Patent ID: 7215467
Filing Date: 2007-05-08
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A microscope control system which obtains a microscope image of an observation target sample by controlling a microscope having at least two objective lenses, comprising: an objective lens information record unit recording objective lens information associating the objective lenses with numerical apertures of the objective lenses; an objective lens selection information obtaining unit obtaining selection information about the objective lenses selected to obtain the microscope image; an objective lens numerical aperture obtaining unit obtaining the numerical aperture of the selected objective lens from the objective lens information record unit according to the selection information; a focal point moving interval determination unit determining a moving interval per moving operation of optical-axis-direction moving of a position of a focal point of the microscope under a condition of the same objective lens based on the numerical aperture of the objective lens obtained by the objective lens numerical aperture obtaining unit and a wavelength of light for observation of the sample; a focal point moving range determination unit determining a range of motion where optical-axis-direction moving of the position of the focal point is based only upon an estimated value of a thickness of the sample on a slide; a focal point moving control unit controlling the microscope such that the focal point is moved to positions in alignment with an optical axis direction separated by a distance equal to said moving interval from a top or bottom end position toward an other end of the moving range sequentially; and a microscope image obtaining control unit controlling the microscope such that the microscope images are obtained respectively in correspondence to the aligning positions separated by a distance equal to the moving interval when the focal point is sequentially moved to these positions, wherein the focal point moving interval determination unit determines the moving interval, ΔZ, according to the formula: wherein NA is the numerical aperture of said objective lens and λ is the wavelength of light for observation of the sample.