Patent ID: 6259473
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A section image obtaining apparatus that obtains a section image of a subject, comprising:an image-capturing device that captures an image of the subject and generates image data corresponding to the subject whose image has been captured, said image-capturing device being provided with an image-capturing element constituted of a plurality of pixels that are two-dimensionally arrayed;a section specifying device that specifies a vertical section extending in a direction perpendicular to an image-capturing surface of said image-capturing device and specifies the vertical section at the subject;a distance adjusting device that adjusts a distance between the subject and said image-capturing device in order to focus on a given position at the subject when capturing an image of the subject at said image-capturing device;a section image processing device that processes the image data generated by said image-capturing device; anda microscope provided with an objective lens between the subject and said image-capturing device that enlarges an image of the subject by a magnification power of M, wherein:said image-capturing device captures an image of the subject for each distance resulting from an adjustment made by said distance adjusting device;said section image processing device extracts image data at a portion intersecting the section specified by said section specifying device among the image data generated by said image-capturing device every time an image of the subject is captured by said image-capturing device, and obtains a section image of the subject by synthesizing the image data thus extracted;said distance adjusting device adjusts the distance between the subject and said objective lens;said distance adjusting device adjusts a distance between the subject and said section image obtaining apparatus in units of distance equaling (a length of one side of a pixel/M); andsaid section image processing device extracts image data at pixels corresponding to the position at which the section specified by said section specifying device is intersected.