JP2014056192A - Microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a microscope capable of easily adjusting a position of a sample to be displayed on a display device regardless of a degree of magnification.SOLUTION: A microscope 1, which captures an image of a sample using an image sensor 9 and displays the image on a monitor 5, includes a stage 12 on which a sample is placed, an observation optical device 8 which forms a magnified image of a sample on the image sensor 9 and is capable of changing the magnification, and a drive unit 13 which drives the stage 12 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Instruction information for specifying a movement direction of the stage 12 is entered using manipulation keys displayed on a touch panel of the monitor 5. A control board 10 controls operation of the drive unit 13 in accordance with the instruction information entered through the manipulation keys, and changes the moving speed of the stage 12 driven by the drive unit in inverse proportion to the magnification when the magnification for an image displayed on the monitor 5 is changed.

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscope that captures an image of a sample placed on a stage with an image sensor and displays the image on a display device such as a monitor.

  Conventionally, this type of microscope has been widely used for observing samples in experiments and research in various fields, or observing cells such as keratin collected from the skin at cosmetic sales sites.

  In such a microscope, when adjusting the position of the sample imaged by the imaging device, that is, the position of the sample displayed on a display device such as a monitor, it is necessary to move the sample left and right with respect to the observation optical system. In recent years, a configuration in which a stage is driven left and right by a driving unit using an electric motor or the like as a driving source to adjust the position of a sample together with the stage is common.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a microscope in which an image of a sample held in a holder unit is enlarged by an imaging optical system, and this is photographed by a camera unit and displayed on a display unit. In this microscope, the holder unit is mounted on an XY stage unit movable in an XY plane orthogonal to the direction of the optical axis of the imaging optical system, and the operation of the XY stage unit is controlled by the control unit, thereby displaying The position of the sample displayed on the display can be adjusted.

JP 2011-145468 A

  This type of microscope is configured so that the magnification of the sample image by the imaging optical system, that is, the magnification of the microscope can be changed. However, in the conventional microscope, the moving speed of the stage driven by the driving means is large or small. Regardless of the situation, it was fixed. Therefore, as the magnification increases, the moving speed of the sample in the screen of the display device when the stage is moved increases, and it is difficult to adjust the position of the sample at high magnification.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a microscope capable of easily adjusting the position of a sample displayed on a display device regardless of the magnification.

  The microscope of the present invention is a microscope that captures an image of a sample with an image sensor and displays the image on a display device, and expands the image of the sample on a stage on which the sample is arranged and the sample. An observation optical system, a magnification changing means for changing the magnification of the observation optical system, a drive means for driving the stage in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis passing through the stage, and an instruction for moving the stage Input means for inputting instruction information to be input, and controlling the operation of the driving means based on the instruction information input to the input means, and the driving when the magnification of the image displayed on the display device is changed Control means for setting the moving speed of the stage driven by the means to a moving speed inversely proportional to the magnification.

  In the microscope of the present invention, it is preferable that the input means has an operation key capable of inputting a moving direction of the stage.

  In the microscope of the present invention, it is preferable that the display device has a touch panel for displaying an enlarged image of the sample and displaying operation keys capable of instructing a moving direction of the stage.

  In the microscope of the present invention, it is preferable that the display device has a touch panel that displays an enlarged image of the sample and can indicate a moving direction of the stage by a drag operation.

  In the microscope of the present invention, it is preferable that the touch panel functions as a magnification changing unit that increases the magnification of the observation optical system by a pinch-out operation and decreases the magnification of the observation optical system by a pinch-in operation.

  According to the present invention, since the moving speed of the sample in the screen of the display device when the stage is moved is constant regardless of the magnification of the microscope, it is easy to adjust the position of the sample displayed on the display device. Can be.

It is a perspective view of the microscope which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is the side view which removed the side cover from the microscope shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the display of the monitor shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  A microscope 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is an optical microscope, and is used, for example, when a cell such as a keratin collected from the skin is used as a sample and is visually enlarged and observed. It is done. The microscope 1 is housed in a case (housing) 2 formed of a resin material such as plastic, a metal plate, or the like to form one unit, and is a portable type that can be carried together with the case 2. .

  A sample insertion port 3 is provided in the side cover 2 a of the case 2. A sample constituted by the preparation 4 is inserted into the sample insertion port 3. When the preparation 4 is inserted, the microscope 1 enlarges the image of the sample, and an enlarged image of the sample is displayed on the monitor 5 that is a display device. As described above, the microscope 1 is a monitor type capable of observing an enlarged image of the sample on the monitor 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the microscope 1 includes a stage device 6, an illumination device 7, an observation optical device 8, an image sensor 9, and a control board 10.

  The stage device 6 includes a support frame 11 fixed to the case 2 and a stage 12 accommodated in the support frame 11. An opening 11a connected to the sample insertion port 3 of the case 2 is provided on the side surface of the support frame 11, and the preparation 4 inserted from the sample insertion port 3 of the case 2 is disposed on the stage 12 through the opening 11a. Is done. That is, the sample is placed on the stage 12 by inserting the preparation 4 from the sample insertion port 3.

  A drive unit (drive means) 13 is attached to the support frame 11. The stage 12 is driven by the drive unit 13 and can move in the XY direction and the Z-axis direction. The XY direction is a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of light irradiated from an illuminating device 7 described later and passes through the stage 12, and the Z direction is perpendicular to the XY direction, that is, a direction parallel to the optical axis. When the stage 12 moves, the preparation 4 placed on the stage 12 also moves with the stage 12. As the drive unit 13, for example, three electric motors (not shown) corresponding to XYZ directions are provided, and the rotational motions of these electric motors are converted into linear motions in each direction by a screw mechanism and transmitted to the stage 12. Although the thing of the structure to be used can be used, you may use the drive unit of another structure.

  The illumination device 7 includes a light source 14 and an illumination optical system 15 and is arranged above the stage 12. In the present embodiment, the illumination device 7 is Koehler illumination that uniformly irradiates light toward the sample. The light generated by the light source 14 is uniformly adjusted by the illumination optical system 15 and is bent 90 degrees downward by the upper mirror 16 provided between the light source 14 and the stage 12 so that the stage 12 can be bent from above. Irradiated vertically. For example, a light emitting diode (LED) is used as the light source 14. The light source 14 is not limited to a light emitting diode, and a light bulb using a filament can also be used.

  An observation optical device 8 that is an observation optical system includes an objective lens 17 and a zoom tube lens 18 and is disposed below the stage 12.

  The objective lens 17 is disposed below the stage 12 and is fixed to the support frame 11.

  The zoom tube lens 18 includes a cylindrical fixed tube 18a fixed to the case 2 and a cylindrical movable tube 18b combined with the fixed tube 18a so as to be movable in the axial direction. An imaging lens (eyepiece lens) (not shown) is fixed in the interior of 18b. Although not shown in detail, the tubes 18a and 18b are connected to each other via a cam mechanism. When the cam mechanism is driven by an electric motor (not shown), the movable tube 18b moves along the fixed tube 18a and is connected. The distance between the image lenses changes.

  A lower mirror 19 is disposed between the objective lens 17 and the zoom tube lens 18, and the optical axis of the light passing through the objective lens 17 is reflected by the lower mirror 19, and the objective lens 17 and the zoom tube lens are reflected. The zoom tube lens 18 is bent 90 degrees between the zoom tube lens 18 and the zoom tube lens 18 in the direction along the axial direction.

  The image sensor 9 is fixed to the end of the zoom tube lens 18, that is, the end facing the opposite side of the lower mirror 19. For example, a CCD image sensor (Charge Coupled Device Image Sensor) or a CMOS image sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Image Sensor) mounted on the substrate 20 is used as the image sensor 9, but other image sensors can also be used. .

  The zoom tube lens 18 enlarges the image of the sample that has passed through the objective lens 17 and forms it on the image sensor 9. The zoom tube lens 18 can change the magnification of the image formed on the image sensor 9 by changing the interval between the image forming lenses by the operation of the cam mechanism. For example, in the present embodiment, the zoom tube lens 18 can change the magnification of the microscope 1 into three stages of 120 times, 300 times, and 700 times. As described above, the zoom tube lens 18 has a function as an observation optical system that forms an image of a sample and a function as a magnification changing unit that changes the magnification of the observation optical system.

  The microscope 1 includes a ring diaphragm (not shown) provided in the illumination device 7 and a phase plate (not shown) provided in the observation optical device 8. The ring diaphragm and the phase plate are disposed at conjugate positions. That is, the microscope 1 is configured as a phase microscope including an illuminating device 7 configured as Koehler illumination, a ring stop, and a phase plate. By configuring the microscope 1 as a phase contrast microscope, cells such as keratin collected from the skin can be clearly observed by converting the phase difference of light into contrast without staining.

  In the present embodiment, the microscope 1 is configured as a phase contrast microscope. However, the microscope 1 is configured as a microscope for bright field observation or dark field observation, and the present invention is applied to this. You can also.

  The control board 10 which is a control means is connected to the stage device 6, the illumination device 7, the zoom tube lens 18 and the image sensor 9, and controls these operations. The control board 10 is connected to an external power source such as a commercial power source by a wiring (not shown), and executes control of each device and the like by power supplied from the external power source. Note that a power source such as a battery for supplying power to the control board 10 may be provided in the case 2 instead of the configuration in which the wiring is connected to the external power source.

  The monitor 5 that is a display device is connected to the control board 10 by a cable 21. In the present embodiment, a tablet terminal (tablet computer) having a function as a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage medium such as a memory or a hard disk is used as the monitor 5.

  The screen of the monitor 5 is a touch panel (also called a touch screen or a touch screen) in which a position input device such as a touch pad is combined with a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel. As shown in FIG. 3, the screen of the monitor 5 has an area for displaying operation keys for operating the microscope 1 in addition to an image display area 22 for displaying an enlarged image of the sample.

  On the screen of the monitor 5, as operation keys, a pair of X-direction position adjustment keys 23 a and 23 b that move the stage 12 in the X direction and move the field of view in the X direction, and the stage 12 move in the Y direction and move the field of view to Y A pair of Y-direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b, a pair of focus adjustment keys 25a and 25b, and four magnification change keys 26a to 26d to be moved in the direction are displayed. The magnification change key 26a corresponds to the magnification 120 times of the zoom tube lens 18, the magnification change key 26b corresponds to the magnification 300 times of the zoom tube lens 18, and the magnification change key 26c corresponds to the magnification 700 times of the zoom tube lens 18. ing. The monitor 5 has an electronic zoom function for further enlarging the 700 × magnified image sent from the microscope 1 and displaying it at 1400 ×, and the magnification change key 26d corresponds to a magnification of 1400 × by this electronic zoom function. doing. On the screen of the monitor 5, a shooting key 27 for storing an enlarged image in a storage medium or the like of the monitor 5 that is a tablet terminal, buttons for various adjustments, and the like are displayed.

  When each key displayed on the monitor 5 is touched with a fingertip, instruction information corresponding to the operation is input to the monitor 5 and a command signal corresponding to the instruction information is output to the control board 10. The control board 10 to which the command signal is input controls the operation of each device of the microscope 1 based on the input command signal. As described above, the monitor 5 has a function as an input unit for inputting instruction information for instructing the operation of the microscope 1 in addition to a function of displaying an enlarged image of the sample magnified by the microscope 1. . By using the touch panel as the screen of the monitor 5 and displaying the operation keys on the screen to configure the input means, it is not necessary to provide the input means separately from the monitor 5 and the configuration of the microscope 1 can be simplified. it can.

  When the preparation 4 is inserted into the sample insertion port 3, the illumination device 7 irradiates the sample with light, and an image of the sample generated thereby is enlarged by the observation optical device 8 and formed on the image sensor 9. The image pickup device 9 picks up an image of the sample formed on the image pickup device 9 and outputs it to the monitor 5. Thereby, an enlarged image of the sample imaged by the imaging element 9 is displayed in the image display area 22 of the monitor 5.

  By selectively pressing any of the magnification changing keys 26a to 26d displayed on the monitor 5, the magnification of the enlarged image of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 is changed to a desired magnification suitable for the analysis of the sample. Can do. Further, by pressing the focus adjustment keys 25 a and 25 b displayed on the monitor 5, the stage 12 can be moved in the direction along the optical axis, and the focus of the sample image displayed on the monitor 5 can be adjusted. .

  On the other hand, by pressing the X-direction position adjustment keys 23a and 23b and / or the Y-direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b displayed on the monitor 5, the position of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 in the screen can be adjusted. . For example, when one of the X direction position adjustment keys 23 a and 23 b is pressed, instruction information for instructing movement of the stage 12 in the X direction is input to the monitor 5, and a command signal corresponding to the instruction information is received from the monitor 5. Input to the control board 10. When the command signal is input, the control board 10 controls the operation of the drive unit 13 so as to move the stage 12 in the direction based on the input command signal. Accordingly, the drive unit 13 is operated in accordance with the movement instruction in the X direction input to the monitor 5, and the stage 12 is driven by the drive unit 13 to move in the X direction. Similarly, when the Y-direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b of the monitor 5 are operated, instruction information for instructing the movement of the stage 12 in the Y direction is input to the monitor 5, and the control board 10 receives the command signal. Based on this, the operation of the drive unit 13 is controlled, and the stage 12 is driven by the drive unit 13 to move in the Y direction.

  Here, when the magnification of the image displayed on the monitor 5 is changed, the control board 10 controls the operation of the drive unit 13 so that the movement speed of the stage 12 becomes a movement speed inversely proportional to the magnification. That is, the control board 10 controls the operation of the drive unit 13 so that the moving speed of the stage 12 is slower when the magnification of the sample image displayed on the monitor 5 is increased than when the magnification is low. . As the magnification is increased to 120 times, 300 times, 700 times, and 1400 times, the moving speed of the stage 12 is reduced in inverse proportion to the magnification. For example, the moving speed of the stage 12 in the XY direction when the magnification is 300 times is set to 0.4 times the moving speed of the stage 12 in the XY direction when the magnification is 120 times. Therefore, even if the magnification of the image displayed on the monitor 5 is changed, the position of the sample displayed on the screen of the monitor 5 by operating the X direction position adjustment keys 23a and 23b and the Y direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b. The moving speed of the sample in the screen when moving is constant regardless of the magnification. In order to perform the control, information on the magnification of the image displayed on the monitor 5 is input from the monitor 5 to the control board 10.

  As described above, in the microscope 1 of the present invention, when the magnification of the sample image displayed on the monitor 5 is changed, the moving speed of the stage 12 driven by the drive unit 13 is set to a speed inversely proportional to the magnification. I try to do it. Therefore, even if the magnification of the sample image displayed on the monitor 5 is changed, the moving speed of the stage 12 is set to a speed that is inversely proportional to the magnification, so that the moving speed of the sample in the screen of the monitor 5 becomes the magnification. Regardless, it is always constant. Thereby, it is possible to easily adjust the position of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 while keeping the moving speed of the sample within the screen of the monitor 5 when the stage 12 is moved regardless of the magnification. Even if an operation for moving the position of the sample is performed while performing an operation for changing the magnification, the moving speed of the sample in the screen of the monitor 5 is always constant, so that the position adjustment is easy.

  In the above-described embodiment, the monitor 5 having a screen configured as a touch panel is used, and the X direction position adjustment keys 23a and 23b and the Y direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b are displayed on the screen to configure the input means. Like to do. However, the input means is not limited to such a configuration, and the following configuration may be employed.

  That is, while using a monitor 5 having a screen configured as a touch panel, an instruction for instructing the moving direction and moving speed of the stage 12 by dragging the image of the sample displayed on the screen with a fingertip or the like. Information can be input. In this case, the control board 10 sets the moving speed and direction of the stage 12 so that the speed and direction of the drag operation of the fingertip or the like on the screen is the same as the moving speed and direction of the sample on the screen. The Even in this case, the moving speed of the stage 12 with respect to the speed of the drag operation of the fingertip or the like on the screen is set to a speed inversely proportional to the magnification of the sample displayed on the screen. Therefore, regardless of the magnification of the sample displayed on the monitor 5, the sample displayed on the monitor 5 can be moved while always following a drag operation with a fingertip or the like on the screen of the monitor 5.

  As described above, when the screen of the monitor 5 is dragged and the moving speed and moving direction of the stage 12 are instructed, the image of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 is visually observed on the screen. Since the position of the sample can be moved, the moving operation can be performed more easily regardless of the magnification.

  When the monitor 5 having a touch panel is used, the magnification of the sample image displayed on the screen of the monitor 5 is increased by pinching out the screen with a fingertip or the like, and the screen is pinched in with the fingertip or the like. Accordingly, the magnification can be reduced. With such a configuration, the operation of changing the magnification of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 can be easily performed while confirming the image of the sample displayed on the monitor 5.

  When the monitor 5 having a touch panel is used, a desired position of the enlarged image of the sample displayed on the monitor 5 is designated with a fingertip or the like, and the designated portion is moved to the center of the screen. At the same time, it can be automatically enlarged to a predetermined magnification and displayed. As a result, an image necessary for analysis of the sample can be easily obtained, and the operation is facilitated.

  The input means is not limited to the configuration using the screen of the monitor 5 configured as a touch panel, and an operation key such as a mechanically operated cross key provided separately from the screen of the monitor 5 can also be used. Such operation keys may be provided on portions other than the screen of the monitor 5, or may be provided separately from the monitor 5 and connected to the monitor 5 or the control board 10 of the microscope 1. it can. By using such operation keys, the cost of the microscope 1 can be reduced using an inexpensive monitor that is not a touch panel.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications or changes can be made.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a tablet terminal is used as the monitor 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a monitor connected to a desktop computer or a monitor of a notebook computer can also be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microscope 2 Case 2a Side cover 3 Sample insertion port 4 Preparation 5 Monitor (display device)
6 Stage device 7 Illumination device 8 Observation optical device (observation optical system)
9 Image sensor 10 Control board 11 Support frame 11a Opening 12 Stage 13 Drive unit (drive means)
14 Light source 15 Illumination optical system 16 Upper mirror 17 Objective lens 18 Zoom tube lens 18a Fixed tube 18b Movable tube 19 Lower mirror 20 Substrate 21 Cable 22 Image display areas 23a and 23b X direction position adjustment keys 24a and 24b Y direction position adjustment keys 25a, 25b Focus adjustment keys 26a to 26d Magnification change key 27 Shooting key

Claims (5)

A microscope that captures an image of a sample with an image sensor and displays it on a display device,
A stage on which the sample is placed;
An observation optical system for enlarging an image of the sample to form an image on the image sensor;
Magnification changing means for changing the magnification of the observation optical system;
Drive means for driving the stage in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis passing through the stage;
Input means for inputting instruction information for instructing the moving direction of the stage;
The operation of the drive unit is controlled based on the instruction information input to the input unit, and the moving speed of the stage driven by the drive unit is changed when the magnification of the image displayed on the display device is changed. And a control means for setting a moving speed inversely proportional to the magnification.   The microscope according to claim 1, wherein the input unit has an operation key capable of inputting a moving direction of the stage.   The microscope according to claim 2, wherein the display device includes a touch panel for displaying an enlarged image of the sample and displaying operation keys capable of instructing a moving direction of the stage.   The microscope according to claim 1, wherein the display device includes a touch panel that displays an enlarged image of the sample and can indicate a moving direction of the stage by a drag operation.   The microscope according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the touch panel functions as a magnification changing unit that increases the magnification of the observation optical system by a pinch-out operation and decreases the magnification of the observation optical system by a pinch-in operation.

Images