JPH1114910A - Optical microscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously observe an enlarged picture by plural persons at a distance in real time by processing the picture enlarged by a microscope by a personal computer and displaying it on a display, etc. SOLUTION: The CCD camera 13 of a specified pixel is fixed and disposed on the focusing position 12 of a lens group 11 by which the magnification of a sample 10 placed on a holder is increased. The position 12 of the camera 13 is adjusted to be aligned with the position 12 of the group 11 by a CCD camera control part. The data detected by the camera 13 are amplified by a signal amplifier circuit and transmitted to a personal computer side. Since the amplified data are hardly processed by the computer as they are because they are NTSC system data, a signal converting board converts them into an RGB system. Picture processing is performed on fetched data by a software inside the personal computer, exposure compensation and magnification change are performed, and the pictures are displayed on the display device (CRT) of the display, etc., in real time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope apparatus which allows a large number of people to check an image of a sample enlarged by a microscope in real time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional optical microscope, an operator observes a sample magnified through an eyepiece of the microscope. An optical microscope shown in FIG. 1 has been known as a microscope having a function of storing an image while keeping the state enlarged by the microscope.

In this optical microscope, a sample is placed on a stage 1, light from a light source unit 3 is projected through a light emitting tube 2, and an image of the sample enlarged in the microscope is connected to an eyepiece lens 4 and 35m.
An m-viewer 5 is connected, and a photograph is taken with a 35 mm camera 6.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional optical microscope is a single operator who operates and confirms the observation of a sample, and it is impossible for a plurality of operators to look at the sample at the same time.

Further, in a microscope equipped with a light source unit and a photographing camera, in addition to these devices, an exposure meter operation unit and a power supply operation unit are required, so that the device becomes large and very expensive. There was a problem.

In order to measure the actual size between two points of an image with the above-mentioned microscope, a photograph is taken with a microscope (100 times or 400 times). Baking is marked on two points. A scale is measured between two points. It required a lot of man-hours to calculate the actual size.

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 of the present invention is:
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical microscope device that allows a plurality of persons to view a sample enlarged at the same time.

The invention according to claim 5 provides an optical microscope apparatus which can easily measure a distance between two points on a screen and measure an area in a plot on the screen. Aim.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a CCD camera mounted at a focal position of a microscope main body, and a data of a sample detected by the CCD camera. Means for converting the data and taking it into a personal computer, a personal computer for performing image processing on the taken data, and a device such as a display for displaying an image of the sample,
It is characterized in that an image of a sample can be observed by a large number of people in real time.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the personal computer software sets a magnification setting reference piece at a microscope sample setting position, and adjusts one dot distance of an image with respect to a dot pitch of a CCD camera to a predetermined distance. Set the image magnification, then change the reference sample to a measurement sample, measure the number of dots between two reference points or a plurality of reference two points, and measure the actual size of the measurement sample on the screen or the actual It is characterized by being programmed to obtain an area.

In short, the present invention eliminates the eyepiece of the optical microscope and replaces the CCD installed at the lens focal position of the microscope body.
Although a camera substitutes for this, such a microscope has not been known at all. Further, there is no idea of measuring the actual area by observing an enlarged image of a sample by a large number of people in real time.

[0012]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a CCD camera 13 of a predetermined pixel is fixedly disposed at a focal position 12 of a lens group 11 for increasing the magnification of a sample 10 mounted on a holder. .

The focal position 12 of the CCD camera 13 is adjusted by the CCD camera control unit to the focal position 12 of the lens group 11.
Adjust to fit. Data detected by the CCD camera 13 is amplified by a signal amplifier circuit and sent to the personal computer.

The amplified data is in NTSC format, but it is difficult to process it as it is on a computer, so it is converted to RGB format by a signal conversion board. This NTSC-to-RGB signal conversion board is in a personal computer slot.

Data can be taken into a personal computer by an interface board via a serial port. The captured data is subjected to image processing by software in a personal computer, exposure correction, magnification change, etc., and can be displayed in real time on a display device (CRT) such as a display.

The magnification change, the actual size between two points of the image, and the actual area in the plot of the image can be performed by using personal computer software programmed as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, a magnification setting reference piece is placed at the microscope sample setting position. The distance of one dot of the image to the 640 × 480 dot pitch of the CCD camera is adjusted (magnification adjustment).

As shown in FIG. 4, the length between two reference points on the image is measured and standardized based on the magnification reference piece. In FIG. 4, 50 dots are set to 0.05 mm.
The desired magnification can be obtained by appropriately selecting the number of dots to be 0.05 mm.

Next, the reference sample is changed to a measurement sample,
As shown in FIG. 5, the number of dots between two points A and B is measured. As shown in FIG. 5, when the distance between the two points A and B is 25 dots, when the reference 0.05 mm is 50 dots, 2 dots are set.
5/50 × 0.05 mm = 0.25 mm.

The actual area in a plot surrounded by four points in a rectangle is, for example, 0.025 mm × 0.025 mm when the length and width are all 25 dots.

The displayed image can be saved and printed as either a moving image or a still image by software. In the above embodiment, the light source unit for projecting light to the CCD camera 13 is not provided. However, a light source unit may be provided even in the case of insufficient exposure of the CCD camera.

[0021]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an image magnified by a microscope is processed by a personal computer and displayed on a display or the like. Since the place and the observation place can be different places, a plurality of persons separated in real time can observe the enlarged image at the same time.

Conventionally, after measurement, images were taken and stored with a 35 mm camera or the like, but the cameras that can be used were limited by the apparatus of the microscope main body. According to the present invention, it is possible to save and print either a moving image or a still image, and to perform exposure processing of image data and change of magnification by a personal computer using image processing of computer software. Significantly improved.

Conventionally, an image data storage device such as a camera, an exposure processing device, and the like need to be installed on the microscope main body side, so that the size and cost of the main body device cannot be avoided. In the present invention, since these are all on the computer side, the above-mentioned problem is solved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the distance between two points on the screen and the area in the plot can be easily measured by clicking with a mouse or touching with a predetermined pen on the display. In addition, it can be performed with high accuracy. Moreover, if known image processing software is used together, the area measurement can be performed by clicking or touching a part of the sample image to separate the sample part from other parts. Area measurement becomes easier.

[0025]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional optical microscope.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a magnification set reference piece is enlarged.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the length between two reference points of a magnification setting reference piece is set to a predetermined number of dots.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for measuring a length between two points of a measurement sample.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Sample 11 Lens group 12 Focus position 13 CCD camera

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A CC mounted at a focal position of a microscope main body.
A D camera, means for converting the data of the sample detected by the CCD camera, and taking the data into a personal computer;
1. An optical microscope apparatus comprising: a personal computer for image processing of a sample; and a device such as a display for displaying an image of the sample. 2. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CCD camera detects the data as NTSC format data and converts the data into RGB format. 3. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data is taken into the personal computer by an interface connection via a serial port. 4. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data is subjected to exposure processing or magnification change by image processing using software of the personal computer. 5. The software of the personal computer sets a magnification setting reference piece at a microscope sample setting position, and adjusts one dot distance of an image with respect to a dot pitch of a CCD camera.
Set a predetermined image magnification, then change the reference sample to a measurement sample, measure the number of dots between two reference points or between a plurality of reference two points, and measure the actual size on the screen of the measurement sample or the plot in the screen. The microscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the microscope apparatus is programmed to determine an actual area. 6. The microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light source for transmitting light to said CCD camera.