Scanning laser microscope and external signal recording method
View Patent ↗A scanning laser microscope is configured to include: a scanner unit for performing two-dimensional scanning on a specimen using a light beam; a photodetector unit for detecting a light from the specimen; an A/D converter for converting an output signal from the photodetector unit into a digital signal; a CPU for controlling the scanner unit and generating image data of the specimen from the digital signal output from the A/D converter; a display unit for displaying the image data; an external device for outputting an external signal; and a data storage unit, connected to the external device, for recording the time when the external signal is output. With the configuration, the data stored in the data storage unit can be read by the CPU.
1. A scanning laser microscope, comprising:
a scanner unit performing two-dimensional scanning on a specimen using a light beam;
a photodetector unit detecting a light from the specimen;
an A/D converter converting an output signal from said photodetector unit into a digital signal;
a CPU controlling said scanner unit and generating image data of the specimen from the digital signal output from said A/D converter;
a display unit displaying the image data;
an external device outputting an external signal; and
a data storage unit, connected to said external device, recording a time when the external signal is output, wherein
the data stored in said data storage unit can be read by said CPU.
2. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
said data storage unit performs the recording operation independent of the CPU.
3. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
said external device is a specimen stimulus device for providing a stimulus for the specimen, and the output signal output by the specimen stimulus device includes a trigger signal for notification of the given stimulus.
4. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 3 , wherein
said specimen stimulus device includes an electric stimulus device.
5. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 3 , wherein
said specimen stimulus device includes a chemicals applying device.
6. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
said external device is a detector for detecting a state of the specimen, and an external signal output by said detector includes a detection signal indicating the state of the specimen.
7. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
said data storage unit records the external signal and a time when the external signal is generated in synchronization with a sampling clock in said A/D converter.
8. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , wherein
said display unit displays data read by said CPU.
9. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second display unit displaying the data read by said CPU.
10. A scanning laser microscope, comprising:
a scanner unit performing two-dimensional scanning on a specimen using a light beam;
a photodetector unit detecting a light from the specimen;
an A/D converter converting an output signal from said photodetector unit into a digital signal;
a CPU controlling said scanner unit and generating image data of the specimen from the digital signal output from said A/D converter;
a display unit displaying the image data;
an electric stimulus device applying a stimulus to the specimen, and outputting a trigger signal for notification of a given stimulus;
a data storage unit, connected to said electric stimulus device, recording a time when the trigger signal is output during scanning using the light beam, wherein
the data stored in said data storage unit is read by said CPU after scanning using the light beam.
11. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 10 , wherein
said CPU reads the data stored in said data storage unit, performs a visualizing process, and displays a result on a display unit.
12. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 11 , wherein
said data storage unit comprises a latch unit latching the trigger signal in synchronization with a sampling clock in said A/D converter.
13. The scanning laser microscope according to claim 11 , wherein
said data storage unit comprises a memory unit storing the trigger signal in synchronization with a sampling clock in said A/D converter.
14. A method for storing an external signal, comprising:
an external signal output from an external device and a time when the external signal is input are stored in a data storage unit operating independent of a CPU, which performs at least a control process of two-dimensional scanning on a specimen using a light beam and a process of generating image data from an electric signal obtained by performing a photoelectric converting process on a light from the specimen, when the CPU is in a high load state; and
the external signal output from said external device and the time when the external signal is input, which are stored in said data storage unit, are read by said CPU from said data storage unit when the CPU is in a low load state.