Abstract:
An unit for switchable arranging an arbitrary optical element on an optical path of fluorescence from among a plurality of types of the optical elements that transmit an excitation beam for exciting a sample and fluorescence emitted from the sample; an unit for picking up the observation image via the optical element arranged; and an unit for determining a type of the optical element arranged on the basis of the observation image picked up are prepared in order to provide a microscope image processing device, a program product, a program transmission medium and a method are provided, by which an optical element such as a fluorescence cube set on a fluorescence microscope can be identified on the basis of a detection result of an image pick up device that picks up an image of a sample to be observed by using the fluorescence microscope.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-343620, filed on Dec. 20, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a microscope image processing device that includes a fluorescence microscope and an image pick up device in a combined manner, a microscope image processing program, and a microscope image processing method, and particularly to a microscope image processing device, a microscope image processing program product, a microscope image processing program transmission medium, and a microscope image processing method, by which types of a fluorescence cube on an optical path can be determined. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the conventional fluorescence microscope, a light beam of a particular wavelength bandwidth is emitted onto the sample for the excitation, and the fluorescence emitted from the sample is used for the observation. In this type of the fluorescence microscope, for the observation, a fluorescence cube that is the most suitable with respect to the type of the sample or the fluorescence dye is selected from among a plurality of fluorescence cubes (fluorescence dye) mounted on the turret in order to come to be set on the optical path. 
       FIG. 1  shows a conventional fluorescence microscope image pick up system. 
     In  FIG. 1 , a fluorescence microscope  1  comprises objective lenses  6 , fluorescence cubes  5 , an epi-illumination light source  4 , an optical column  28 , and an image pick up device  3 , so that visual observation of a sample set on the stage (sample stage)  13  can be made and also that the image of the sample can be guided along an observation optical path a 1  to an external environment. The image pick up device  3  is set on the plane, on the observation optical path a 1 , on which the observation image coming out from the fluorescence microscope  1  is projected. 
     In this fluorescence microscope  1 , an illumination beam emitted from the epi-illumination light source  4  such as a mercury lamp is reflected by the fluorescence cube  5 , and is cast onto the sample  2  via the objective lens  6 . A plurality of fluorescence cubes  5  are mounted on the turret  7 , and the operator of the fluorescence microscope  1  can replace the fluorescence cubes  5  to be set on the optical path also that the most suitable combination between the fluorescence cube  5  and the fluorescence dye of the sample is achieved. 
     And, the operator can cause a monitor device  12  to display the observation image picked up by the image pick up device  3 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an example of the fluorescence cube  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the fluorescence cube  5  comprises a band pass filter  9 , a dichroic mirror  10 , and an absorption filter  11 , and some of the fluorescence cubes  5  are used in a combination that is the most suitable for the fluorescence dye of the sample  2 . The number of the fluorescence cubes  5  that can be mounted on the fluorescence microscope  1  is limited, thus the operator of the fluorescence microscope  1  appropriately replaces them in order to attain the best combination between the fluorescence cubes  5  and the fluorescence dye. 
     It sometimes occurs that the operator cannot remember which types of the fluorescence cubes were set at which positions on the turret  7  after they replaced the fluorescence cubes  5 . In such a case, time and labor is taken in order to find the target fluorescence cube  5 . In the case of the observations using the fluorescence microscopes especially, when the sample  2  is kept being irradiated with the illumination beam for a long time, the discoloration of the fluorescence dye occurs, which affects the observation. 
     In order to avoid such a problem, in some microscopes, names of the fluorescence cubes  5  can be described on the turret  7 . However, to change names of the fluorescence cubes  5  when the operator replaces the fluorescence cubes  5  is not an essential operation for the operator, so that he or she often forgets to change the names of the fluorescence cubes  5 . 
     As a technique for solving this problem, there is a technique as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-338947. In this technique, a display portion is provided on the outer surface of the fluorescence cube  5 , and the front surface of the turret  7  for holding the fluorescence cubes  5  has a plurality of openings for exposing to the external environment the display portions of the fluorescence cubes  5  at all the replacement positions at which the fluorescence cubes  5  can be, so that all the display portions can be viewed from the external environment through the plurality of openings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a microscope image processing device of the present invention comprises: 
     an optical element switching unit for switchably arranging an arbitrary optical element on an optical path of fluorescence from among a plurality of types of the optical elements that transmit an excitation beam for exciting a sample and fluorescence emitted from the sample; 
     an image pick up unit for picking up the observation image via the optical element arranged by the optical element switching unit; and 
     an optical element determination unit for determining a type of the optical element arranged by the optical element switching unit on the basis of the observation image picked up by the image pick up unit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description when the accompanying drawings are referenced. 
         FIG. 1  shows a conventional fluorescence microscope image pick up system; 
         FIG. 2  shows an example of a fluorescence cube  5 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied; 
         FIG. 4  shows spectral characteristics of the blue color component of a band pass filter  9 B, a dichroic mirror  10 B, and an absorption filter  11 B; 
         FIG. 5  shows spectral characteristics of the green color component of a band pass filter  9 G, a dichroic mirror  10 G, and an absorption filter  11 G; 
         FIG. 6  shows spectral characteristics of the red color component of a band pass filter  9 R, a dichroic mirror  10 R, and an absorption filter  11 R; 
         FIG. 7  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a second embodiment of the present invention is applied; 
         FIG. 8  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a first variation of the second embodiment of the present invention is applied; 
         FIG. 9  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a third embodiment of the present invention is applied; and 
         FIG. 10  shows an example of the spectral characteristic of the transparent illumination light source  19 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be explained by referring to the drawings. 
     First Embodiment 
       FIG. 3  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the fluorescence microscope  1  comprises the objective lenses  6 , the fluorescence cubes  5 , the epi-illumination light source  4 , the optical column  28 , the image pick up device  3 , so that visual observation of a sample set on the stage (sample stage)  13  can be made and also that the image of the sample can be guided along an observation optical path a 1  to the external environment. The image pick up device  3  such as a color image pick up device or the like is set on the plane, on the observation optical path a 1 , on which the observation image coming out from the fluorescence microscope  1  is projected. 
     In this fluorescence microscope  1 , an illumination beam emitted from the epi-illumination light source  4  such as a mercury lamp is reflected by the fluorescence cube  5 , and is cast onto the sample  2  via the objective lens  6 . A plurality of fluorescence cubes  5  are mounted on the turret  7 , and the operator of the fluorescence microscope  1  can replace the fluorescence cubes  5  to be set on the optical path also that the most suitable combination between the fluorescence cube  5  and the sample is set on the optical path a 1 . 
     Then, the operator can control the turret  7  via a PC  100  such as a personal computer or the like while causing the monitor  12  to display the observation images picked up by using the image pick up device  3 . 
     In the first embodiment of the present invention, a case is assumed in which three types of the fluorescence cubes  5  such as, for example, the ones shown in  FIG. 2  are used. 
       FIG. 4  shows the spectral characteristics of the blue color component of a band pass filter  9 B, a dichroic mirror  10 B, and an absorption filter  11 B.  FIG. 5  shows the spectral characteristics of the green color component of a band pass filter  9 G, a dichroic mirror  10 G, and an absorption filter  11 G.  FIG. 6  shows the spectral characteristics of the red color component of a band pass filter  9 R, a dichroic mirror  10 R, and an absorption filter  11 R. 
     In  FIG. 3 , only the particular wavelength components in the beam emitted from the epi-illumination light source  4  are transmitted through the band pass filter  9 , reflected by the dichroic mirror  10 , and cast onto the sample  2  through the objective lens  6 . The sample  2  emits fluorescence generated by the excitation due to the beam cast on the sample  2 . This fluorescence passes through the objective lens  6 , and is transmitted through the dichroic mirror  10  and the absorption filter  11 . Thereafter, the image formed by this fluorescence is picked up by the image pick up device  3 , and the picked up image is taken into the PC  100  in order to be displayed on the monitor device  12 . 
     Because many fluorescence dyes are used for the observation of the sample  2  in the fluorescence microscope  1 , only the fluorescence cubes  5  mounted on the turret  7  can not cope with the variety of the fluorescence dyes. Accordingly, it is necessary to alter the combination of the fluorescence cubes  5  to be mounted on the turret  7  so that they correspond to the fluorescence dye. Because of this necessity, the initial operations are performed on the microscope image pick up system installed on the PC  100 . The initial operations will be explained hereinafter. 
     First, the turret  7  is revolved after the activation of the microscope image pick up system, and an image is obtained for each of the fluorescence cubes  5 . At that time, the pick up is performed by the image pick up device  3  by using light such as the auto fluorescence of the objective lens caused by the epi-illumination light from the epi-illumination light source  4  or the external light via the dichroic mirror  10  and the absorption filter  11  in the fluorescence cube  5 . Also, when the sample  2  is set on the stage  13 , the fluorescence itself coming from the sample  2  is detected. 
     The beams picked up by the image pick up device  3  are beams that are transmitted through the absorption filters  11 B, G, and R shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6 , accordingly, the obtained images have the special characteristics that depend on the color components for each of the fluorescence cubes  5 . For example, the special characteristic of the fluorescence cube  5  whose spectral characteristic is shown in  FIG. 4  is the blue color component that has the wavelength raging from 430 nm through 480 nm, the special characteristic of the fluorescence cube  5  whose spectral characteristic is shown in  FIG. 5  is the green color component that has the wavelength ranging from 500 nm through 570 nm, and the special characteristic of the fluorescence cube  5  whose spectral characteristic is shown in  FIG. 6  is the red color component that has the wavelength ranging from 610 nm through 780 nm. 
     The PC  100  detects the color components of the image for each of the fluorescence cubes  5 , and displays the detection result on a turret control section on the monitor  12 . 
     After performing the initialization as described above, the operator performs the observations by using the fluorescence microscope  1  and obtains images by using the microscope image pick up system via the turret control section on the monitor device  12  and the image pick up device control unit. 
     Also, the fluorescence cubes  5  mounted on the turret  7  are selected by the operator of the fluorescence microscope  1  in accordance with the purposes. In the microscope image pick up system installed on the PC  100 , the types of the fluorescence cubes  5  can be determined on the basis of the transmitted beams such as beams in blue, green, and red. 
     (Variation 1 of the First Embodiment) 
     In the fluorescence microscope image pick up system, the images picked up respectively with a plurality of fluorescence cubes  5  are sometimes displayed in an overlapped state. Accordingly, a false color is set in accordance with the above determined fluorescence cube  5 . The images picked up with the respective fluorescence cubes  5  are displayed with the set false color for overlapping. 
     In the setting of the false color, when, for example, an image of a fluorescence sample is picked up by using a color image pick up element through a red fluorescence cube, the obtained image data includes not only the R components, but also the G components, and in some conditions the B components too. Similarly, when the blue fluorescence cube is used, the R and G components can be included, and when the green fluorescence cube is used, the R and B components can be included. Accordingly, when the images of these three types are just overlapped, the R, G, and B components are mixed. In order to avoid this overlapping, the images of the R, G, and B components are respectively converted into pieces of intensity information prior to the overlapping of the images, thereby the overlapping is performed for each of the three types of the components. In this case, the images are processed so that each image only includes one of the R, G, B components for avoiding the mixture. However, when a particular color is desired to be expressed, the R, G, and B components may be multiplied by a coefficient that represents a certain ratio. 
     (Variation 2 of the First Embodiment) 
     In the above described first embodiment, the turret  7  is controlled by the PC  100 , however, it is also possible to manually control the turret  7 . 
     Second Embodiment 
       FIG. 7  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. 
     The configuration of the second embodiment is obtained by adding to the first embodiment a transparent illumination light source  14 . In this second embodiment, the transparent illumination light source  14  is turned on when a fluorescence microscope  1 A is initialized upon the activation. The illumination light emitted from the transparent illumination light source  14  travels through the objective lens  6  and the fluorescence cube  5  in order to be used for the pick up of images performed by the image pick up device  3 . 
     Then, the microscope image pickup system installed on a PC  200  determines the fluorescence cube  5  by picking up images for each of the fluorescence cubes  5  and detecting the colors of the images. 
     (Variation 1 of the Second Embodiment) 
       FIG. 8  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a first variation of the second embodiment of the present invention is applied. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , one of auxiliary light sources  15  is selected and set on the optical axis. 
     For example, an auxiliary light source  15   a  is detachably set on the stage  13 , or an auxiliary light source  15   b  is set between the objective lenses  6  on the revolver and the revolver is moved to the position of the auxiliary light source  15   b  upon the initialization. 
     It is also possible to employ a configuration in which a mirror  16  is configured to be movable and an auxiliary light source  15   c  is set below the mirror  16 . 
     By employing the above configuration, it is possible to attain the same effect as in the second embodiment. 
     (Variation 2 of the Second Embodiment) 
     A memory device included in a PC  300  such as a personal computer or the like that has installed a microscope image pick up system thereon stores the spectral characteristics of the transparent illumination light source  14  or the auxiliary light sources  15 , the spectral sensitivity of the image pick up device  3 , and the spectral characteristics of a plurality of the fluorescence cubes  5  in order to hold a measurement value of the image picked up for each fluorescence cube  5  by using the image pick up device  3 . And, the image data obtained for each fluorescence cube  5  and the measurement value is compared to each other when initiating, thereby it is presumed which of the fluorescence cube  5  is used. 
     According to this variation 2 of the present invention, it is possible to identify the types of the fluorescence cubes  5 . 
     (Variation 3 of the Second Embodiment) 
     This variation 3 of the second embodiment includes, in addition to the configuration of the variation 2, a configuration in which the spectral characteristics of the fluorescence dye of the sample being observed can be input to a PC  300 . The color of the fluorescence itself is obtained by the calculations of the spectral characteristics of the input spectral characteristics of the fluorescence dye, and the obtained color is set as the false color corresponding to the fluorescence cube  5 . 
     According to this variation 2, it is possible to set the false color that greatly matches the color of the fluorescence. 
     Third Embodiment 
       FIG. 9  shows a fluorescence microscope image pick up system to which a third embodiment of the present invention is applied. 
     In  FIG. 9 , an inverted microscope  1 B comprises a stage (sample stage)  18  that is for mounting the sample  17  and that is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions, a transparent illumination light source  19  for performing the transparent illumination on the sample  17 , an epi-illumination light source  20  for performing the epi-illumination onto the sample  17 , objective lenses  21  for collecting light from the sample  17 , an imaging lens  22 , and an image pick up device  23  for picking up images formed by the imaging lens  22 . 
     The image pick up device  23  is constituted of, for example, a cold monochrome CCD camera. 
     The operator operates a PC  400  such as a personal computer. By a controller  25  that operates in accordance with the instructions given by a microscope image pick up system installed on the PC  400  (that has a monitor device  27 ), the stage  18 , the transparent illumination light source  19 , the epi-illumination light source  20 , an objective lens revolver mounting a plurality of objective lenses  21 , the image pick up device  23 , and a turret  24  are controlled. 
     Also, the main body of the inverted microscope  1 B is stored in a dark box  29  so that external light does not influence the optical path. 
     A plurality of fluorescence cubes  5  for reflecting the illumination light from the epi-illumination light source  20  are mounted on the turret  24  similarly to the above embodiments. 
     Also, the transparent illumination light source  19  includes at least three monochromatic light sources  19   a ,  19   b , and  19   c  respectively for emitting beams different in color. 
       FIG. 10  shows an example of the spectral characteristic of the transparent illumination light source  19 . 
     The transparent illumination light source  19  includes eleven types of LEDs (transparent light sources  19   a  through  19   k ) having the spectral characteristics as shown in, for example,  FIG. 10 . 
     Similarly to the fluorescence cube  5  on the above described turret  7 , the fluorescence cubes  5  on the turret  24  in this third embodiment can be replaced for different combinations as necessary. 
     The operator of the microscope image pick up system according to the third embodiment of the present invention selects the fluorescence cube  5 , determines the positions of the sample  17 , obtains correct focus on the sample  17 , selects the objective lens  21 , selects the illumination light, and etc. in order to obtain images of the sample  17 . 
     In the third embodiment of the present invention, the LEDs  19   a  through  19   k  of the transparent illumination light source  19  are sequentially caused to emit beams in the respective colors for each of the fluorescence cubes  5  in order to obtain the respective images. Thereafter, the pieces of image data corresponding to the respective colors are compared to one another in order to estimate the character of the absorption filter  11 . 
     Also, similarly to the above first and second embodiments, it is possible to determine the types of the fluorescence cubes  5 , and the determination result is displayed on the control window displayed on the monitor device  27  in the PC  400 . Also, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the false color is set for each of the fluorescence cubes  5 . 
     Further, in this third embodiment of the present invention, the turret  24  has a blank portion in which a fluorescence cube  5  is not placed. It is also possible to perform the transparent illumination observation of the sample  17  by setting the turret  24  so that this blank portion is used. 
     When a live image observation is to be performed, the three types of the eleven LEDs (light sources  19   a  through  19   k ) i.e., the red LED (that is of 620 nm and denoted by  19   g ), the green LED (that is of 540 nm and denoted by  19   e ), and a blue LED (that is of 460 nm and denoted by  19   c ) are sequentially caused to emit light in order to obtain the respective images. Then, the three images are synthesized in order to be displayed on the monitor device  27 . Thereby, it is possible to obtain color live images with the maximum update term of the frame. 
     Also, when still images are to be obtained, the eleven types of LEDs (transparent light sources  19   a  through  19   k ) are sequentially caused to emit light in order to obtain the images. In this case, the eleven images correspond to the multi-spectral images of the respective wavelengths. From these multi-spectral images, the spectral image of the sample  17  can be obtained, and an image that precisely reproduces the color of the sample  17  can be obtained. 
     Also, when the respective colors are different from one another in the shading, the shading images for the respective colors are obtained upon the initialization, and the shading correlation is performed for each color when synthesizing the live images or the still images, thereby, still better images can be obtained. 
     Also, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the number of the types of the transparent illumination light source  19  is eleven in the visible range, however, it is possible to increase the number of the types of the light sources or to use light sources that emits light in the ultraviolet rays or the infrared rays, thereby the responses from the sample  17  when receiving various wavelengths can be observed. 
     Also, in the microscope image pick up system according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the optical path is entirely included in the dark box  29 , and a cold monochrome CCD camera is used as the image pick up device  23 , accordingly by turning off the transparent illumination light source  19  and the epi-illumination light source  20 , the weak light such as the bioluminescence can be detected. 
     The respective embodiments of the present invention have been explained by referring to the drawings. However, the microscope image processing device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to any of the above embodiments as long as the same functions as in the embodiments are realized, and can be a single device, a system or a comprehensive device consisting of a plurality of devices, or a system in which processes are performed via networks such as a LAN, WAN, or the like. 
     Also, the microscope image processing device to which the present invention is applied can be realized by a system including a CPU, a memory device such as ROM, or RAM, an input device, an output device, an external storage device, a medium driving device, a transportable storage device, and a network connection device in a state in which they are connected to a bus. In other words, the microscope image processing device to which the present invention is applied can be realized by providing a microscope image processing device with a memory device such as ROM or RAM, an external storage device, and a transportable storage medium storing a program code for software that realizes the systems described in the above respective embodiments, and by causing a computer of the microscope image processing device to read the program code in order to execute the read program code. 
     In this case, the program code itself read from the transportable storage medium or the like realizes the novel functions of the present invention, and transportable storage medium or the like storing that program code is a component that constitutes the present invention. 
     Examples of the transportable storage medium for providing the program code are a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM device, a CD-R, a DVD-ROM device, a DVD-RAM device, magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, a ROM card, and various storage media storing information via a network connection device for the E-mail or computer communication, or the like (in other words, communication lines). 
     Also, a computer that executes a program code read onto a memory device can realize the functions described in the above respective embodiments, and also an OS that operates on a computer on the basis of the instruction given by that program code can realize the functions described in the above respective embodiments by executing a part or the whole of the processes of the present invention. 
     Further, the functions described in the above embodiments can be realized by a configuration in which a program (data) read from a transportable storage medium or a program (data) provided by a program (data) provider is written to a memory device included in an expansion board inserted into a computer or an expansion unit connected to a computer, and the CPU or the like included in the expansion board or the expansion unit performs a part or the whole of the processes in accordance with the instructions written as the program code. 
     In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to any of the above described embodiments, and the present invention can take various configurations or shapes without departing from the spirit of the present invention.