Microscope imaging apparatus and biological-specimen examination system

Abstract

A microscope imaging apparatus and a biological-specimen examination system that can accurately carry out measurement even for an object under examination having substantial brightness non-uniformity are provided. The microscope imaging apparatus includes a stage that holds the object under examination, an illumination unit that illuminates the object under examination, an image-acquisition unit that acquires images of the object under examination, and a motion unit that moves the stage and the image-acquisition unit relative to each other. The image-acquisition unit includes an imaging device capable of image acquisition using a time delay integration method. When acquiring a plurality of images of the object under examination, the exposure time during which accumulated charge is produced in the imaging device is made different for each of the acquired images, and the plurality of images are combined into a single image.

1 . A microscope imaging apparatus comprising: 
 a stage that holds an object under examination;    an illumination unit that illuminates the object under examination;    an image-acquisition unit that acquires images of the object under examination;    a motion unit that moves the stage and the image-acquisition unit relative to each other; and    a control unit that controls the image-acquisition unit and the motion unit,    wherein the image-acquisition unit includes an imaging device that is capable of acquiring images with the time delay integration method, and    when image acquisition of the object under examination is carried out a plurality of times, the control unit makes the exposure times of the imaging device different for each image acquisition.    
   
   
       2 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the control unit includes an exposure-time input unit for inputting the exposure time and an exposure-time setting unit for setting the length of the exposure time to be used in the subsequent image acquisition,    the exposure time to be used in the subsequent image acquisition being determined on the basis of the image obtained by image acquisition using the input exposure time.    
   
   
       3 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 the exposure time input to the exposure-time input unit defines a maximum exposure time serving as the upper limit for the exposure time.    
   
   
       4 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the imaging device in the image-acquisition unit has an anti-smear function.    
   
   
       5 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 the control unit combines images having different exposure times into a single image by carrying out predetermined image processing.    
   
   
       6 . A microscope imaging apparatus comprising: 
 a stage that holds an object under examination;    an illumination unit that illuminates the object under examination;    an image-acquisition unit that acquires images of the object under examination;    a motion unit that moves the stage and the image-acquisition unit relative to each other; and    a control unit that controls the image-acquisition unit and the motion unit,    wherein the image-acquisition unit includes an imaging device that is capable of acquiring images with a time delay integration method, and    by performing a prescan of the object under examination to obtain a detected intensity of the object under examination, the control unit determines an exposure time for image acquisition after the prescan on the basis of the detected intensity.    
   
   
       7 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the illumination unit includes a first objective lens and a second objective lens that focus light onto the object under examination;    during the prescan, the first objective lens is disposed in a light path of the illumination unit;    during image acquisition after the prescan, the second objective lens is disposed in the light path of the illumination unit; and    the magnification of the first objective lens is lower than the magnification of the second objective lens.    
   
   
       8 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 6 , comprising: 
 a variable-power lens that can be inserted in and removed from the light path of the illumination unit.    
   
   
       9 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit includes: 
 a maximum-exposure-time input unit; and    a selection unit,    wherein the maximum exposure time of the object under examination for image acquisition after the prescan is input to the maximum-exposure time input unit, and    using the selection unit, the maximum exposure time and the exposure time determined in the prescan are compared, and on the basis of this comparison, the shorter exposure time is set as the exposure time used for measurement of the object under examination.    
   
   
       10 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein 
 the object under examination has a plurality of sample located portions formed thereon, the individual sample located portions having substantially the same brightness, and    the image-acquisition unit acquires images of the plurality of sample located portions.    
   
   
       11 . A microscope imaging apparatus comprising: 
 a stage that holds an object under examination;    an illumination unit that illuminates the object under examination;    an image-acquisition unit that acquires images of the object under examination;    a motion unit that moves the stage and the image-acquisition unit relative to each other; and    a control unit that controls the image-acquisition unit and the motion unit,    wherein the image-acquisition unit includes an imaging device that is capable of image acquisition using two methods;    the control unit includes: 
 an examination-object-parameter input unit for inputting information about the object under examination as an examination-object parameter;  
 a calculation unit that calculates a time required for the relative motion on the basis of the examination-object parameter which has been input; and  
 a switching unit that changes the image-acquisition method of the imaging device on the basis of the calculation result; and  
   the two image-acquisition methods are a time delay integration method and a two-dimensional imaging method in which accumulated charge is produced by a single exposure.    
   
   
       12 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the examination-object parameter is the wavelength used in the image acquisition.    
   
   
       13 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the examination-object parameter is the exposure time used in the image acquisition.    
   
   
       14 . A microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 the examination-object parameter is the density of the object under examination.    
   
   
       15 . A biological-specimen examination system comprising: 
 a culture unit for culturing a biological specimen; and    a detection unit disposed adjacent to the culture unit,    wherein the detection unit includes: 
 a microscope imaging apparatus according to  claim 1;  and  
 a preserving unit for preserving the biological specimen in a predetermined state.