Microscope system and autofocus method

1. A microscope system comprising:

a CPU which is programmed to perform functions including:

capturing a plurality of observation images including a subject through an optical image forming system while relatively moving one of a stage loaded with the subject and the optical image forming system with respect to the other one of the stage and the optical image forming system;

calculating a contrast value indicating a contrast level of each of the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a maximum contrast image whose calculated contrast value is maximum among the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system;

performing a correcting process of moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a distance difference based on a time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system in a direction opposite a direction of the relative movement of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system; and

determining a focusing position using the corrected relative position and moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system to the focusing position.

2. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further programmed to:

calculate a relative speed of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system,

wherein the correcting process includes moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a value obtained by multiplying (i) the time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system and (ii) the relative speed of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system.

3. The microscope system according to claim 1 , wherein:

capturing the plurality of observation images includes capturing a plurality of first observation images at a first time interval during a rough scan and capturing a plurality of second observation images at a second time interval during a fine scan; and

detecting the maximum contrast image includes detecting a first maximum contrast image from among the plurality of first observation images captured during the rough scan, and detecting a second maximum contrast image from among the plurality of second observation images captured during the fine scan in a specified range including the detected relative position corresponding to the detected first maximum contrast image.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program that is executable by a computer of a microscope system that performs autofocusing, the program being executable by the computer to perform functions comprising:

capturing a plurality of observation images including a subject through an optical image forming system while relatively moving one of a stage loaded with the subject and the optical image forming system with respect to the other one of the stage and the optical image forming system;

calculating a contrast value indicating a contrast level of each of the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a maximum contrast image whose calculated contrast value is maximum among the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system;

performing a correcting process of moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a distance difference based on a time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system in a direction opposite a direction of the relative movement of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system; and

determining a focus position using the corrected relative position and moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system to the focusing position.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , said program causing the computer to further execute:

calculating a relative speed of one of the stage and the optical image forming system,

wherein the correcting process includes moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a value obtained by multiplying (i) the time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system and (ii) the relative speed of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein:

capturing the plurality of observation images includes capturing a plurality of first observation images at a first time interval during a rough scan and capturing a plurality of second observation images at a second time interval during a fine scan; and

detecting the maximum contrast image includes detecting a first maximum contrast image from among the plurality of first observation images captured during the rough scan, and detecting a second maximum contrast image from among the plurality of second observation images captured during the fine scan in a specified range including the detected relative position corresponding to the detected first maximum contrast image.

7. An autofocus method for directing a processor of a microscope system to perform autofocusing, the autofocus method comprising:

capturing a plurality of observation images including a subject through an optical image forming system while relatively moving one of a stage loaded with the subject and the optical image forming system with respect to the other one of the stage and the optical image forming system;

calculating a contrast value indicating a contrast level of each of the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a maximum contrast image whose calculated contrast value is maximum among the plurality of captured observation images;

detecting a relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system;

performing a correcting process of moving the one of the stage and optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a distance difference based on a time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system in a direction opposite a direction of the relative movement of the one of the stage and optical image forming system; and

determining a focusing position using the corrected relative position and moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system to the focusing position.

8. A microscope system comprising:

image pickup means which captures a plurality of observation images including a subject through an optical image forming system while relatively moving one of a stage loaded with the subject and the optical image forming system with respect to the other one of the stage and the optical image forming system;

contrast value calculation means which calculates a contrast value indicating a contrast level of each of the plurality of captured observation images;

maximum contrast image detection means which detects a maximum contrast image whose calculated contrast value is maximum among the plurality of captured observation images;

relative position detection means which detects a relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system;

position correction means which performs a correcting process of moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected maximum contrast image by a distance difference based on a time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system in a direction opposite a direction of the relative movement of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system; and

autofocus means which determines a focusing position using the corrected relative position and moves the one of the stage and the optical image forming system to the focusing position.

9. The microscope system according to claim 3 , wherein the correcting process includes moving the one of the stage and the optical image forming system from the detected relative position corresponding to the detected first maximum contrast image detected during the rough scan by a distance difference based on a time difference between capturing of one of the plurality of first observation images and acquisition of the corresponding relative position of the stage and the optical image forming system in the direction opposite the direction of the relative movement of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system.

10. The microscope system according to claim 9 , wherein capturing the plurality of second observation images during the fine scan starts at a fine scan capture starting position calculated based on the corrected relative position corresponding to the first maximum contrast image detected during the rough scan.

11. The system according to claim 3 , wherein a relative speed of the one of the stage and the optical image forming system during the fine scan is slower than the relative speed during the rough scan.