JPH10153737A - Confocal microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a confocal microscope capable of compressing the data amount of a stereoscopic image. SOLUTION: In this confocal microscope, plural slice images are measured in the optical axis direction so as to obtain a three-dimensional stereoscopic image based on the slice images, and the microscope is provided with a microscope part 1 measuring the slice image by moving a sample 3 or an objective lens in the optical axis direction, and an arithmetic and control unit 2 controlling the movement of the sample 3, fetching the slice image from the microscope part 1 and compressing and preserving the slice image based on the already fetched slice image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to a confocal microscope that measures a plurality of slice images in an optical axis direction and obtains a three-dimensional stereoscopic image based on the slice images, and particularly relates to compression of a data amount of the stereoscopic image.

2. Description of the Related Art A confocal microscope obtains a confocal image by rotating two discs provided with a plurality of condensing means and apertures to perform optical scanning.

Since this confocal image has a high resolution in the optical axis direction, slice images of the sample can be obtained by measuring the confocal image while sequentially moving in the optical axis direction, and these slice images are subjected to image conversion. Thereby, a three-dimensional stereoscopic image of the sample can be obtained.

[0004]

However, the amount of slice image data is extremely enormous, which is problematic in terms of image processing time and storage capacity.

For example, when data is fetched using an 8-bit A / D converter, the measured data of a 512 × 512 slice image is 256 KB.

[0006] In addition, a 1024-bit A / D converter is used.
When the data of × 1024 points is taken in, the data amount becomes 1.5 MB. Generally, to obtain a three-dimensional stereoscopic image, 10 MB is required.
Since about 0 slice images are required, there is a problem that the data amount of one stereoscopic image is enormous at 150 MB. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a confocal microscope capable of compressing the data amount of a stereoscopic image.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of slice images are measured in the optical axis direction, and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image is obtained based on these slice images. In the confocal microscope, a microscope section for moving the sample or the objective lens in the optical axis direction to measure the slice image, and capturing the slice image from the microscope section while controlling the movement of the sample, to the already captured slice image An arithmetic control unit for compressing and storing the slice image based on the slice image.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the slice image is compressed and stored by extracting a difference between adjacent slice images. It is assumed that.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the present invention, the slice image is compressed and stored using an mpeg algorithm. .

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a confocal microscope according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a microscope unit, 2 is an arithmetic and control unit, 3 is a sample, 100 is an image signal, and 101 is a position control signal.

The sample 3 is set on a stage or the like (not shown) of the microscope unit 1 and is moved in the optical axis direction. The image signal 100 from the microscope unit 1 is connected to the arithmetic and control unit 2, and the position control signal 101 from the arithmetic and control unit 2 is connected to the microscope unit 1.

Here, the basic operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the sample 3, and FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an example of the obtained slice image.

First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the arithmetic and control unit 2 outputs a position control signal 101 and outputs the position control signal 101 to the microscope unit 1.
The position of the sample 3 is controlled so that the confocal point of "1" is on the plane indicated by "a" in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the arithmetic and control unit 2 takes in the image signal 100 from the microscope unit 1 and stores it in a storage circuit or the like in the arithmetic and control unit 2.

As the image signal 100, for example, FIG.
A slice image as shown in FIG. 3A is fetched and stored in a storage circuit or the like in the arithmetic and control unit 2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), the arithmetic and control unit 2 outputs a position control signal 101 so that the confocal point of the microscope unit 1 is placed on the surface indicated by "b" in FIG. Control the position of.

As shown in FIG. 2D, the arithmetic and control unit 2 takes in the image signal 100 from the microscope unit 1.

At this time, as shown in FIGS. 2E to 2J, the arithmetic and control unit 2 converts the current slice image shown in FIG. 4B based on the previously acquired slice image shown in FIG. The data is compressed and stored in a storage circuit or the like in the arithmetic and control unit 2.

Here, a method of compressing a slice image will be further described. In general, since the external shape of a three-dimensional sample such as a cell or pollen is formed by a smooth curve, adjacent slice images in the Z-axis direction are similar to each other.

Therefore, data can be compressed by extracting and storing the difference between adjacent slice images and the like.

More specifically, as shown in FIG.
The current slice image shown in FIG. 4B is compared with the previously captured slice image shown in FIG.

If the comparison results are the same as shown in FIG. 2 (f), data indicating "no change" is stored in the above-mentioned storage circuit or the like as shown in FIG. 2 (g).

If the comparison result is different in FIG. 2 (f), it is determined whether or not the image has moved as shown in FIG. 2 (h). If the image has moved, the movement vector is stored in the aforementioned storage circuit or the like as shown in FIG.

If the image is not a moving image, the slice image is stored as it is in the above-mentioned storage circuit or the like as shown in FIG.

Similarly, FIGS. 4 (c), (d) and (e)
By compressing the sequentially acquired slice images as shown in (1) and storing them in a storage circuit or the like in the arithmetic and control unit 2, the data amount of the stereoscopic image can be compressed.

As a result, by sequentially compressing the slice images, the data amount of the entire stereoscopic image can be reduced.

In the description of FIG. 1, the stage was moved in the optical axis direction to move the position of the sample 3, but the confocal was changed by fixing the sample 3 and using the objective lens and the irradiation light itself. You may let it.

As a method of compressing a slice image, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group, MPEG) shown in FIG.
Not only an example of the algorithm, but also a method of simply storing a difference from the previous slice image in a storage circuit or the like.

Since the compression method shown in FIG. 2 is irreversible compression, it may be reversible compression.

Further, the reference slice image for compression may be not only the immediately preceding slice image but also a plurality of slice images up to a plurality of previous slice images. The compression may be performed based on the slice images before and after the compression target slice image.

[0032]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. By sequentially compressing the slice images, a confocal microscope capable of compressing the data amount of the stereoscopic image can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of a confocal microscope according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a sample.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a slice image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microscope part 2 Operation control device 3 Sample 100 Image signal 101 Position control signal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A confocal microscope for measuring a plurality of slice images in an optical axis direction and obtaining a three-dimensional stereoscopic image based on the slice images, wherein a sample or an objective lens is moved in the optical axis direction to measure the slice images. And a calculation control device that controls the movement of the sample and captures the slice image from the microscope portion, compresses and stores the slice image based on the already captured slice image, Confocal microscope. 2. The confocal microscope according to claim 1, wherein the slice image is compressed and stored by extracting a difference between adjacent slice images. 3. The confocal microscope according to claim 1, wherein said slice image is compressed and stored by using Empeg's algorithm.