Of A Microscope Patents (Class 250/201.3)
  • Patent number: 9690087
    Abstract: A method for defining a z-range in a sample in which a z-stack of the sample is to be recorded by means of a microscope is provided, wherein the z-range is defined automatically on the basis of a z-value situated in the sample and taking at least one predetermined parameter into account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Wolff, Daniel Svejdar, Markus Eichinger
  • Patent number: 9692958
    Abstract: Focus assist systems and methods for imaging devices are provided. The focus assist systems and methods display focus level data to a user. There are a variety of methods of displaying focus level data to a user, including, but not limited to, graphs, highlights, symbols, and varied levels of brightness or color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: RED.COM, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Graeme Nattress
  • Patent number: 9661212
    Abstract: In an image acquisition device, an optical path difference generating member can form an optical path length difference of a second light image without splitting light in a second optical path. This can suppress the quantity of light required for the second optical path to obtain information of the focal position, whereby a quantity of light can be secured for a first imaging device to capture an image. The image acquisition device synchronizes the movement of a predetermined part of a sample within a field of an objective lens with rolling readout such that each pixel column of a second imaging device is exposed to a light image of the predetermined part in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Hideshi Oishi, Fumio Iwase, Masatoshi Okugawa
  • Patent number: 9658169
    Abstract: A system for assessing a structure and the tools and processes used to form the structure is described. 2D images of the structure are captured and processed to obtain 3D information concerning the structure. Both 2D and 3D information is then used to identify and analyze selected characteristics of the structure. This analysis allows for a quality assessment of the structure. The selected characteristics are correlated with information relating to the operation of the tool that carried out the process that at least in part created the structure. The correlation of tool/process information to structure characteristics allows for the generation of feedback that may be used to modify the tool or processed used to form the structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Rudolph Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Thornell, Steven Knauber, Jatinder Dhaliwal, Justin Miller, Michael Grant, Kenneth Durden
  • Patent number: 9661226
    Abstract: A computerized method for computing the photo quality of a captured image in a device image acquisition system, comprising on-board combining of a plurality of quality indicators computed from said captured image and its previous image frames quality indicators and a confidence level for at least one of said quality indicators, and using a processor to determine, based on said combining, whether photo quality is acceptable and taking differential action depending on whether quality is or is not acceptable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: SNAPAID LTD.
    Inventor: Ishay Sivan
  • Patent number: 9618390
    Abstract: An optical device includes: an image-forming optical system forming an image of light from a subject; an imaging unit receiving light of the image formed by the image-forming optical system; a reflection spectroscopic device covering a given area in an imaging area of the imaging unit; and a spectrum detection unit detecting a spectroscopic spectrum of light reflected by the reflection spectroscopic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 9600710
    Abstract: At least first and second digital images of the sample are acquired having different focal heights relative to a platform on which the cells are disposed. A contrast matrix is produced having elements computed in dependence upon the difference between the values of the corresponding pixels in the first and second images. A phase matrix is produced by convolution of the contrast matrix with a predetermined distance matrix. The phase matrix is used to assess characteristics of the sample, such as the presence of cells in the sample or the heights of cells in the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Solentim Limited
    Inventors: Aaron Figg, David Elverd
  • Patent number: 9588046
    Abstract: Provided is a fluorescence observation apparatus including: a fluorescence image acquisition section and a reference image acquisition section that acquire a fluorescence image and a reference image of a subject, respectively; a division image generation section that generates a division image by dividing an image based on the fluorescence image by an image based on the reference image; a display section that displays a corrected fluorescence image based on the division image; a correction processing section that applies correction processing to at least one of the reference image and the fluorescence image and/or to the division image prior to the generation of the division image or prior to the display of the corrected fluorescence image; an observation condition determination section that determines observation conditions of the subject; and a correction condition setting section that sets parameters regarding the correction processing according to the observation conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushige Ishihara, Hiromi Shida, Kei Kubo, Satoshi Takekoshi
  • Patent number: 9579017
    Abstract: An OCT tracking system includes an imaging unit operable to generate a fundus image of a patient's eye and a tracking system operable to process the fundus image to determine a location of a surgical instrument inserted into the patient's eye. The OCT tracking system further includes an OCT system including an OCT light source operable to generate an OCT imaging beam and a beam scanner. Based at least in part on the determined location of the surgical instrument, the beam scanner directs the OCT imaging beam to a particular region within the patient's eye, the particular region within the patient's eye including the determined location of the surgical instrument inserted into the patient's eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Tammo Heeren, Lingfeng Yu
  • Patent number: 9582927
    Abstract: A multifocal representation device with a digital image generation module and a control unit, which conveys to the digital image generation module two-dimensional image data of a three-dimensional object to be represented, is provided, wherein the digital image generation module, based on the two-dimensional image data conveyed, generates two-dimensional images of the object from at least two different object planes in corresponding different focal planes in such a way that an observer can focus with his eye on the different focal planes in order to perceive the represented object three-dimensionally, and wherein the control unit determines for each two-dimensional image to be represented a sharpness value in sections and sets the image data to dark for the image sections the sharpness value of which lies outside a sharpness value range predetermined for the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG
    Inventors: Daniel Bublitz, Enrico Geissler, Tobias Breuninger, Norbert Kerwien, Christoph Nieten
  • Patent number: 9575303
    Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes: an objective lens; a CCD that constructs an image of a sample S; an illumination intensity change unit for adjusting an intensity of excitation light; a sensitivity adjustment unit for adjusting a detection sensitivity by the CCD; a galvanometer mirror for changing a light focusing position of excitation light at a pupil position of the objective lens; a storage unit that stores, for each observation method, a predetermined intensity, a predetermined detection sensitivity, and the light focusing position; and a control unit that switches the observation method, reads out the intensity, the detection sensitivity, and the light focusing position according to the observation method based on a synchronization signal synchronized with a frame signal for constructing an image, and controls the illumination intensity change unit, the sensitivity adjustment unit, and the galvanometer mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Takamizawa
  • Patent number: 9578306
    Abstract: High-resolution three-dimensional imaging of a specimen is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a series of very thin slices from a specimen are serially and robustly arranged on an imaging device such as a microscope slide. The slices are imaged and the images are used to reconstruct a three-dimensional image having high resolution at depths into the specimen. The serial arrangement of the slices facilitates the proper ordering of images for reconstruction. Further, the robust nature of the slice arrangement facilitates treatment of the slices and, in some applications, multiple treatments with corresponding imaging sequences for each treatment. Various embodiments are directed to methods and arrangements for three-dimensional characterization of biological specimen and to data that is accessible and/or executable by a computer for linking different images together in order to characterize such biological specimen in three dimensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Kristina D. Micheva, Stephen J. Smith
  • Patent number: 9568724
    Abstract: A microscope including an objective having a focal plane in a sample space, and an autofocus device comprising a light modulator for generating a luminous modulation object that is intensity-modulated periodically along one direction, an autofocus illumination optical unit that images the modulation object such that its image arises in the sample space, an autofocus camera, an autofocus imaging optical unit that images the image of the modulation object in the sample space onto the autofocus camera, a control device, which receives signals of the autofocus camera and determines an intensity distribution of the image of the modulation object and generates a focus control signal therefrom. The control device determines an intensity distribution of the image of a luminous comparison object imaged by the optical unit to correct the intensity distribution of the image of the modulation object with regard to reflectivity variations in the sample space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Westphal, Reiner Mitzkus
  • Patent number: 9557553
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatically expanding the eyebox of an optical imaging device by tracking the movement of an operator's eye, and automatically repositioning the exit pupil of the optical imaging device to follow the movement of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: RAYTHEON CANADA LIMITED
    Inventor: Stanislaw Szapiel
  • Patent number: 9535243
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for assessing the quality of a microscope slide image. In an embodiment, a plurality of focus point values are acquired for a sample on a microscope slide. Each focus point value comprises x-y coordinates indicating a location on the sample and a z coordinate indicating a focus height for the location on the sample. A best-fit surface is calculated based on the focus point values, and it is determined whether or not outlying focus point values exist based on the best-fit surface and the z coordinate for one or more of the focus point values. A scanned image of the microscope slide may be displayed which comprises, for each outlying focus point value, an overlay that identifies the location on the sample of the outlying focus point value based on the x-y coordinates for the outlying focus point value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen Olson, Dirk G. Soenksen, Kiran Saligrama
  • Patent number: 9535010
    Abstract: Various embodiments for generating a defect sample for electron beam review are provided. One method includes combining, on a defect-by-defect basis, one or more first attributes for defects determined by optical inspection of a wafer on which the defects were detected with one or more second attributes for the defects determined by optical review of the wafer thereby generating combined attributes for the defects. The method also includes separating the defects into bins based on the combined attributes for the defects. The bins correspond to different defect classifications. In addition, the method includes sampling one or more of the defects for the electron beam review based on the bins into which the defects have been separated thereby generating a defect review sample for the electron beam review.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corp.
    Inventors: Rohan Gosain, Somit Joshi
  • Patent number: 9488823
    Abstract: Imaging systems are provided for high speed, high resolution imaging of biochemical materials. In an example embodiment, an imaging system comprises an objective lens component, a line generator, a digital camera, a positioning stage, and a scan mirror. The line generator generates a line of light that is scanned across a portion of a substrate that is mounted on the positioning stage. The positioning stage moves the substrate in a particular direction that is substantially normal to an optical axis of the objective lens component. The camera collects an image of the portion of the substrate through the objective lens component. The scan mirror moves in coordination with the positioning stage, while the line of light is being scanned across the portion of the substrate and the substrate is being moved in the particular direction, in order to keep the image still with respect to the camera while the image is being collected by the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Complete Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan P. Staker, Craig E. Uhrich
  • Patent number: 9488824
    Abstract: A microscopic device provides three-dimensional localization of point-like objects and includes two imaging optics, each configured to image a same point-like object located in an object space into two separate image spaces as a focused light distribution. Two detector units are respectively associated with the imaging optics and configured to capture an analyzable light spot in detection points of a detection surface disposed in the respective image space. Each imaging optics includes an optical device that orients the focused light distributions obliquely to a detection axis such that, taking into account the detection point correspondence, the two light spots shift in opposite directions based on a z-position of the point-like object. An evaluation unit brings the detection points of the two detection surfaces into mutual pairwise correspondence and analyzes the two light spots so as to ascertain a lateral x-y position and an axial z-position of the point-like object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
    Inventor: Marcus Dyba
  • Patent number: 9476827
    Abstract: The invention substantially relates to an imaging system for the chemical, biological or biochemical analysis of a sample (10), comprising a device (40) for holding the sample (10), a device (20) for optical detection, a lighting device (30), liable to emit a monochromatic light beam, and a wide aperture objective (f1), It is substantially characterized in that the objective (f1) is configured for, downstream of the sample (10): focusing the excitation light beam reflected at a point (C) located in the focal plane (FF) of said objective (f1), and transforming the retransmitted or scattered light beam into a quasi-parallel beam, and in that the system further comprises a device (70) for selectively blocking the collected light beam by said objective (f1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignees: Ecole Polytechnique, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-CNRS, Universite Des Sciences Et Technologies De Lille 1
    Inventors: François Ozanam, Jean-Noël Chazalviel, Rabah Boukherroub, Elisabeth Anne-Gabrielle Galopin, Anne Chantal Gouget-Laemmel, Sabine Szunerits, Larbi Touahir
  • Patent number: 9432567
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of performing a focus adjustment with accuracy and in short time even when a focal position deviation is caused due to a delay of a focus action relative to a zoom action performed responding to a zoom operation. When a focal position of the lens unit changes with execution of a zoom operation, a lens controller drives a focus lens group in such a manner that the focus lens group moves following the zoom operation and the focal position is made constant. A focus detector performs focus detection based on an optical image. According to a focus detection result, the focus lens group is driven for focus adjustment. During the follow-up movement of the focus lens group, a camera controller stops the focus adjustment until a defocusing amount obtained from the focus detection result becomes smaller than a first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryo Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9400377
    Abstract: A focusing method for an optical instrument for magnified viewing of an object includes producing at least two images with different focal positions and applying several different sharpness functions. Each function has an absolute extremum which specifies the optimum focal position to be set for the viewing and which lies in a close focus range of the sharpness function adjoined on both sides by a far focus range which contains local secondary extrema. For each of the at least two images an evaluation thereof is performed with the focal position as a variable such that a sharpness function variation direction of the focal position is calculated for each sharpness function in order to arrive at the optimum focal position. A determination is made for main variation direction based on all sharpness function variation directions, which is then used during further focusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventor: Markus Eichinger
  • Patent number: 9400379
    Abstract: A magnifying observation apparatus includes a switching unit for switching between a plurality of microscopies, an image generating unit for generating an image of a sample by capturing an image of the sample with the respective plurality of microscopies switched by the switching unit, and a display unit for displaying the image generated by the image generating unit. The display unit updates a display of the display unit each time a new image is generated by the image generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiko Kakemizu, Yosuke Tani, Shodai Hosono
  • Patent number: 9383347
    Abstract: The pathological diagnosis results assessment system includes: a diagnosis unit to carry out pathological diagnosis of tissue specimen images, and generates diagnosis record information; a report storage unit to store reports in which pathological diagnosis results for the tissue specimen images are described; a report analysis unit to analyze the diagnosis results described in the reports stored in the report storage unit; and a report verification unit to compare the diagnosis result analyzed by the report analysis unit to the diagnosis record information, and determine a degree of matching on the diagnosis degree of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Marugame
  • Patent number: 9380238
    Abstract: A detector for determining the location of a pulsed laser spot reflected from a scene, which comprises a CCD sensor for imaging the scene comprising an array of pixels arranged in rows (R1, R2, R3) and columns (C1, C2, C3), a serial read-out register arrangement (not shown), and charge transfer electrodes (Ø1H, Ø1V, Ø2) capable of transferring signal charge in at least two adjacent pixels to read-out register arrangement locations representative of the row location of at least one of the adjacent pixels and the column location of at least one other of the adjacent pixels. The charge transfer electrodes are two phase, but three or more phase arrangements are also possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: E2V TECHNOLOGIES (UK) LIMITED
    Inventors: Raymond Thomas Bell, Kevin Anthony Derek Hadfield
  • Patent number: 9366849
    Abstract: A desired observation timing is ensured, and simultaneity of observation among different observation positions is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9291642
    Abstract: A near field optical imaging device includes: a light source for radiating light of a far field optical system; and an optical head including thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with a measured object in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source, in which the measured object can be scanned in a depth direction by adjusting a depth of the near field, and the depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shinill Kang, Jungjin Han, Eikhyun Cho, Jongmyeong Shim, Wonjoon Choi, Se-Young Choi
  • Patent number: 9229207
    Abstract: A laser scanning reflection or fluorescent microscope is provided with focusing-detecting unit having a laser beam focusing objective, an image detector that detects light reflected from the sample or back fluoresced light emitted by the sample, and a drive that simultaneously displaces the objective and the image detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Femtonics Kft
    Inventors: E. Szilveszter Vizi, Gergely Katona, J. Balazs Rozsa
  • Patent number: 9228898
    Abstract: The present invention generally pertains to a system, method and kit for the detection and measurement of spectroscopic properties of light from a sample, or the scalable detection and measurement of spectroscopic properties of light from each sample present among multiple samples, simultaneously, wherein the system comprises: an optical train comprising a dispersing element; and an image sensor. The light detected and measured may comprise light scattered from a sample, emitted as chemiluminescence by a chemical process within a sample, selectively absorbed by a sample, or emitted as fluorescence from a sample following excitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: GNUBIO, INC.
    Inventors: Sepehr Kiani, Peter Lewis Stokes, David H. Tracy
  • Patent number: 9195124
    Abstract: A projector having corresponding methods and computer-readable media comprises a detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation; and a processor configured to implement a protocol responsive to the detector detecting the electromagnetic radiation, wherein the protocol comprises reducing an intensity of light projected by the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy P Johnston, William J Loewenthal, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9160912
    Abstract: A method for automatic image capture control and digital imaging is described. An image buffer is initialized to store a digital image produced by an image sensor, through allocation of a region in memory for the buffer that is large enough to store a full resolution frame from the image sensor. While non-binning streaming frames, from the sensor and in the buffer, are being displayed in preview, the sensor is reconfigured into binning mode, and then binned streaming frames are processed in the buffer, but without allocating a smaller region in memory for the buffer. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yongfang Liang, Munehiro Mori, Haitao Guo, Ting Chen
  • Patent number: 9140887
    Abstract: To provide a microscope system capable of automatically detecting a position of a focus of an optical system relative to an observing object. A light emitted from a laser light source is irradiated on an observing object, and the light reflected by the observing object is guided to a light receiving element. An evaluation value based on a plurality of pixel data is set so as to be smaller than an output upper limit value Emax and greater than a multiplication value En1 of a noise level. The evaluation value is calculated with the set gain while moving the objective lens in an upward direction from a current position zs1. The gain is reduced by a constant amount every time the evaluation value reaches the output upper limit value Emax. The position in the Z direction of the objective lens when the evaluation value becomes a peak is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Keyence Corporation
    Inventor: Takuya Karube
  • Patent number: 9134519
    Abstract: A multi-mode optical fiber delivers light from a radiation source to a multi-focal confocal microscope with reasonable efficiency. A core diameter of the multi-mode fiber is selected such that an etendue of light emitted from the fiber is not substantially greater than a total etendue of light passing through a plurality of pinholes in a pinhole array of the multi-focal confocal microscope. The core diameter may be selected taking into account a specific optical geometry of the multi-focal confocal microscope, including pinhole diameter and focal lengths of relevant optical elements. For coherent radiation sources, phase randomization may be included. A multi-mode fiber enables the use of a variety of radiation sources and wavelengths in a multi-focal confocal microscope, since the coupling of the radiation source to the multi-mode fiber is less sensitive to mechanical and temperature influences than coupling the radiation source to a single mode fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Spectral Applied Reseach Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Berman
  • Patent number: 9104120
    Abstract: Contrast enhancement in a metrology tool may include generating a beam of illumination, directing a portion of the generated beam onto a surface of a spatial light modulator (SLM), directing at least a portion of the generated beam incident on the surface of the SLM through an aperture of an aperture stop and onto one or more target structures of one or more samples, and generating a selected illumination pupil function of the illumination transmitted through the aperture utilizing the SLM in order to establish a contrast level of one or more field images of the one or more target structures above a selected contrast threshold, and performing one or more metrology measurements on the one or more target structures utilizing the selected illumination pupil function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Seligson, Noam Sapiens, Daniel Kandel
  • Patent number: 9088729
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus images an imaging target region by dividing the imaging target region into a plurality of divided regions and generates a merged image of a larger region than the divided regions by merging the obtained images of the respective divided regions. A method of the imaging apparatus includes acquiring a first image and a second image in each of the plurality of divided regions, performing image alignment between adjacent divided regions using the second images, and generating the merged image by merging the first images of the adjacent divided regions based on a result of the alignment performed using the second images. The second image is an image in which a depth of field or a focusing position, or both, are different from those of the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiko Takayama
  • Patent number: 9062967
    Abstract: The present invention provides a measurement apparatus which measures a measurement surface based on an interference signal obtained by causing measurement light reflected by the measurement surface and reference light reflected by a reference surface to interfere with each other, the apparatus including an interference optical system including a lens for focusing the measurement light to be incident on the measurement surface, and configured to cause the measurement light and the reference light to interfere with each other, and an adjusting device configured to adjust a focusing state of the measurement light focused by the lens such that a measurement point on the measurement surface positions within a range of a depth of focus of the lens, wherein the interference signal is obtained with the focusing state adjusted by the adjusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Osawa
  • Patent number: 9046677
    Abstract: A microscope system and an autofocus method capture a subject at a specified time interval through an optical image forming system while relatively moving a stage loaded with the subject and the optical image forming system of the microscope; calculate a contrast value indicating a high and low contrast of a captured observation image; detect a maximum contrast image whose calculated contrast value is maximum in a plurality of performed observation images; detect the relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system; perform a correcting process of moving the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a specified value in a direction opposite the direction of the relative movement; and bring focus using the corrected relative position as a focal point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yosuke Tamura
  • Patent number: 8941087
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plural third harmonic generation (THG) microscopic system and method. The system includes a laser device, a microscopic device, a beam splitter device and a photodetective device. By utilizing lasers with different central wavelengths or a broad band light source to simultaneously analyze THG response with respect to different wavelengths, a plurality of THG images and THG spectrum of the material or bio-tissue under stimulation of different wavelengths are obtained, thereby retrieving distributed microscopic images and resonant characteristics of the observational material or bio-molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Chi-Kuang Sun, Ming-Rung Tsai
  • Patent number: 8933384
    Abstract: A system for and method of performing multi-technique imaging. Such multi-technique imaging system includes a surface for supporting a specimen and at least two illumination sources for producing light radiation. The system also includes a plurality of reflective and refractive devices arranged to direct at least part of the light radiation from each of the at least two illumination sources to the surface such that at least part of the light radiation from each of the at least two illumination sources illuminates substantially the same area on the surface. The system also includes a sensor configured to receive light radiation from the at least two illumination sources reflected by the specimen and/or that pass by the specimen. The system also includes a power source configured to power the at least two illumination sources and the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Cagri A. Savran, Khalid M. Arif
  • Patent number: 8922637
    Abstract: A sample-image acquisition apparatus includes: an image taking device; a movement control section; and a sample-image acquisition section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Kishima
  • Patent number: 8917347
    Abstract: The focus control culture observation apparatus enable simple and reliable detection of a focusing position of an objective lens on a subject and with certainty. When a focusing position is detected, an area, which includes an edge portion of the culture medium drop is selected as an AF area which is to be a target of detecting the focusing position of the objective lens on the culture medium drop. The apparatus detects the focusing position on the culture medium drop based on an observation image of the AF area. By detecting the focusing position as a targeting area that is different from an area which is near the edge of the culture container and where illumination unevenness is generated, the detection accuracy can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yasujiro Kiyota, Yoichi Wada, Hiroaki Kii
  • Publication number: 20140299742
    Abstract: A pattern irradiation apparatus includes a light source unit, an objective that irradiates a sample plane with light emitted from the light source unit, a spatial light modulator of a phase modulation type that is arranged at a position conjugate with a pupil position of the objective and that modulates a phase of the light emitted from the light source unit, a light blocking member that is arranged in an optical path between the spatial light modulator and the objective and that is configured to block 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator, and a control device that makes a correspondence between a focusing position of the 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator and a position of the light blocking member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shintaro FUJII
  • Publication number: 20140252200
    Abstract: A microscope-based system and method for simultaneous imaging of several object planes, of a three-dimensional (3D) sample, associated with different depths throughout the sample. The system includes a polyfocal optical portion, adapted to create a plurality of optical channels each of which is associated with an image of a corresponding object plane, and a spectrally-selective portion, adapted to transform the spectral distribution of the image-forming beam of light to a corresponding spatial distribution. The image, registered by a detector, includes an image of an object plane and an image of the spatially-coded spectral distribution. The method effectuates the simultaneous multispectral imaging of the several object planes. The required data-acquisition time is several fold shorter than that taken by a conventional multispectral microscope-based imaging system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: VENTANA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Karl Garsha, Michael Otter
  • Patent number: 8829402
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an autofocus aperture stop (5, 6) in a triangulating autofocusing device (21) for a microscope (40), wherein the autofocus aperture stop (5, 6) comprises at least one diaphragm opening (3, 4) with which a measuring beam pencil (34) used for the autofocusing and running in the direction of the optical axis (18) of the autofocusing device (21) can be limited in its cross section, wherein the diaphragm opening (3, 4) of the autofocus aperture stop (5, 6) is arranged in a decentred position at a spacing from the optical axis (18) of the autofocusing device (21), wherein a decentred autofocus measuring beam (36) can be generated by the diaphragm opening (3, 4) in one half of the cross section (17) of the measuring beam pencil (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Krueger
  • Publication number: 20140246560
    Abstract: Provided is an optical scanning apparatus including: a deflector capable of deflecting an entering beam while switching an advancing direction thereof among a plurality of direction at a predetermined switching timing; a mirror array including a plurality of angle setting mirrors that are placed at angles different from one another on respective optical paths of the beams deflected by the deflector, each of the angle setting mirrors reflecting the beam while giving thereto a relative angle on the same plane for each optical path, and gathering the beam on the same point; and a first scanner that is provided so as to be swingable about an axial line perpendicular to the plane in synchronization with the switching timing, the first scanner reflecting each beam that is caused by the mirror array to enter the same point from a different direction and applying for scanning the beam along the same trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shintaro TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8760642
    Abstract: Substrate inspection apparatus, in which the acquisition of the inspection data for a defect and the acquisition of the focus data of the objective lens are performed in parallel, includes an autofocus apparatus for controlling position of the objective lens along its optical axis. The autofocus apparatus includes a focus error detection unit and a focus control signal generation unit for generating a focus control signal for controlling the position of the objective lens for each scan line using a focus data signal composed of an objective position signal or the objective position signal to which a focus error signal is added. When “i” is assumed as a positive integer and “m” is as a natural number, the focus data signal which was acquired during the scanning period of i-th scan line is used to produce the focus control signal used to scan the (i+2m)-th scan line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Lasertec Corporation
    Inventors: Zenta Hori, Haruhiko Kusunose, Koichi Moriizumi
  • Patent number: 8735790
    Abstract: A microscope for examining an object includes a laser light source generating pulsed light so as to illuminate the object. A measuring system including a detector is adapted to detect detection light coming from the object and the measuring system generates a measurement signal based on the detection light. The microscope includes a programmable integrated circuit including a control element and at least one of a first delay element and a second delay element. The control element is configured to generate a first control signal adapted to control the detector and the measuring system. The control element is further configured to generate a second control signal adapted to control the laser light source. The first and second delay elements are configured to delay the first and second control signals, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
    Inventors: Ludger Schulte, Bernd Widzgowski
  • Patent number: 8710412
    Abstract: It is possible to generate image data of a biological tissue in a short time. A focus information generating device (2) receives a first reflected light beam (Lr1) split from a reflected light beam (Lr) and a second reflected light beam (Lr2) passing through a pin-hole plate (36). A signal processing unit (13) calculates a uniform reflectance (RE) representing a light amount ratio of the second reflected light beam (Lr2) to the first reflected light beam (Lr1) along with a sum signal (SS) and a difference signal (SD). An integrated control unit (11) detects a position (Z1) corresponding to a top surface (104A) of a cover glass (104) on the basis of the sum signal (SS) and the difference signal (SD) and detects a position (Z3) representing a biological tissue (102) on the basis of the sum signal (SS) and the uniform reflectance (RE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro Kishima, Yu Hirono, Takamichi Yamakoshi
  • Publication number: 20140063495
    Abstract: For an optical device as a transmission-type scanning optical microscope having a pinhole or a slit for limiting the amount of a detected light beam, a method of moving a scanning beam without moving an observation sample to be scanned is realized. A scanning beam from a beam scanning mechanism that has passed through an observation sample is focused onto a reflection plate, and is then returned back again to the observation sample. A light beam that has returned back from the sample is further fed back to the beam scanning mechanism, and then, the light beam that has been limited through a fixed pinhole or a slit is detected with a photodetector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI MEDIA ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeharu KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20140030737
    Abstract: Methods, devices, systems, and apparatuses are provided for the image analysis of measurement of biological samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Theranos, Inc.
    Inventors: Elizabeth A. Holmes, Chinmay Pangarkar, Timothy Smith, Karan Mohan, Samartha Anekal, Daniel L. Young, James R. Wasson
  • Patent number: 8633430
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for generating an at least two-dimensional image of at least part of a sample. The method involves scanning the sample. Acquiring at least one light signal by an optoelectronic detector for different areas of the sample. Converting the light signal into an electrical signal. Distributing the electrical signal onto several parallel evaluation channels whose signal evaluations differ from each other so that their dynamic ranges are different. Generating a result signal in each evaluation channel. Selecting at least one of the result signals as a function of one of the result signals in order to generate the image for the sample range concerned. It is also possible to generate one intermediate result signal for each channel, typically from the respective actual result signal and one or more other sources. Thus the signal selection depending on both the result signals and the intermediate result signals are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscophy GmbH
    Inventors: Gunter Möhler, Dietmar Schmidt, Oliver Holub