replaced unit may be automatically detected, or the user who replaced the unit may register it in the control device 30.

  Further, the state in which the single laser scanning microscope 2 is connected to the server 3 via the network 4 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a large number of laser scanning microscopes are provided for each user. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied when 2 is connected to the network 4.

1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an image acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the image acquisition system of FIG. 1, it is a figure which shows the example of an update of control software when a unit is changed, (a) Before change (b) It is a figure which shows the example of a GUI screen after change.

Explanation of symbols

A specimen (observation object)
1 Image acquisition system 2 Laser scanning microscope (image acquisition device)
3 Server 4 Network 5, 6 Scanning optical unit (unit)
8 Objective lens (unit)
9 stages (units)
10, 11 Laser light source (unit)
12, 13 Dichroic mirror (unit)
22 Barrier filter (unit)
30 control device 33a-33f unit information 34a, 34b control software 35 memory | storage part

Claims (7)

A server capable of communicating with each other via a network, and an image acquisition device;
The image acquisition device includes a plurality of units for acquiring an image of an observation object, a control device that stores control software and controls the unit,
The server includes a storage unit that stores unit information for identifying the unit in association with control software corresponding to the unit information,
An image acquisition system in which the image acquisition device transmits unit information of the unit to a server, and the server transmits control software stored in association with the transmitted unit information to the image acquisition device.   The image acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the unit information is stored for each unit.   The image acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the control software transmitted from the server to the image acquisition apparatus includes interface software that allows a corresponding unit to perform an operation input. The unit information includes license information of the corresponding unit,
The image acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the server transmits control software based on license information included in the transmitted unit information.   The image acquisition system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the image acquisition device is a laser scanning microscope. An image acquisition device capable of communicating with a server via a network,
A plurality of units for acquiring an image of an observation object, and a control device for controlling the units;
The control device transmits unit information for identifying the unit to the server, receives control software corresponding to the unit information transmitted from the server, and controls the unit using the received control software. Image acquisition device.   The image acquisition device according to claim 6, which is a laser scanning microscope.

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