JP6751310B2 - Microscope image display device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a microscope image display device.

Conventionally, when a plurality of Z stack images, which are obtained by changing the focus position in the optical axis direction (Z axis direction) of the objective lens, are acquired in the time axis direction, the vertical direction on the screen is increased. There is known a microscope observing apparatus that displays a plurality of images, for example, 3×3=9 images in a matrix, with the direction being the Z-axis direction and the horizontal direction on the screen being the time axis direction (for example, Patent Document 1). reference.).

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0141103

However, with the microscope image display device of Patent Document 1, it is possible to simultaneously confirm an image to be observed and an image adjacent to both the Z-axis direction and the time-axis direction, but each image is displayed small and the observation There is an inconvenience that the desired image cannot be observed in detail. Further, in the case of displaying in a matrix as in Patent Document 1, for example, when displaying nine images, images adjacent to each other in both the Z-axis direction and the time-axis direction are simultaneously confirmed with respect to the image to be observed. However, since images further apart in the Z-axis direction and the time-axis direction are not displayed at all, there is a disadvantage that the Z-axis direction position and the time-axis direction position of the image to be observed cannot be easily confirmed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is possible to intuitively confirm the Z-axis direction position in the Z stack image of the microscope image being viewed while browsing one microscope image. An object is to provide a microscope image display device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of microscope images obtained by moving a focal position in the optical axis direction of an objective optical system of a microscope , and a plurality of microscope images obtained at different times at the same optical axis direction position. and a storage unit for storing each of the microscope image stored in the storage unit, the microscope image display area for displaying the microscopic image of one to be displayed, adjacent the top and bottom of the microscopic image display area And a Z-direction image number information display area for displaying Z-direction image number information indicating the number of the microscope images existing in both directions of the Z-axis direction of the microscope image displayed in the microscope image display area , and Time for displaying the number-of-time-axis-direction image number information indicating the number of the microscope images existing in both directions of the time axis direction of the microscope image displayed in the microscope image display area, which are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right of the microscope image display area. A display unit having an axial image number information display area , an operation unit for specifying the microscope image to be displayed in the microscope image display area, and when any one of the microscope images is specified by the operation unit, it is specified. The number of the microscope images existing in both directions of the Z-axis direction of the microscope image is calculated, and the Z-direction image number information displayed in the Z-direction image number information display area is updated, and the time of the specified microscope image is specified. There is provided a microscope image display device including: an image updating unit that calculates the number of the microscope images existing in both axial directions and updates the time axis direction image number information displayed in the time axis direction image number information display area .

According to this aspect, the microscope image is designated by the operation unit while the plurality of microscope images acquired while moving the focus position in the optical axis direction of the objective optical system of the microscope are stored in the storage unit. And the specified microscope image is displayed in the microscope image display area, and the number of Z-direction images indicating the number of microscope images acquired at different Z-direction positions on both sides in the Z-axis direction with respect to the specified microscope image. The information is displayed in the Z-direction image number information display area arranged above and below the microscope image display area.

Since the Z-direction image number information is not the image itself, a large area for displaying is unnecessary, and a large microscope image display area for displaying the specified microscope image can be secured. As a result, the specified microscope image can be observed in detail without being obstructed by other images.

Further, since the Z-direction image number information represents the number of microscope images existing in both directions of the Z-axis, it is possible to determine in which Z-axis direction the microscope image being viewed is located in the entire Z stack. You can check intuitively.

In the above aspect, the Z-direction image number information is a straight line drawn in parallel to each of the upper and lower sides of the specified microscope image with a space in a direction orthogonal to the upper and lower sides thereof, The number of the straight lines drawn in the Z-direction image number information display area may correspond to the number of the microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction.

By doing this, the Z-direction image number information is displayed in a narrow space in the Z-direction image number information display area above and below the microscope image being viewed by making the number of straight lines corresponding to the existing number. be able to. Further, the number of microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction can be intuitively confirmed by the number of straight lines.

Further, in the above aspect, the number of the straight lines drawn in the upper and lower Z-direction image number information display regions may be equal to the number of the microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction.
By doing so, the position in the Z-axis direction of the microscope image being viewed can be intuitively confirmed by the number of straight lines drawn above and below the microscope image.

Further, in the above aspect, the Z direction image number information may be configured by a part of each of the microscope images existing in each Z axis direction with the designated microscope image as a reference.
By doing so, the position in the Z-axis direction of the viewed microscope image can be intuitively confirmed by the microscope images partially displayed above and below the microscope image.

In the above aspect, the storage unit stores a plurality of microscope images acquired at different times at the same optical axis direction position, and the display unit is arranged adjacent to the left and right of the microscope image display area. And a time axis direction image number information display area for displaying time axis direction image number information indicating the number of the microscope images existing in both time axis direction directions of the microscope image displayed in the microscope image display area. When any one of the microscope images is designated by the operation unit, the image updating unit calculates the number of the microscope images existing in both time axis direction directions of the designated microscope image and calculates the number of time axis direction images. updating the time-axis direction image number information to be displayed on the information display area.

By doing so, Z-direction image number information indicating the number of microscope images in the Z-axis direction is displayed above and below the specified microscope image, and the microscope image in the time-axis direction is displayed on the left and right of the specified microscope image. Information on the number of images in the time axis direction indicating the number is displayed. As a result, the position in the Z-axis direction and the position in the time-axis direction of the microscope image being viewed can be intuitively confirmed by the image number information displayed on the top, bottom, left, and right of the microscope image.

Further, in the above aspect, the time axis direction image number information is a straight line drawn in parallel to each of the left and right sides at intervals in a direction orthogonal to the left and right sides of the specified microscope image, The number of the straight lines drawn in each of the time axis direction image number information display areas may correspond to the number of the microscope images existing in each time axis direction.
By doing this, the time axis direction image number information is made into a straight line of a number corresponding to the number of existence, so that the time axis direction image number information display area in the narrow space on the left and right of the microscope image being viewed. Can be displayed. In addition, the number of microscope images existing in each time axis direction can be intuitively confirmed by the number of straight lines.

Further, in the above aspect, the number of the straight lines drawn in the left and right time axis direction image number information display areas may be equal to the number of the microscope images existing in each time axis direction.
By doing so, the position in the time axis direction of the microscope image being viewed can be intuitively confirmed by the number of straight lines drawn on the left and right of the microscope image.

Further, in the above aspect, the time axis direction image number information may be configured by a part of each microscope image existing in each time axis direction with the designated microscope image as a reference.
By doing so, the position in the time axis direction of the microscope image being viewed can be intuitively confirmed by the microscope images partially displayed on the left and right of the microscope image.

According to the present invention, it is possible to intuitively confirm the Z-axis direction position in the Z stack image of the microscope image being browsed while browsing one microscope image.

It is the whole lineblock diagram showing the microscope image display device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the example of the microscope image memorize|stored in the memory|storage part of the microscope image display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the display part of the microscope image display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the microscope image displayed on the display part of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example when a microscope image at a position deep in the Z-axis direction is designated from the display example of FIG. 4. It is a figure which shows the example of a display when the microscope image of one sheet shallow position is designated to the Z-axis direction from the display example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of the display example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of the display example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of the display example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 4th modification of the display example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the modification of the display part of the microscope image display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the microscope image displayed on the display part of FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example when a microscope image acquired at the time when one image is advanced in the time axis direction from the display example of FIG. 12 is designated.

A microscope image display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the microscope image display device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a storage unit 2 that stores a plurality of microscope images A, an operation unit 3 that specifies the microscope image A to be viewed, and a microscope image. A display unit 4 that displays an image including A and an image updating unit 5 that updates the image displayed on the display unit 4 based on the microscope image A designated by the operation unit 3 are provided.

The microscope image A is, for example, a scanning confocal microscope or a multiphoton excitation type microscope, in which the focal position of the objective optical system is arranged at a predetermined depth position inside the sample and is orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective optical system. 2 is a fluorescence image obtained by scanning laser light in a two-dimensional direction (X and Y axis directions). A plurality of microscopic images A are obtained by arranging the focal position of the objective optical system at different positions in the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) to form a Z stack image.

The storage unit 2 is, for example, a hard disk drive, and as shown in FIG. 2, one set of Z stack images acquired at approximately the same time is used, and a plurality of sets of Z stack images acquired at different times are stored. Remembered That is, the plurality of microscope images A are stored in the storage unit 2 in association with the Z-axis direction position and the image acquisition time.

The display unit 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and as shown in FIG. 3, a microscope image display for displaying the microscope image A designated by the operation unit 3 among the microscope images A stored in the storage unit 2. An area 6 and a Z-direction image number information display area 7 arranged above and below the microscope image display area 6 are provided.

In the Z direction image number information display area 7, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of straight lines B1 parallel to the upper side and the lower side of the microscope image A displayed in the microscope image display area 6 are displayed. .. The Z direction image number information display area 7 arranged above the microscope image display area 6 is deeper in the Z axis direction than the selected microscope image A in the Z stack including the specified microscope image A. A straight line B1 representing the microscope image A of which the position is photographed is displayed. Further, in the Z direction image number information display area 7 arranged below the microscope image display area 6, the Z axis is larger than the selected microscope image A in the Z stack including the specified microscope image A. A straight line C1 representing a microscope image A obtained by photographing a shallow position in the direction is displayed.

The number of straight lines B1 and C1 displayed in each Z direction image number information display area 7 matches the number of the microscope images A arranged on both sides in the Z direction with the designated microscope image A as a reference. ..
In the example shown in FIG. 4, the Z stack including the designated microscopic image A includes seven microscopic images A including the designated microscopic image A, and the microscopic image A at the center in the Z-axis direction. Shows the case where is specified. Three parallel straight lines B1 and C1 are respectively displayed in the Z direction image number information display area 7 above and below the microscope image display area 6 to indicate that the three parallel straight lines B1 and C1 are deeper than the designated microscope image A and are shallow. It is shown that three microscopic images A are present in each direction.

The operation unit 3 is, for example, a touch panel sensor arranged on the surface of the liquid crystal display of the display unit 4, and sends a signal indicating a contact and a contact position by a user's fingertip or the like to the image updating unit 5.

The image updating unit 5 reads the microscope image A at the designated Z-axis direction position and time from the storage unit 2 in the microscope image display area 6 of the display unit 4 in accordance with the signal sent from the operation unit 3. It is supposed to be displayed. Further, the image updating unit 5 is adapted to create the Z-direction image number information to be displayed in each Z-direction image number information display area 7 based on the position information of the designated microscope image A in the Z-axis direction. ..
As the hardware constituting the image updating unit 5, a general-purpose processing device that operates by a computer program, such as a general-purpose computer or a personal computer, can be used.

The operation of the microscope image display device 1 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below.
In order to display the microscope image A using the microscope image display device 1 according to this embodiment, the user operates the operation unit 3 to specify the microscope image A to be browsed. When the microscope image A is specified, the image updating unit 5 updates the microscope image A displayed in the microscope image display area 6 to the specified microscope image A, creates Z-direction image number information, and acquires each Z-direction image. It is displayed in the numerical information display area 7. As a result, the image shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display unit 4.

Next, when the user uses the operation unit 3 to specify the microscope image A photographed at a position one step deeper in the Z-axis direction, the image updating unit 5 causes the newly specified microscope image A to be displayed, as shown in FIG. Is displayed in the microscope image display area 6 and the Z direction image number information is updated. The information on the number of images in the Z direction at this time is updated so as to be two straight lines B1 on the upper side of the microscope image display area 6 and four straight lines C1 on the lower side.

Conversely, when the user designates the microscope image A photographed at a position one step shallower in the Z-axis direction with the operation unit 3 while the image shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the display unit 4, the image updating unit As shown in FIG. 6, 5 displays the newly designated microscope image A in the microscope image display area 6 and updates the Z direction image number information. The information on the number of images in the Z direction at this time is updated so as to be four straight lines B1 on the upper side of the microscope image display area 6 and two straight lines C1 on the lower side.

As described above, according to the microscope image display apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the microscope image A of the Z stack including the three-dimensional image information such as XYZ is displayed, the microscope image A to be viewed is displayed at the center. The number of microscope images A existing in both directions of the Z-axis is indicated by straight lines B1 and C1 above and below the same, so that the user can easily and easily determine the position of the microscope image A being viewed in the Z-axis direction. There is an advantage that it can be confirmed intuitively.
Therefore, even when the screen of the display unit 4 is small, it is possible to confirm the position of the microscope image A being viewed in the Z-axis direction while ensuring the resolution of the microscope image A desired to be viewed.

According to the microscope image display device 1 of the present embodiment, the straight lines B1 and C1 displayed in the Z direction image number information display area 7 are set to have the same length as the upper side or the lower side of the specified microscope image A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 7, it may be shortened as it moves away from the microscope image display area 6 in the upper direction, and may be made longer as it moves downward.
By doing so, a sense of depth can be expressed by the straight lines B1 and C1 displayed in the Z-direction image number information display area 7, and a shallower position closer to the surface of the sample and a deeper position toward the front are expressed to the back side. Then, there is an advantage that the intuition can be enhanced.

In addition, in the present embodiment, one microscope image A present on both sides in the Z direction is expressed by one straight line B1 and C1. However, as shown in FIG. The number of microscopic images A represented by one straight line may be different. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the thickest straight line B3 represents 50 sheets, the next thickest straight lines B2 and C2 represent 10 sheets, and the thinnest straight line B1 and C1 represent 1 sheet. It may be displayed that there are 62 microscopic images A on the lower side (the shallow side in the Z-axis direction) and 62 on the deep side in the direction.

Further, instead of expressing the number of microscope images A by the number of straight lines, as shown in FIG. 9, it may be expressed by a number indicating the number or ratio.
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, instead of the straight lines B1 and C1, the microscope images A existing on both sides in the Z-axis direction are overlapped on the back side of the microscope image A displayed in the microscope image display area 6. It may be shifted so as to be partially displayed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the information of the microscope image A at a position deeper in the optical axis direction is displayed in the upper Z-direction image number information display area 7, and the optical information is displayed in the lower Z-direction image number information display area 7. Although the information of the microscope image A at a position shallower in the axial direction is displayed, the information may be reversed, or the user may select it according to his or her preference.

Further, in the present embodiment, only the microscope image A included in any of the Z stacks is displayed, but instead of this, the same Z-axis direction position as the microscope image A displayed in the microscope image display area 6 is displayed. When there are microscopic images A obtained by photographing at different times, as shown in FIG. 11, a time axis direction image number information display area 8 is provided on the left and right of the microscopic image display area 6 and designated. The lines may be displayed by straight lines D1 and E1 that are parallel to the left and right sides of the microscopic image A that has been displayed.

That is, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the microscope image of the central Z-axis direction position in the Z stack acquired at the central time of the seven Z stacks composed of the seven microscopic images A acquired at different times. The case where A is designated is shown. The upper and lower three straight lines B1 and C1 indicate that there are three microscopic images A at different depth positions in both directions in the Z-axis direction, and the left and right three straight lines D1 and E1 indicate the time axis direction. It shows that there are three microscopic images A acquired at different times in both directions.

When the user designates the microscope image A advanced by one in the time axis direction from the microscope image A currently designated by the operation unit 3, as shown in FIG. 13, the designated microscope image A is displayed in the microscope image display area. 6, the straight line E1 in the time axis direction image number information display area 8 on the right side becomes two, and the straight line D1 in the time axis direction image number information display area 8 on the left side becomes four lines. Updated by 5.

By doing so, there is an advantage that the user can easily and intuitively check the position of the microscope image A being viewed in the time axis direction.
In the examples shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, straight lines D1 and E1 that become shorter as they move away from the viewed microscope image A in the time axis direction are used, but straight lines having the same length may be used. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, straight lines having different thicknesses may be adopted, or like the one shown in FIG. 9, they may be expressed by numbers. Further, as in the case shown in FIG. 10, a part of the microscope image A may be displayed.

1 Microscope Image Display Device 2 Storage Unit 3 Operation Unit 4 Display Unit 5 Image Update Unit 6 Microscope Image Display Area 7 Z-direction Image Number Information Display Area 8 Time Axis Direction Image Number Information Display Area A Microscope Image B1, B2, B3, C1 , C2, D1, E1 straight line

Claims (7)

A plurality of microscope images acquired by moving the focal position in the optical axis direction of the objective optical system of the microscope, and a storage unit for storing the same plurality of microscopic images obtained at different times in the optical axis direction position respectively ,
Of the microscope images stored in the storage unit, a microscope image display area for displaying one of the microscope images to be displayed , and the microscope image display area arranged adjacently above and below the microscope image display area. A Z-direction image number information display area for displaying information on the number of Z-direction images representing the number of the microscope images present in both directions of the Z-axis of the microscope image displayed in, and adjacent to the left and right of the microscope image display area. A time axis direction image number information display area that displays time axis direction image number information indicating the number of the microscope images existing in both time axis direction directions of the microscope image displayed in the microscope image display area . A display unit provided,
An operation unit for designating the microscope image to be displayed in the microscope image display area,
When any one of the microscope images is designated by the operation unit, the number of the microscope images existing in both Z-axis directions of the designated microscope image is calculated and displayed in the Z-direction image number information display area. The time axis direction image for updating the Z direction image number information, calculating the number of the microscope images existing in both time axis direction directions of the specified microscope image, and displaying the number in the time axis direction image number information display area. A microscope image display device comprising: an image updating unit for updating number information .
The Z direction image number information is a straight line drawn in parallel with each of the upper and lower sides of the specified microscope image with a space in a direction orthogonal to the upper and lower sides thereof,
The microscope image display device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the straight lines drawn in the upper and lower Z-direction image number information display areas corresponds to the number of the microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction. The microscope image display device according to claim 2, wherein the number of the straight lines drawn in the upper and lower Z-direction image number information display areas is equal to the number of the microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction. The microscope image display device according to claim 1, wherein the Z-direction image number information is configured by a part of each of the microscope images existing in each Z-axis direction with the designated microscope image as a reference. The time axis direction image number information is a straight line drawn in parallel to each of the left and right sides at intervals in the direction orthogonal to the left and right sides of the specified microscope image,
The microscope image display device according to claim 4 , wherein the number of the straight lines drawn on each of the left and right time axis direction image number information display areas corresponds to the number of the microscope images existing in each time axis direction. The microscope image display device according to claim 5 , wherein the number of the straight lines drawn on each of the left and right image number information display areas in the time axis direction is equal to the number of the microscope images existing in each time axis direction. The microscope image display device according to claim 4 , wherein the time axis direction image number information is configured by a part of each of the microscope images existing in each time axis direction with the designated microscope image as a reference.

Images