Patent ID: 8200767

Claim:
A system for taking a microscope image, comprising: a camera which takes an observed image of a sample obtained by a microscope; a CPU which controls the camera to take the observed image repeatedly at predetermined taking time intervals; wherein the CPU records in a storage device image data representing the observed image taken by the camera; wherein the CPU detects an occurrence of an abnormality in at least one of the microscope, the camera, and the storage device; wherein the CPU generates an e-mail containing the image data and information about settings of at least one of the microscope and the camera at a time of taking the observed image represented by the image data using an e-mail address registered in advance as a destination; and wherein the system further comprises a communication device which transmits the e-mail to a communication network; wherein the CPU generates the e-mail at predetermined generating intervals, and the e-mail includes only one image composed of image data representing the observed image taken by the camera immediately before generating the e-mail; wherein the CPU transmits a control command to at least one of a microscope control device controlling the microscope and a camera control device controlling the camera, and the CPU detects the occurrence of an abnormality when the CPU determines that a return value for the control command is not returned after passage of a predetermined time-out period; wherein the CPU generates an abnormality occurrence notification mail as an e-mail including information indicating the occurrence of the abnormality when the CPU detects the occurrence of the abnormality; and wherein the communication device transmits the e-mail each time the CPU generates the e-mail, including when the CPU generates the e-mail at the predetermined generating intervals, and when the CPU generates an abnormality occurrence notification mail as the e-mail.