Optical microscope apparatus, optical element arranging method, and storage medium

Abstract

An optical microscope apparatus selectively arranges a plurality of optical elements in an optical path, and includes: a manual switch unit capable of manually switching any of the plurality of optical elements; a detection unit detecting an arrangement status of manually switched optical elements; a storage unit storing information relating to the arrangement of the plurality of optical elements for each observing method; and an arrangement control unit arranging the plurality of optical elements according to the detection result by the detection unit and the information stored in the storage unit.

1. An optical microscope apparatus comprising:
 a revolver which has a plurality of objective lenses attached thereto, and which is manually revolvable to switch an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope; 
 a plurality of additional optical elements, in addition to the objective lenses; 
 a detection unit which detects at least one indicium on the revolver to identify a type of the objective lens inserted in the optical path and to detect when the objective lens inserted in the optical path is switched; 
 a timer which counts a time elapsed from a time when the detection unit detects that the objective lens inserted in the optical path has been switched; 
 a judgment unit which judges whether or not the elapsed time counted by the timer is longer than a predetermined time; 
 a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the plurality of additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to the objective lenses; and 
 an arrangement control unit which arranges the plurality of additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of optical element that is detected by the detection unit as being inserted in the optical path; 
 wherein the arrangement control unit does not arrange arranges the plurality of additional optical elements in accordance with the stored information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of optical element that is detected by the detection unit as being inserted in the optical path until, when the judgment unit judges has judged that the elapsed time counted by the timer has exceeded the predetermined time. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is arbitrarily changeable. 
     
     
       3. An optical element arranging method for an optical microscope apparatus, wherein the optical microscope apparatus includes: (i) a revolver which has a plurality of objective lenses attached thereto, and which is manually revolvable to switch an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope, (ii) a plurality of additional optical elements, in addition to the objective lenses, and (iii) a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the plurality of additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to the objective lenses, said method comprising:
 detecting at least one indicium on the revolver to identify a type of the objective lens inserted in the optical path and to detect when the objective lens inserted in the optical path is switched; 
 counting a time elapsed from a time when it is detected that the objective lens inserted in the optical path has been switched; 
 judging whether or not the elapsed time is longer than a predetermined time; and 
 arranging the plurality of additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of optical element that is detected as being inserted in the optical path, when it has been judged that the elapsed time has exceeded the predetermined time. 
 
     
     
       4. A computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that is executable by a computer to cause the computer to control an optical microscope apparatus, wherein the optical microscope apparatus includes: (i) a revolver which has a plurality of objective lenses attached thereto, and which is manually revolvable to switch an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope, (ii) a plurality of additional optical elements, in addition to the objective lenses, and (iii) a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the plurality of additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to the objective lenses, said program being executable by the computer to cause the computer to perform functions comprising:
 receiving a result of detection of at least one indicium on the revolver, so as to identify a type of the objective lens inserted in the optical path and to detect when the objective lens inserted in the optical path is switched, based on the result of the detection; 
 counting a time elapsed from a time when it is detected that the objective lens inserted in the optical path has been switched; 
 judging whether or not the elapsed time is longer than a predetermined time; and 
 arranging the plurality of additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of optical element that is detected as being inserted in the optical path, when it has been judged that the elapsed time has exceeded the predetermined time. 
 
     
     
       5. An optical microscope apparatus comprising:
 a revolver for switching an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope, the revolver having a plurality of objective lenses;   a plurality of additional optical elements, each of which is electrically or manually switchable, in addition to the objective lenses;   a detection unit which detects at least one indicium to identify a type of one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path and to detect when said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path is switched;   a timer which counts a time elapsed from a time when the detection unit detects that said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path has been switched;   a judgment unit which judges whether or not the elapsed time counted by the timer is longer than a predetermined time;   a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the additional optical elements other than said one of the additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to types of said one of the additional optical elements; and   an arrangement control unit which arranges the additional optical elements other than said one of the additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected by the detection unit as being inserted in the optical path;   wherein the arrangement control unit arranges the additional optical elements other than said one of the additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected by the detection unit as being inserted in the optical path, when the judgment unit has judged that the elapsed time counted by the timer has exceeded the predetermined time.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the storage unit stores information relating to an arrangement of the objective lenses for each of the plurality of observation methods corresponding to the types of said one of the additional optical elements; and
 wherein the arrangement control unit arranges one of the objective lenses to be inserted in the optical path of the microscope in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected by the detection unit as being inserted in the optical path.   
     
     
       7. An optical element arranging method for an optical microscope apparatus, wherein the optical microscope apparatus includes: (i) a revolver for switching an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope, the revolver having a plurality of objective lenses attached thereto, (ii) a plurality of additional optical elements, each of which is electrically or manually switchable, in addition to the objective lenses, and (iii) a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the additional optical elements other than a given one of the additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to types of said one of the additional optical elements, said method comprising:
 detecting at least one indicium to identify a type said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path and to detect when said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path is switched;   counting a time elapsed from a time when it is detected that said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path has been switched;   judging whether or not the elapsed time is longer than a predetermined time; and   arranging the additional optical elements other than said one of the additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected as being inserted in the optical path, when it has been judged that the elapsed time has exceeded the predetermined time.   
     
     
       8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the storage unit stores information relating to an arrangement of the objective lenses for each of the plurality of observation methods corresponding to the types of said one of the additional optical elements; and
 wherein the method further comprises arranging one of the objective lenses to be inserted in the optical path of the microscope in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected as being inserted in the optical path.   
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that is executable by a computer to cause the computer to control an optical microscope apparatus, wherein the optical microscope apparatus includes: (i) a revolver for switching an objective lens that is inserted in an optical path of the microscope, the revolver having a plurality of objective lenses attached thereto, (ii) a plurality of additional optical elements, each of which is electrically or manually switchable, in addition to the objective lenses, and (iii) a storage unit which stores information relating to an arrangement of the additional optical elements other than a given one of the additional optical elements for each of a plurality of observation methods corresponding to types of said one of the additional optical elements, said program being executable by the computer to cause the computer to perform functions comprising:
 detecting at least one indicium to identify a type said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path and to detect when said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path is switched;   counting a time elapsed from a time when it is detected that said one of the additional optical elements inserted in the optical path has been switched;   judging whether or not the elapsed time is longer than a predetermined time; and   arranging the additional optical elements other than said one of the additional optical elements in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected as being inserted in the optical path, when it has been judged that the elapsed time has exceeded the predetermined time.   
     
     
       10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the storage unit stores information relating to an arrangement of the objective lenses for each of the plurality of observation methods corresponding to the types of said one of the additional optical elements; and
 wherein the functions further comprise arranging one of the objective lenses to be inserted in the optical path of the microscope in accordance with the information stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type of said one of the additional optical elements that is detected as being inserted in the optical path.