JPS62180241A - Tomographic image observing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an observing device which obtains information on an extremely thin layer by observing scattered light or fluorescent light from a body which is irradiated with thin-plate type luminous flux through a microscope optical device. CONSTITUTION:Light from an argon laser 1 as a light source passes through a pinhole plate 2, a condenser lens 3, and a cylindrical lens 4 and is converted into thin-plate type luminous flux 11, which is made incident on a sample 10 below the objective 6 of the microscope optical system. The sample 10 is placed on a stage 5 whose up/down position is finely adjustable and the stage 5 is so adjusted that the luminous flux 11 is incident along the section of the sample 10 to be observed. Scattered light or fluorescent light generated in the section layer by the luminous flux 11 which crossing only the section layer of the sample 10 to be observed is image-formed on an image forming surface through a lens 6. Consequently, the state of the scattered light and fluorescent light only in the extremely thin layer of the subject can be observed regardless of the depth of field of an optical lens.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an apparatus for observing tomographic images.

(Conventional technology) When you want to extract information within a certain plane of a biological tissue,
One possible method is to project the surface using an optical lens to form an image.

However, since optical lenses have a depth of field, when observing the tomography of an object or the fluorescence within a stone fragment, the thickness of the frN should be less than or equal to the depth of field of the lens. I can't.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a tomographic image observation apparatus capable of extracting information from an extremely thin layer.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the llj'i layer image observation apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a light source; an illumination optical means for converting the light from the light source into a thin plate-shaped light beam; , an observation optical means for observing scattered light or fluorescent light of an object irradiated with the thin plate-shaped light beam from one side.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings and the like.

FIG. 1 is an optical path diagram showing a first embodiment of the Wr layer image observation apparatus according to the present invention.

Light from an argon laser 1 as a light source is converted into a thin plate-shaped light beam 11 by an illumination optical means.

The illumination optical means includes a pinhole slope 2 for extracting a part of the light from the light source 1, a condensing lens 3 for further condensing the light transmitted through the pinhole slope 2, and a planar shape for the light transmitted through the condensing lens 3. It is composed of a focusing cylindrical lens 4.

The light beam made into a thin plate using the cylindrical lens 4 is transmitted to the objective lens 6 of the microscope optical system, which is the observation optical means.
is made incident into the sample 10 below.

The sample 10 is placed on a stage 5 whose vertical position can be finely adjusted, and the stage 5 is adjusted so that the light beam 11 is incident along the cross section of the sample to be observed.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the sample and the plate-shaped light beam, and FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the cut surface of the sample by the light and the projected image of this cut surface.

As shown in Fig. 2, the light beam illuminates the sample while crossing only the fault to be observed, and as shown in Fig. 3, the scattered light or fluorescent light within the fault is transmitted to the optical system of the microscope ( The image is formed on the imaging plane through the objective lens 6) of the microscope.

As shown in FIG. 4, the thickness of the light beam is less than the depth of field of the microscope optical system.

This allows you to view only the very thin layer illuminated by the light beam within the depth of field, that is, the tomographic section you wish to observe.

Next, an example of observation using the observation model will be explained.

Figure 5 (1) is a perspective view showing the relationship between the observation model and the plate-shaped luminous flux, Figure 5 (n), (II [)
1 is a schematic diagram of a tomographic image observed by the example apparatus shown in the figure.

The observation model is a sample in which agar B with the same concentration as A is embedded in agar A in the form of threads.

Agar A has a diameter of about 1 mm, and agar B contains a fluorescent substance.

The total magnification when photographing one image with a microscope is about 50 times.

The illumination optical means produces a light beam of light source 1 with a width of 1 mm and a thickness of 10 mm.
Squeezed to a thickness of μm.

The sample is moved up and down by the stage 5 so that the height positions (II) and (■) of the sample are covered by the light beam.

In the same figure (II), the image of part B1 where the agar is illuminated at the position (If) by the plate-shaped light beam and emits fluorescent light is shown.
In the same figure (III), an image of a portion B2 which similarly emits fluorescent light at the position (I[[) appears.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention converts light from a light source into a thin plate-shaped light beam using an illumination optical means, and illuminates an object with the light beam from one side of the thin plate-shaped light beam. The arrangement is such that scattered light or fluorescent light is observed by observation optical means.

This makes it possible to observe scattering, fluorescence, etc. only within a 1i thin layer within the object, regardless of the depth of field of the optical lens.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an optical path diagram showing an embodiment of an apparatus for observing an Ir layer image according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the light beam formed by the illumination optical system of the apparatus of the embodiment illuminates while crossing only the fault to be observed in the sample. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an illumination image generated by the illumination and a state in which the image is stepped by an observation optical system. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the depth of field of the objective lens of the projection Y optical system and the thickness of a thin plate-shaped light beam. Figure 5 (I) is a perspective view showing the relationship between the observation model and the plate-shaped light flux, and Figure 5 (If) ([[I] shows this model as the first
1 is a schematic diagram of a tomographic image observed by the example apparatus shown in the figure. 1... Light source (argon laser) 2... Pinhole 1 anti-3... Condensing lens 4... Cylindrical lens 5... Stage 6... Objective lens 7 of the microscope optical system... Image plane IO...Sample 11...Thin plate-shaped light beam Patent applicant Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Ltd. Representative Patent attorney Hisashi Inoro"AP1 Fig. 7, #, fi, and filtration of the 3rd and 4th lenses Figure 5 (I) (In)

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) A light source, an illumination optical means that converts the light from the light source into a thin plate-shaped light beam, and observing the scattered light or fluorescence of an object irradiated by the light beam from one side of the thin plate-shaped light beam. A tomographic image observation device composed of observation optical means. (2) The illumination optical means includes a pinhole plate that takes out a part of the light from the light source, a condenser lens that condenses the light that has passed through the pinhole plate, and a condenser lens that condenses the light that has passed through the condenser lens into a plate shape. The tomographic image observation device according to claim 1, which is a cylindrical lens. (3) Tomographic image observation according to claim 1, wherein the observation optical means is a lens that forms an image of the surface of the object illuminated by the planar light beam and a screen arranged on the image formation plane. Device. (4) The tomographic image observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the thin plate-shaped light beam formed by the illumination optical means is smaller than the thickness of the depth of field of the objective lens of the observation optical system. . (5) The tomographic image observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical means is a slit plate that converts light from a light source into parallel light.