Computer controlled microscope

Abstract

A computer controlled microscope is provided with improved usability, which allows a user to quickly build, modify and reuse complex sample illumination and/or observation processes by introducing a recordings hierarchy in which a recording can be both a parent recording of one or more child recordings and a child recording to a single parent recording. A recordings hierarchy allows control parameter data to be inherited from a parent recording to a child recording. The group of child recordings linked to a parent recording is called a recordings collection. Viewed together, recordings and recordings collections form a tree-like hierarchy. Single load and store functions associated with a recording permit the entire recording and child recordings hierarchy to be stored on a storage device and reloaded into the computer of a computer controlled microscope.

1 . A method of controlling a microscope with a computer comprising using a recordings hierarchy of parent recordings and child recordings to control a microscope, the parent recordings and the child recordings each comprising a set of microscope control parameter data, wherein the child recordings are linked to a single parent recording such that a selected group of microscope control parameter data of the parent recording is inheritable by the child recordings.  
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises at least one parameter selected from the group of: shape of the imaging region, size of the imaging region, position of the imaging region, orientation of the imaging region, resolutions, illumination intensity, detection sensitivity, time data, and start-time and duration data.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises a parameter indicating whether a recording is enabled or disabled in the recordings hierarchy.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step of saving recordings from a computer memory onto a storage device such that whenever the parent recording is saved a selected group of the child recordings are saved as well.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises a step of loading recordings from a storage device into a computer memory such that whenever the parent recording is loaded a selected group of the child recordings are loaded as well.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control parameter data are inherited from the parent recordings to the child recordings by copying the control parameter data of the parent recording.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the control parameter data are inherited from the parent recordings to the child recordings by referring to the control parameter data of the parent recording.  
   
   
       8 . A computer controlled microscope comprising a computer for controlling the microscope, wherein the computer is adapted to execute a microscope control program creating in a memory of the computer a recording hierarchy of parent recordings and child recordings used to control the microscope, the parent recordings and the child recordings each comprising a set of microscope control parameter data, wherein the child recordings are linked to a single parent recording such that selected microscope control parameter data of the parent recording are inheritable by the child recordings.  
   
   
       9 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises at least one parameter selected from the group of: shape of the imaging region, size of the imaging region, position of the imaging region, the orientation of the imaging region, resolutions, illumination intensity, detection sensitivity, time data, and start-time and duration data.  
   
   
       10 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises a parameter indicating whether a recording is enabled or disabled in the recordings hierarchy.  
   
   
       11 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the computer is adapted to execute a control program for saving recordings from a computer memory onto a storage device such that whenever the parent recording is saved a selected group of the child recordings are saved as well.  
   
   
       12 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the computer is adapted to execute a control program for loading recordings from a storage device into a computer memory such that whenever the parent recording is loaded a selected group of the child recordings are loaded as well.  
   
   
       13 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the computer is adapted to execute a control program for inheriting control parameter data from the parent recordings to the child recordings by copying the control parameter data of the parent recording.  
   
   
       14 . The microscope according to  claim 8 , wherein the computer is adapted to execute a control program for inheriting control parameter data from the parent recordings to the child recordings by referring to the control parameter data of the parent recording.  
   
   
       15 . A data carrier carrying a computer software product comprising computer readable code to be loaded into a memory of a computer of or a computer linked to a microscope for controlling at least one of the sequence of operations and a status of said microscope, the computer readable code creating a recordings hierarchy of parent recordings and child recordings, wherein each recording comprises a set of microscope control parameter data and wherein each child recording is linked to a single parent recording such that microscope control parameter data of the parent recording are inheritable by the child recordings.  
   
   
       16 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises at least one parameter selected from the group of: shape of the imaging region, size of the imaging region, position of the imaging region, the orientation of the imaging region, resolutions, illumination intensity, detection sensitivity, time data, and start-time and duration data.  
   
   
       17 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the set of control parameter data comprises a parameter indicating whether a recording is enabled or disabled in said recordings hierarchy.  
   
   
       18 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable code comprises means adapted to save recordings from a computer memory onto a storage device such that whenever the parent recording is saved a selected group of the child recordings are saved as well.  
   
   
       19 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable code comprises means adapted to load recordings from a storage device into a computer memory such that whenever the parent recording is loaded a selected group of the child recordings are loaded as well.  
   
   
       20 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable code comprises means adapted to inherit control parameter data from the parent recordings to the child recordings by copying the control parameter data of the parent recording.  
   
   
       21 . The data carrier according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable code comprises means adapted to inherit the control parameter data from the parent recordings to the child recordings by referring to the control parameter data of the parent recording.