Microscope system and specimen observation method

1. A microscope system comprising:

a microscope;

an approximate-shape setting portion that sets an approximate shape of a specimen to be imaged by the microscope, wherein the approximate-shape setting portion sets the approximate shape of the specimen to be a spherical or a spheroidal shape that includes substantially the entirety of the specimen, according to input parameters of a radius and coordinates of a central position of the spherical or spheroidal shape;

an observation-area setting portion that sets a three-dimensional observation area of the specimen according to the approximate shape set by the approximate-shape setting portion; and

a control unit that controls the microscope so as to acquire a three-dimensional observation image of the observation area set by the observation-area setting portion;

wherein:

the microscope comprises:

an image acquisition portion that collects light from the specimen, detects the collected light, and acquires a slice image based on the detected collected light;

a Z-position moving portion that moves a Z position of a slice image to be acquired by the image acquisition portion in a Z-direction of the observation image along an optical axis of the image acquisition portion; and

an XY-stage-moving portion that horizontally moves the specimen along an X-direction and a Y-direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the image acquisition portion,

the observation-area setting portion sections the three-dimensional observation area of the specimen into plural areas corresponding, respectively, to a size of an observation field of view, and sets a position and size of a Z area specific to an XY position of each of a plurality of observation fields of view corresponding to the plural areas into which the three-dimensional observation area is sectioned, and

the control unit (i) controls the XY-stage-moving portion so as to move the specimen to each of the XY positions of the observation fields of view corresponding to the plural areas into which the three-dimensional observation area is sectioned, (ii) controls the Z-position moving portion such that the Z position at each single XY position to which the specimen is moved is shifted, in a stepwise manner, within the Z area specific to that XY position, and (iii) controls the image acquisition portion to acquire a slice image at each Z position within the Z area specific to the XY position of each of the plurality of observation fields of view to which the specimen is moved, to thereby acquire a plurality of slice images at the respective Z positions within the Z area specific to the XY position of each of the plurality of observation fields of view, and to generate the three-dimensional observation image based on the acquired slice images.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the observation-area setting portion defines, as the observation area, an area obtained by three-dimensionally adding a predetermined value to the approximate shape.

3. A specimen observation method used for a microscope system comprising a microscope that includes an image acquisition portion and a control unit that controls the microscope to acquire a three-dimensional observation image of a specimen, the specimen observation method comprising, under control of the control unit:

setting an approximate shape of the specimen, wherein the approximate shape is set to be a spherical or a spheroidal shape that includes substantially the entirety of the specimen, according to input parameters of a radius and coordinates of a central position of the spherical or spheroidal shape;

setting a three-dimensional observation area of the specimen according to the approximate shape;

sectioning the three-dimensional observation area of the specimen into plural areas corresponding, respectively, to a size of an observation field of view, and setting a position and size of a Z area specific to an XY position of each of a plurality of observation fields of view corresponding to the plural areas into which the three-dimensional observation area is sectioned;

horizontally moving the specimen along an X-direction and a Y-direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the image acquisition portion so as to move the specimen to each of the XY positions of the observation fields of view corresponding to the plural areas into which the three-dimensional observation area is sectioned;

moving a Z position of a slice image to be acquired by the image acquisition portion in a Z-direction of the observation image along the optical axis of the image acquisition portion, such that the Z position at each single XY position to which the specimen is moved is shifted, in a stepwise manner, within the Z area specific to that XY position; and

acquiring the three-dimensional observation image of the three-dimensional observation area by controlling the image acquisition portion, at each Z position within the Z area specific to the XY position of each of the plurality of observation fields of view to which the specimen is moved, to collect light from the specimen, detect the collected light, and acquire a slice image based on the detected collected light, to thereby acquire a plurality of slice images at the respective Z positions within the Z area specific to the XY position of each of the plurality of observation fields of view, and generating the three-dimensional observation image based on the acquired slice images.

4. The microscope system according to claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional observation area is defined as an area obtained by three-dimensionally adding a predetermined value to the approximate shape.