Patent ID: 8422127

Claim:
A microscopic image capturing apparatus, comprising: a sample setting stage having a sample setting surface on which a sample can be set; an imaging unit, arranged so as to oppose the sample setting surface, successively imaging respective portions in an imaging object area on said sample setting surface; an objective lens, arranged between said imaging unit and said sample setting surface, forming, on said imaging unit, a localized microscopic image of an area, within the imaging object area, that is imageable by said imaging unit; a first driving mechanism adjusting relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by moving said sample setting stage along a scan plane orthogonal to an optical axis of said objective lens; a second driving mechanism adjusting relative positions of said sample setting stage and said objective lens, by moving said objective lens along an optical axis direction of said objective lens; and a control unit, by controlling said first and second driving mechanisms, relatively moving the imageable area of said imaging unit along a predetermined scan direction while adjusting the focal point position of said imaging unit in the imaging object area, wherein, in the condition that said sample setting surface of said sample setting stage is inclined with respect to the scan plane, said control unit: determines a plurality of focal point measuring positions within the imaging object area; forms a focus map on the basis of in-focus point positions of the determined focal point measuring positions; and moves said objective lens along the optical axis direction of said objective lens by said second driving mechanism on the basis of said formed focus map, while the imageable area of said imaging unit relatively moves along the predetermined scan direction in the imaging object area.