Patent ID: 11921277
Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 7:
8. An image acquisition method comprising:
a first irradiation step of irradiating a sample facing an objective lens with first irradiation light in a predetermined irradiation range;
a pupil dividing step of dividing an optical image path of the sample guided by a mask disposed at a position of a pupil of the objective lens into a first optical image path for a first light beam and a second optical image path for a second light beam different from the first light beam by pupil dividing such that the first optical image path associated with a first aperture of the mask is refracted in a first direction and the second optical image path associated with a second aperture of the mask is refracted in a second direction different from the first direction;
a first image acquisition step of acquiring first image data by performing a method of reading a sub-array region of the plurality of pixels which form the imaging surface for at least a part of each of the first optical image path and the second optical image path using a first imaging element with an imaging surface having a plurality of pixels arranged in two dimensions for receiving each of the first optical image path and the second optical image path;
an analysis step of analyzing the first image data and obtaining focus information of the objective lens in a first imaging region captured by performing the method of reading the sub-array region;
a focus control step of controlling a focus position of the objective lens based on the focus information obtained by the analysis step; and
a second image acquisition step of capturing an optical image of the sample irradiated with second irradiation light different from the first irradiation light using a second imaging element and acquiring second image data,
wherein the predetermined irradiation range includes a second imaging region captured by the second imaging element, and
wherein at least between the first image acquisition step and the second image acquisition step, the second imaging region is moved to the first imaging region by a scanning operation and the analysis step and the focus control step are performed.