Patents by Inventor Naoki Fukutake

Naoki Fukutake has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220244516
    Abstract: A microscope device (1) comprises an illumination optical system (10,20) for illuminating a sample, a detection optical system (40) for receiving light from the sample, a detector (60) for detecting the light from the sample via the detection optical system and outputting a detection signal of the light, a data processor (66) for generating at least one of a three-dimensional refractive index distribution and a two-dimensional phase distribution in the sample based on the detection signal output from the detector, and a modulation element group that is provided at a position of a pupil or a position conjugate with the pupil in only the illumination optical system, and has light transmittance changing continuously within a surface of the pupil or within a surface conjugate with the pupil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi IKEDA, Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Patent number: 10914676
    Abstract: An observation apparatus in this embodiment includes a light source configured to irradiate an observation target with light, and a processing unit configured to generate an image based on Rayleigh scattered light derived from ?(3) included in light obtained from the observation target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fukutake
  • Publication number: 20190094133
    Abstract: An observation apparatus in this embodiment includes a light source configured to irradiate an observation target with light, and a processing unit configured to generate an image based on Rayleigh scattered light derived from ?(3) included in light obtained from the observation target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Patent number: 10228552
    Abstract: In order to realize a high-speed switching of structured pattern, a structured illuminating microscopy includes a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in a sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to a light modulator, an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted components of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes on an observational object, an image-forming optical system forming an image by an observational light flux from the observational object on a detector, and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of an image by modulating at least one of an intensity of the exit light flux, an intensity of the observational light flux, and the detector with a modulating signal of 1/N frequency of the driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi Nomura, Hisao Osawa, Naoki Fukutake
  • Publication number: 20180149597
    Abstract: Provided is a determination device including a determining section that determines a state of a cell, using information relating to uniformity of a detection target generated based on an optical intensity of radiation light from the detection target included in a biological cell irradiated with excitation light. In the determination device, the detection target may be proteins. The determination device may include an information generating section that generated information, and the information generating section may generate information that excludes information corresponding to a non-resonant background signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Applicants: NIKON CORPORATION, TOKYO WOMEN'S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tadashi Umezaki, Naoki Fukutake, Shunji Watanabe, Yusuke Taki, Yuji Haraguchi, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20170276922
    Abstract: In order to realize a high-speed switching of structured pattern, a structured illuminating microscopy includes a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in a sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to a light modulator, an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted components of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes on an observational object, an image-forming optical system forming an image by an observational light flux from the observational object on a detector, and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of an image by modulating at least one of an intensity of the exit light flux, an intensity of the observational light flux, and the detector with a modulating signal of 1/N frequency of the driving signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi NOMURA, Hisao OSAWA, Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Patent number: 9709786
    Abstract: A non-linear microscopy includes an illuminating unit collecting an illuminating light supplied from a light source on a specimen and making a coherent non-linear optical process takes place at a collecting point; a detecting unit detecting a coherent object light occurred in the non-linear optical process and generating a signal indicating light intensity at a light detecting part; and a controlling unit scanning a specimen plane of the specimen by the collecting point and measuring a distribution of the signal on the specimen plane; in which at least one of an optical path of the illuminating light from the light source toward the specimen and an optical path of the object light from the specimen toward the light detecting part is duplicated to a pair of optical paths, and a relationship between the pair of optical paths is set to a symmetric relationship with respect to the specimen plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Fukutake
  • Patent number: 9599808
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes: a light source; an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a specimen with light from the light source, the illumination optical system having a spatial light modulation element capable of adjusting a light intensity distribution; an imaging optical system configured to image light from the specimen; a solid-state imaging device configured to generate an image of the specimen based on light from the imaging optical system; and a controller capable of adjusting the spatial light modulation element, the controller being configured to, based on a first image output from the solid-state imaging device when the specimen is illuminated with first illumination light, adjust the spatial light modulation element and illuminate the specimen with second illumination light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Fukutake
  • Patent number: 9563048
    Abstract: A microscope includes an illuminating optical system that illuminates the test object under predetermined illumination conditions, an imaging optical system that forms an image of the test object, and an image sensor that outputs an image signal. A computer includes an image analyzing unit that acquires an image feature amount of the test object on the basis of the image signal detected by the image sensor, a comparison unit that compares the image feature amount of the test object with image feature amounts of a plurality of sample test objects and specifies an image feature amount of a sample test object closest to the image feature amount of the test object, and a setting unit that sets illumination conditions of the illuminating optical system on the basis of an illumination state suitable for observation of a sample test object having the image feature amount specified by the comparison unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Fukutake, Shinichi Nakajima, Hirohisa Taira
  • Patent number: 9535241
    Abstract: In order to realize a high-speed switching of structured pattern, a structured illuminating microscopy includes a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in a sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to a light modulator, an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted components of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes on an observational object, an image-forming optical system forming an image by an observational light flux from the observational object on a detector, and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of an image by modulating at least one of an intensity of the exit light flux, an intensity of the observational light flux, and the detector with a modulating signal of 1/N frequency of the driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi Nomura, Hisao Osawa, Naoki Fukutake
  • Patent number: 9529184
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that images a test object, an analysis unit that outputs a feature amount of an image which is captured by the imaging unit, a storage unit that stores an evaluation function which has the image feature amount as a variable, for evaluation of the image, a selection unit that selects one image from two or more images including an image specified based on a value of the evaluation function, and a changing unit that changes the evaluation function based on the one image in a case where the one image selected by the selection unit is different from the specified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Fukutake, Shinichi Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20160103072
    Abstract: A cell observation method includes a detection step of detecting radiation light that is radiated from an observation target when the observation target is irradiated with irradiation light; and a determination step of determining whether a cell included in the observation target is alive or dead based on the radiation light. Another cell observation method may include detecting radiation light that is radiated from an observation target when the observation target is irradiated with irradiation light; and detecting the number of live cells included in the observation target based on the radiation light. Another cell observation method may include acquiring a spectrum of irradiation light that irradiates an observation target when the observation target is irradiated with the irradiation light; and detecting a state of at least one of lipid and protein included in the observation target based on the spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki FUKUTAKE, Naoshi AIKAWA
  • Patent number: 9261690
    Abstract: A phase-contrast microscope system includes: an illumination optical system that illuminates a specimen with an illumination light from a light source; an imaging optical system that forms an image of the specimen from a light from the specimen; a first spatial modulation element that is disposed in a position of a pupil of the imaging optical system and changes an amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen; an image sensor that detects the image of the specimen by the imaging optical system and outputs a picture signal; a calculation section that calculates the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen appropriate for observing the specimen on the basis of the output data detected by the image sensor and the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen formed by the first spatial modulation element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Fukutake, Hiroki Yazawa, Shigeru Nakayama, Shinichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9146393
    Abstract: A structured illumination apparatus includes a light modulator being disposed in a light path of an exit light flux from a light source, and in which a sonic wave propagation path is arranged in a direction traversing the exit light flux; a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in the sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to the light modulator; an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted lights of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes of the diffracted lights on an observational object; and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of the interference fringes by modulating a phase of at least one diffracted light among the diffracted lights in a predetermined pitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi Nomura, Hisao Osawa, Naoki Fukutake
  • Publication number: 20150009315
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes: a light source; an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a specimen with light from the light source, the illumination optical system having a spatial light modulation element capable of adjusting a light intensity distribution; an imaging optical system configured to image light from the specimen; a solid-state imaging device configured to generate an image of the specimen based on light from the imaging optical system; and a controller capable of adjusting the spatial light modulation element, the controller being configured to, based on a first image output from the solid-state imaging device when the specimen is illuminated with first illumination light, adjust the spatial light modulation element and illuminate the specimen with second illumination light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventor: Naoki Fukutake
  • Publication number: 20140327960
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes: a first scanning optical system that irradiates a specimen with light from a first light source via an objective lens to receive light from the specimen; and a second scanning optical system that irradiates the specimen with the light from the first light source or light from a second light source different from the first light source via the objective lens so as to cause the specimen to express a specific phenomenon. The second scanning optical system has a beam shaping optical system that shapes the light from the first light source or the light from the second light source such that a light convergence region on which the light from the first light source or the light from the second light source is collected via the objective lens satisfies a predetermined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Yuki YOSHIDA, Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20140092463
    Abstract: A structured illumination apparatus includes a light modulator being disposed in a light path of an exit light flux from a light source, and in which a sonic wave propagation path is arranged in a direction traversing the exit light flux; a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in the sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to the light modulator; an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted lights of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes of the diffracted lights on an observational object; and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of the interference fringes by modulating a phase of at least one diffracted light among the diffracted lights in a predetermined pitch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi NOMURA, Hisao OSAWA, Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20140055594
    Abstract: In order to realize a high-speed switching of structured pattern, a structured illuminating microscopy includes a driving unit generating a sonic standing wave in a sonic wave propagation path by giving a driving signal for vibrating a medium of the sonic wave propagation path to a light modulator, an illuminating optical system making at least three diffracted components of the exit light flux passed through the sonic wave propagation path to be interfered with one another, and forming interference fringes on an observational object, an image-forming optical system forming an image by an observational light flux from the observational object on a detector, and a controlling unit controlling a contrast of an image by modulating at least one of an intensity of the exit light flux, an intensity of the observational light flux, and the detector with a modulating signal of 1/N frequency of the driving signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsushi NOMURA, Hisao OSAWA, Naoki FUKUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20140009826
    Abstract: A non-linear microscopy includes an illuminating unit collecting an illuminating light supplied from a light source on a specimen and making a coherent non-linear optical process takes place at a collecting point; a detecting unit detecting a coherent object light occurred in the non-linear optical process and generating a signal indicating light intensity at a light detecting part; and a controlling unit scanning a specimen plane of the specimen by the collecting point and measuring a distribution of the signal on the specimen plane; in which at least one of an optical path of the illuminating light from the light source toward the specimen and an optical path of the object light from the specimen toward the light detecting part is duplicated to a pair of optical paths, and a relationship between the pair of optical paths is set to a symmetric relationship with respect to the specimen plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Fukutake
  • Publication number: 20120293644
    Abstract: A phase-contrast microscope system includes: an illumination optical system that illuminates a specimen with an illumination light from a light source; an imaging optical system that forms an image of the specimen from a light from the specimen; a first spatial modulation element that is disposed in a position of a pupil of the imaging optical system and changes an amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen; an image sensor that detects the image of the specimen by the imaging optical system and outputs a picture signal; a calculation section that calculates the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen appropriate for observing the specimen on the basis of the output data detected by the image sensor and the amplitude transmittance distribution of the light from the specimen formed by the first spatial modulation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Naoki FUKUTAKE, Hiroki Yazawa, Shigeru Nakayama, Shinichi Nakajima