Abstract: The present invention provides a living-specimen observation and measurement system for storing a predetermined observation condition and controlling the predetermined observation condition based on an activity specific to a living specimen. The predetermined observation condition is information (items) about, for example, observation and culturing. More specifically, the predetermined observation condition includes the type of a living specimen, the incubation temperature, the pH, the seeding concentration, the cell density, time elapsed from seeding, the fluorochrome type, the fluorochrome concentration, the presence of delivered drug, the amount of light radiated onto the living specimen (e.g., irradiation light intensity per cell, irradiation light illuminance, etc.), the wavelength of irradiation light, the continuity of irradiation light (CW, pulse frequency, pulse width), the duration of a single irradiation, the number of observations, the observation interval, and so forth.

Abstract: The present invention improves the observation efficiency and makes possible detecting predetermined data from cells in a culture by a small scale and simple scanning optical system. The invention provides a cell cultivating and detecting unit comprising a stationary light source that generates a collimated light, an irradiation unit that irradiates the cells with the collimated light incident from the light source and emits the light emitted from the cells; a detecting unit that detects the light emitted from the irradiation unit, and wherein the irradiation unit can move in a direction parallel to the collimated light.

Abstract: A scanning confocal optical device comprises a light source section, a light transmitting section, a light scanning section, a polarized-plane modulating element, a polarizing/separating element, a light detecting section and a data processing section. The light transmitting section guides light emitted from the light source section to the light scanning section, and guides returning light from the light scanning section to the light detecting section. The light scanning section scans a focused beam of light across the specimen surface. The polarized-plane modulating element comprises, for example, a &lgr;/4 plate, which is located between the light scanning section and the specimen surface. The polarizing/separating element comprises, for example, a linearly polarizing element, which is located between the light transmitting section and the light detecting section.