Patent ID: 8994808
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A confocal microscopy system, comprising: a light source for emitting a laser to an observing target; a scan optical system for two-dimensionally scanning the laser from the light source; an objective lens for collecting the laser scanned by the scan optical system on the observing target; a light receiving element for receiving a light, the light being a reflected light of the laser from the observing target; a pixel data output unit for outputting pixel data corresponding to a plurality of pixels based on an output signal of the light receiving element; a sensitivity setting unit for setting a sensitivity parameter for adjusting a value of the pixel data by controlling at least one of the light source or the light receiving element; an image data generating unit for generating an ultradeep image data based on the pixel data outputted from the pixel data output unit, the pixel data being obtained by changing a relative distance between the objective lens and the observing target along the optical axis of the objective lens, each pixel of the ultradeep image data representing a peak intensity of the light receiving intensity distribution along an optical axis of the objective lens; wherein the image data generating unit includes a first function, second function and a third function, the first function is configured to generate a first ultradeep image data by changing relative distance between the objective lens and the observing target in a condition of the sensitivity parameter being the first sensitivity value, when the start of the acquisition of the first ultradeep image data is instructed, the second function is configured to determine whether the peak intensity indicated by each pixel of the first ultradeep image data satisfies a condition defined in advance and to change the sensitivity parameter to a second sensitivity value which is greater than the first sensitivity value based on the determination result; and the third function is configured to generate a second ultradeep image data by changing relative distance between the objective lens and the observing target in a condition of the sensitivity parameter being the second sensitivity value, and wherein the image data generating unit, based on the determination result by the second function, generates a surface image data which represents a surface state of the observing target from the first ultradeep image data or generates the surface image data from a synthesized data of the first ultradeep image data and the second ultradeep image data.