A cell area extraction unit (241) extracts a cell area in a phase image that is created based on a hologram obtained by in-line holographic microscope (IHM). A background value acquisition unit (242) obtains a background value from phase values at a plurality of positions outside the cell area. An intracellular phase value acquisition unit (243) averages a plurality of phase values on a sampling line set at a position close to the periphery of a cell, while avoiding a central portion in which the phase value may be lowered in the cell area, to obtain an intracellular phase value. A phase change amount calculation unit (244) obtains the difference between the intracellular phase value and the background value. A phase change amount determination unit (245) compares the value of the difference with thresholds in two levels to determine whether the cell is in an undifferentiated state or an undifferentiation deviant state. It is thereby possible to automatically make a correct determination while removing the influence of a theoretical measurement error by IHM.

Apparatus and methods are described for determining a property of a bodily sample using a microscope and optical-density-measurement apparatus, the apparatus including a sample carrier that includes a plurality of microscopy sample chambers configured to receive a first portion of the sample and to facilitate imaging of the first portion of the sample by the microscope, each of the microscopy sample chambers having an upper and a lower surface, and having respective heights between the upper and lower surfaces that are different from each other. The sample carrier includes at least one optical-density-measurement chamber configured to receive a second portion of the sample, and to facilitate optical density measurements being performed optical-density-measurement apparatus upon the second portion of the sample. Other applications are also described.

Disclosed herein are systems for imaging of samples using an array of micro optical elements and methods of their use. In some embodiments, an optical chip comprising an array of micro optical elements moves relative to an imaging window and a detector in order to scan over a sample to produce an image. A focal plane can reside within a sample or on its surface during imaging. Detecting optics are used to detect back-emitted light collected by an array of micro optical elements that is generated by an illumination beam impinging on a sample. In some embodiments, an imaging system has a large field of view and a large optical chip such that an entire surface of a sample can be imaged quickly. In some embodiments, a sample is accessible by a user during imaging due to the sample being exposed while disposed on or over an imaging window.

The present description relates to a device for line-scanning optical coherence tomographic microscopy. The device comprises an interferometric microscope comprising a reference arm, an object arm configured to receive an object, a beam splitter coupling said object arm and reference arm to a light source and to a sensor, and a first microscope objective arranged on said object arm. It further comprises a one-dimensional confocal spatial filtering device configured to interact with said light source in order to illuminate said object along a focal line located in an object space of the first microscope objective, and a device for unidirectional scanning of said focal line, which device is arranged on said object arm upstream of said first microscope objective and is configured to scan the focal line in a lateral direction (y) substantially perpendicular to an optical axis (z) of said first microscope objective.

A method of operating a surgical microscope includes detecting a position of a user, and setting a rotation angle of a camera about its main axis such that it is between a first angle and a second angle. The first angle is the rotation angle required to display a first straight object as a vertical line, and the second angle is the rotation angle required to display a second straight object as a horizontal line. The first object extends along a first line arranged in a vertical plane containing a line connecting the position of the user with the field of view. The first line is horizontal and traverses the field of view. The second object extends along a second line traversing the field of view. The second line is horizontal and perpendicular to the first line.

A medical projection apparatus includes: a plurality of projectors each configured to project projection light onto an observation area of an observation optical system, wherein at least two or more projectors of the plurality of projectors are configured to respectively emit projection light to different planes including an optical axis of the observation optical system, and the projection light emitted by the two or more projectors cross each other in any position within a range of at least a possible working distance of the observation optical system.

A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscope) having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. The SPIM-microscope has an illumination optics having a zoom optics provided in a beam path of the illumination light beam, the zoom optics being adapted to change the focal length of the illumination light beam and adapted to detect a larger area of the object by sequentially detecting sequences of images along the y-direction that have an increased resolution along the z-direction. An image processing unit combines these sequences of images by image stitching into one large overall image.

The technology disclosed relates to structured illumination microscopy (SIM). In particular, the technology disclosed relates to capturing and processing, in real time, numerous image tiles across a large image plane, dividing them into subtiles, efficiently processing the subtiles, and producing enhanced resolution images from the subtiles. The enhanced resolution images can be combined into enhanced images and can be used in subsequent analysis steps.

The observation device includes an imaging optical system that includes an imaging lens forming an image of an observation target in a cultivation container, an operating section that performs at least one of a first operation of changing a focal length of the imaging optical system, a second operation of moving the imaging lens in an optical axis direction, or a fourth operation of moving the container in the optical axis direction, a detection section that detects a vertical position of the cultivation container, and an operation controller that controls the operating section based on the vertical position of the cultivation container.

By moving at least one of a culture container having a plurality of wells or an imaging optical system that forms an image of an observation target in each of the wells, an observation position in the culture container is scanned to observe the observation target. In a case where an auto-focus control for each observation position is performed, a start timing of the auto-focus control for each observation position is switched on the basis of a boundary portion between the adjacent wells in a scanning direction of the observation position.