IP Library › Granted Patent US 12663375

Granted Patent B2

US 12663375 · App. 18/382,177 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Sample observation device and sample observation method

Inventor: Satoshi Yamamoto (Hamamatsu, JP)

Assignee: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.

G01N21/6456 G01N2201/11 G01N2201/127

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12663375
App. No.: 18/382,177
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

In a sample observation device, an image capturing unit includes an area image sensor that performs image capturing by the rolling shutter method in which a start of an exposure period of pixel columns in the pixel region is shifted by predetermined time, and a control unit controls the image capturing unit so that an exposure order in each of the pixel columns is reversed between a period in which a scanning unit scans a sample in a first direction and a period in which the scanning unit scans the sample in a second direction.

Claims (72)

1 . A sample observation device comprising:

an irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a sample with planar light;

a scanner configured to scan the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light;

an image capturer configured to include a pixel region for image capturing observation light generated in the sample by irradiation of the planar light to output image data based on a capturing result of the observation light in the pixel region; and

a controller configured to control respective operations of the irradiation optical system, the scanner, and the image capturer, wherein

the image capturer includes an area image sensor that performs image capturing by a rolling shutter method in which a start of an exposure period of each of pixel columns in the pixel region is shifted by predetermined time,

the controller controls the image capturer so that an exposure order in each of the pixel columns is reversed between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction, and

the controller is configured to control the irradiation optical system so that the sample is irradiated with planar light having different wavelengths between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

2 . A sample observation device comprising:

an irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a sample with planar light;

a scanner configured to scan the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light;

a controller configured to control respective operations of the irradiation optical system, the scanner, and the image capturer, wherein

the controller is configured to control the scanner so that the sample is scanned with respect to the irradiation surface of the planar light at different scanning speed between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

3 . A sample observation device comprising:

an irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a sample with planar light;

a scanner configured to scan the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light;

a controller configured to control respective operations of the irradiation optical system, the scanner, and the image capturer, wherein

the controller is configured to control the image capturer so that roll time represented by a time difference of a start of an exposure period of each of the pixel columns is different from each other between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

4 . A sample observation device comprising:

an irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a sample with planar light;

a scanner configured to scan the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light;

a controller configured to control respective operations of the irradiation optical system, the scanner, and the image capturer, wherein

the controller is configured to control at least one of the scanner and the image capturer such that an absolute value of shift amount of an exposure position in each of the pixel columns is 50% or less of resolution between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

5 . The sample observation device according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the scanner and the image capturer such that an absolute value of shift amount of an exposure position in each of the pixel columns is 20% or less of resolution between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

6 . A sample observation device comprising:

an irradiation optical system configured to irradiate a sample with planar light;

a scanner configured to scan the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light;

a controller configured to control respective operations of the irradiation optical system, the scanner, and the image capturer, wherein

the controller is configured to set a reference pixel column so that exposure positions of intermediate pixel columns in the pixel columns coincide with each other when exposure positions in the pixel columns are overlapped on a scanning axis between a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the first direction and a period in which the scanner scans the sample in the second direction.

7 . A sample observation method comprising:

irradiating a sample with planar light;

scanning the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light; and

image capturing by using a pixel region for image capturing observation light generated in the sample by irradiation of the planar light to output image data based on a capturing result of the observation light in the pixel region, wherein

the image capturing uses an area image sensor that performs image capturing by a rolling shutter method in which a start of an exposure period of each of pixel columns in the pixel region is shifted by predetermined time, and the scanning reverses an exposure order in each of the pixel columns between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction, and

in the irradiating, the sample is irradiated with planar light having different wavelengths between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.

8 . A sample observation method comprising:

irradiating a sample with planar light;

scanning the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light; and

in the scanning, the sample is scanned with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light at different scanning speed between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.

9 . A sample observation method comprising:

irradiating a sample with planar light;

scanning the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light; and

in the image capturing, roll time represented by a time difference of a start of an exposure period in each of the pixel columns is different from each other between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.

10 . A sample observation method comprising:

irradiating a sample with planar light;

scanning the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light; and

an absolute value of shift amount of an exposure position in each of the pixel columns is 50% or less of resolution between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.

11 . The sample observation method according to claim 10 , wherein an absolute value of shift amount of an exposure position in each of the pixel columns is 20% or less of resolution between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.

12 . A sample observation method comprising:

irradiating a sample with planar light;

scanning the sample in a direction including a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to an irradiation surface of the planar light; and

in the image capturing, a reference pixel column is set so that exposure positions of intermediate pixel columns in the pixel columns coincide with each other when the exposure positions in the pixel columns are overlapped on a scanning axis between a period in which the sample is scanned in the first direction and a period in which the sample is scanned in the second direction.