Abstract: A bottom wall of a Petri dish used for capturing a cell is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole. A grove that connects the first through hole and the second through hole is formed on an outer surface of bottom wall. The first through hole, the second through hole, and the grove is covered with a transparent plate member. A plate used for capturing the cell is arranged in the Petri dish above the first through hole. An aspiration tube is connected to the second through hole from inside the Petri dish.

Abstract: A microinjection apparatus, which injects an object into a cell with a needle, acquires a first image that is an image of the cell at a first focal position and a second image that is an image of the cell at a second focal position, and decides a state of the cell based on a difference image obtained from the first image and the second image. Execution of such sequence of processing makes it possible to measure a state of a cell without involving human work and confirm the state of the cell in performing a microinjection, without a necessity of experienced skill, efficiently, and simply.

Abstract: A microinjection apparatus of the present invention includes a needle-position polarity detecting unit that detects a position of the needle in the vertical direction at which a value of a differential aggregate distribution becomes the maximum in the situation in which a shape of the leading edge of the needle at a focal position narrows at the right. Moreover, a differential-average determining unit, based on a differential average of an image near the position detected by the needle-position polarity detecting unit, determines the lowest allowable position of the needle, which is a position at which a differential average exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A surface of a cell is irradiated with laser beam to make an opening in the cell membrane, and a drug fluid is inserted in the cell through the opening.

Abstract: An apparatus of the invention is for injecting a solution into a cell. The apparatus includes a nozzle that jets a solution to a cell, and a laser irradiating unit that irradiates a laser to the cell to form an opening through which the solution jet from the nozzle is introduced into the cell. The nozzle jets the solution toward a nucleus of the cell, and the laser forms the opening in the cell at a point in a cell membrane of the cell such that the solution can be applied on the nucleus.

Abstract: A microinjection apparatus of the present invention includes a needle-position polarity detecting unit that detects a position of the needle in the vertical direction at which a value of a differential aggregate distribution becomes the maximum in the situation in which a shape of the leading edge of the needle at a focal position narrows at the right. Moreover, a differential-average determining unit, based on a differential average of an image near the position detected by the needle-position polarity detecting unit, determines the lowest allowable position of the needle, which is a position at which a differential average exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A microinjection apparatus, which injects an object into a cell with a needle, includes an image acquiring unit that acquires a first image that is an image of the cell at a first focal position and a second image that is an image of the cell at a second focal position; and a state deciding unit that decides a state of the cell based on a difference image obtained from the first image and the second image.

Abstract: A capturing unit captures an image of a designated position in a culture medium. A first creating unit creates a wide-field image by synthesizing a plurality of images of the designated position and a periphery of the designated position captured by the capturing unit. A second creating unit creates a narrow-field image using the image of the designated position. A displaying unit arranges and displays the wide-field image and the narrow-field image.

Abstract: A cell trapping plate traps a cell by applying a negative pressure suction through a trapping hole provided therein. A capillary needle is stuck into the trapped cell to inject an injectant. The cell trapping plate includes trapping holes arranged at irregular intervals in directions of two coordinate axes in a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system.

Abstract: A bottom wall of a Petri dish used for capturing a cell is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole. A grove that connects the first through hole and the second through hole is formed on an outer surface of bottom wall. The first through hole, the second through hole, and the grove is covered with a transparent plate member. A plate used for capturing the cell is arranged in the Petri dish above the first through hole. An aspiration tube is connected to the second through hole from inside the Petri dish.

Abstract: A particle fixing unit fixes a particle. A needle is arranged in such a manner that an angle between a surface on a side of the particle fixing unit on which the particle is fixed and a longitudinal center axis of the needle becomes equal to or more than 45 degrees and equal to or less than 135 degrees. An image forming unit forms, when observing at least one of the particle and the needle across the particle fixing unit, at least one of an image of the particle and an image of the needle, based on a light transmitted through the particle fixing unit.

Abstract: A path defines an opening smaller than a cell in a cell capturing apparatus. A negative pressure generating device is connected to the path so as to generate negative pressure within the path. A negative pressure controlling device is connected to the path so as to adjust the negative pressure within the path. A cell is caught at the opening of the path based on the negative pressure. The negative pressure controlling device serves to maintain the negative pressure constant within the path. Even if the negative pressure changes within the path based on drop or rise in the temperature within the path, for example, the negative pressure can be adjusted at a level suitable for the caught cell with the assistance of the negative pressure controlling device. The cell can reliably be kept immobilized at the opening of the path.

Abstract: A surface of a cell is irradiated with laser beam to make an opening in the cell membrane, and a drug fluid is inserted in the cell through the opening.

Abstract: A microinjection apparatus includes a substrate having holes for trapping cells using suction force and injecting a substance into the cells with a needle. Height detection marks are provided on the substrate. A visibility is calculated from an image of a height detection mark, and an amount of deformation of the substrate is determined from the visibility. An XYZ table, on which the substrate is placed, is moved based on the amount of deformation.

Abstract: A surface inspecting apparatus that inspects a surface of a material based on an intensity of a reflected light from the surface includes an illuminating unit that illuminates a light on the surface; and a detecting unit that detects the intensity of the reflected light from the surface. The light has an intensity distribution in which an intensity of the light is higher approaching the surface.

Abstract: An apparatus of the invention is for injecting a solution into a cell. The apparatus includes a nozzle that jets a solution to a cell, and a laser irradiating unit that irradiates a laser to the cell to form an opening through which the solution jet from the nozzle is introduced into the cell. The nozzle jets the solution toward a nucleus of the cell, and the laser forms the opening in the cell at a point in a cell membrane of the cell such that the solution can be applied on the nucleus.

Abstract: A method of measuring a wire-shaped object comprises a scanning step of scanning a light beam on the surface of the wire-shaped object, a detection step of detecting a reflected light reflected from the surface of the wire-shaped object by a plurality of optical sensor cells, the optical sensor cells being mounted on an inner wall of a reflected light detection unit located over the wire-shaped object; and a measurement step of measuring a three-dimensional configuration of the wire-shaped object in accordance with output signals from the plurality of optical sensor cells, whereby, the three-dimensional configuration of the wire-shaped object is automatically measured in a short time.

Abstract: A method of detection of a wiring pattern using triangulation to detect a height thereof, comprising the steps of scanning a light beam from a light source, illuminating the wiring pattern to be detected by the scanned light beam, focusing the light reflected from the wiring pattern or a substrate, applying the focused light beam to a beam-splitter, and converting a wiring pattern configuration to a corresponding electric signal. Further, by blurring the focused light entering the beam-splitter, an expansion of a measurable height domain of the wiring pattern is possible. Furthermore, by applying a correction factor in response to the height of the substrate, the detected output of the wiring pattern height for a curved substrate can be sliced with a more appropriate slice level. Further, the beam-splitter comprises a reflection portion, a half reflection and half transmission portion, and a transmission portion.

Abstract: An improved pattern inspection system for automatically inspecting patterns on a printed circuit board, a semiconductor chip, etc. The pattern inspection system includes an optical sensor, a binary conversion circuit, a memory storing binary converted data in a matrix form, a length measurement circuit, a reference circuit and a determination circuit. The length measurement circuit includes a gate unit for picking-up the binary converted data array from the memory in radial directions with respect to an origin and for a predetermined length in each direction, a unit for measuring radii of the pattern in the radial directions from the origin in response to the picked-up binary converted data, a unit for determining a center line of the pattern in the picked-up binary converted data array by the measured length of the first directions, and a unit for encoding the measured length of the second directions to numerals each corresponding to one length of each of the second directions.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for visual inspection of the condition of soldered connections between connector pads of a wiring pattern provided on a circuit board and tips of conductor pins of an IC package mounted thereby on the circuit board. The back, or bottom surface of the circuit board is illuminated by a flood of light to produce diffused, or scattered, light in the gap between the circuit board and the IC package, which diffused light is emitted from the edge of the gap. The emitted light is deflected by a small prism disposed adjacent the edge of the gap into a focusing means, such as a stereoscopic microscope having a long focal distance and an optical axis oriented substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the circuit board. Images of the soldered connections are observeable through the eyepiece of the microscope, or are detected by a photoelectric transducer such as a video camera for display on a video screen.