A microscope system as an optical microscope system for observing a specimen includes: an imaging optical system that forms an image of transmitted light or reflected light from the specimen; an illumination light source that illuminates illumination light on the specimen; an illumination optical system that has a first spatial light modulation element, which changes intensity distribution of the illumination light at a conjugate position of a pupil of the imaging optical system, and illuminates light, which is originated from the illumination light source, on the specimen; an image sensor that detects light through the imaging optical system; and a calculation section that calculates the intensity distribution of the illumination light appropriate for observation of the specimen on the basis of the intensity distribution of the illumination light formed by the first spatial light modulation element and output data detected by the image sensor.

A microscope includes a movable stage supporting wells arranged in an array, a first imaging unit having a low-magnification objective lens, a second imaging unit having a high-magnification objective lens, a computer determining a representative position of a spheroid based on imaging data of the spheroid acquired by the first imaging unit, and a controller causing respective imaging units to sequentially acquire imaging data of the spheroid in each of the wells. The controller causes the first imaging unit to acquire imaging data for the spheroid in one of the wells, and then causes the stage to adjust the representative position to the optical axis of the high-magnification objective lens, and further causes the second imaging unit to acquire imaging data while causing the first imaging unit to acquire imaging data of the spheroid in another of the wells in synchronization with acquisition by the second imaging unit.

The invention relates to a method for tomographic investigation of a sample, in which method a sample is illuminated with an illuminating light bundle and in which a transmitted light bundle that contains the light of the illuminating light bundle transmitted through the sample is detected with a transmission detector. The invention further relates to an apparatus for tomographic investigation of a sample. Provision is made that the illuminating light bundle and the transmitted light bundle pass in opposite propagation directions through the same objective.

A microscopy system includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire slice images generated by capturing an object image while shifting a focal position along an optical axis of an observation optical system included in a microscope; an image shift processing configured to relatively shift, with respect to one slice image among the slice images, another slice image in a plane including the one slice image; an all-in-focus image generation unit configured to generate all-in-focus images by combining the one slice image and the other slice image relatively shifted with respect to the one slice image under conditions in which shift amounts of the other slice image with respect to the one slice image are different; and a display unit configured to display the all-in-focus images.

A standing wave interferometric microscope is disclosed herein. An example microscope may include an illuminator, for illuminating a specimen with a standing wave of input radiation at an analysis location to cause the specimen to fluoresce, the specimen arranged in the analysis location, a pair of projection systems, arranged at opposite sides of the analysis location, coupled to collect at least a portion of the fluorescence and direct a corresponding pair of fluorescence light beams into a respective pair of inputs of an optical combining element, a wavefront modifier for producing astigmatism in at least one of the fluorescence light beams entering the optical combining element, and a detector for examining output light from said combining element.

Methods, systems and devices for automatically focusing a microscope on a specimen and collecting a focused image of the specimen are provided. Aspects of the methods include detecting the presence of a substrate in a microscope, determining whether the substrate is in a correct orientation for imaging, focusing the microscope on a specimen that is placed on the substrate, and collecting one or more images of the specimen. Systems and devices for carrying out the subject methods are also provided.

An observation apparatus including: a light-source that emits illumination light and excitation light upward from below a specimen; and an image-capturing optical system having an objective lens that focuses, below the specimen, transmitted light, which is the illumination light that is emitted from the light-source, that is reflected above the specimen, and that has passed through the specimen, and fluorescence that is generated in the specimen that has been irradiated with the excitation light emitted from the light-source, wherein the light-source is disposed radially outside the objective lens.

An observation apparatus including: a top plate on which a container in which a specimen is accommodated can be placed, and through which illumination light can pass; a light source that emits the illumination light upward from below the specimen; an objective lens that focuses, below the specimen and the top plate, transmitted light which is the illumination light that has passed through the specimen from thereabove and that has passed through the top plate; and a camera that captures the transmitted light, wherein the light source emits the illumination light toward an area above the specimen from outside the objective lens in a radial direction, and the top plate is provided with a mark that specifies a viewing-field area of the camera.

An observation device includes: a housing having, in a top surface, a glass window on which a vessel accommodating samples is placed and through which illumination light is transmitted; and an image acquisition unit accommodated in the housing and configured to capture transmitted light obtained after illumination light is transmitted through the samples from above, is transmitted through the glass window, and enters the housing.

Methods, devices, systems, and apparatuses are provided for the image analysis of measurement of biological samples.