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

Claim 0:
1. An image acquisition device comprising:
a stage on which a sample is placed so as to face an objective lens;
a driver configured to move a relative position of the stage with respect to the objective lens in a scanning direction intersecting an optical axis of the objective lens;
first irradiation optics configured to emit first irradiation light to be used for an irradiation of the sample;
second irradiation optics configured to emit second irradiation light to be used for the irradiation of the sample;
a beam splitter configured to branch the first irradiation light and the second irradiation light guided by the objective lens into a first optical path for controlling a focus and a second optical path for acquiring an optical image of the sample;
a mask provided at a position of a pupil of the objective lens in the first optical path, the mask comprising a first aperture and a second aperture;
a pupil dividing element disposed at a rear stage of the mask and configured to divide the first optical path 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 such that the first optical image path associated with the first aperture of the mask is refracted in a first direction and the second optical image path associated with the second aperture of the mask is refracted in a second direction different from the first direction;
a first imaging lens configured to transmit therethrough each of the first optical image path and the second optical image path;
a first imaging element configured to include 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 from the first imaging lens, and acquire 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 formed on the imaging surface by the first imaging lens;
an analyzer configured to analyze the first image data and obtain focus information of the objective lens in a first imaging region captured by performing the method of reading the sub-array region;
a controller configured to control a focus position of the objective lens based on the focus information obtained by the analysis unit;
a second imaging lens configured to form an optical image of the sample in the second optical path; and
a second imaging element configured to capture an optical image of the sample formed by the second imaging lens and acquire second image data for forming an image of the sample,
wherein an irradiation range of the first irradiation light by the first irradiation optics includes a second imaging region captured by the second imaging element,
wherein the second imaging region is located behind the first imaging region in the scanning direction, and
wherein the control unit controls a focus position of the objective lens based on the focus information before capturing the second imaging region by the second imaging element.