An optical apparatus having an illumination module with a carrier, which has at least one light-transmissive region, for example. The illumination module has a plurality of light sources, which are arranged on the carrier.

An optical apparatus having an illumination module with a carrier, which has at least one light-transmissive region, for example. The illumination module has a plurality of light sources, which are arranged on the carrier.

The patent discloses a differential phase contrast (DPC) quantitative phase microscopy method based on the optimal illumination pattern design. Firstly, the optimal illumination pattern corresponding to the isotropic phase transfer function of DPC quantitative phase imaging is derived, which is determined as a semi-annular illumination pattern with the illumination numerical aperture NA.sub.ill equal to the numerical aperture NA.sub.obj of the objective lens. The illumination intensity distribution varies with the cosine of the illumination angle, and it can be expressed as S(θ)=cos(θ). This patent effectively compensates for the frequency loss of phase transfer, not only the high-frequency responses of PTF are enhanced, but also the transfer responses of low-frequency phase information is significantly improved. As a result, the optimal illumination scheme ensures the correctness and achieves high resolution phase reconstruction, while the number of illuminations is reduced to a minimum of two, which greatly increases the imaging speed, allowing for real-time dynamic, high-correctness, high-resolution phase imaging results.

The patent discloses a differential phase contrast (DPC) quantitative phase microscopy method based on the optimal illumination pattern design. Firstly, the optimal illumination pattern corresponding to the isotropic phase transfer function of DPC quantitative phase imaging is derived, which is determined as a semi-annular illumination pattern with the illumination numerical aperture NA.sub.ill equal to the numerical aperture NA.sub.obj of the objective lens. The illumination intensity distribution varies with the cosine of the illumination angle, and it can be expressed as S(θ)=cos(θ). This patent effectively compensates for the frequency loss of phase transfer, not only the high-frequency responses of PTF are enhanced, but also the transfer responses of low-frequency phase information is significantly improved. As a result, the optimal illumination scheme ensures the correctness and achieves high resolution phase reconstruction, while the number of illuminations is reduced to a minimum of two, which greatly increases the imaging speed, allowing for real-time dynamic, high-correctness, high-resolution phase imaging results.

Method for calibrating a phase mask in a beam path of an optical device with the steps: the phase mask is actuated successively with different patterns of grey levels, wherein a first grey level of a first quantity of segments remains constant and a second grey level of a second quantity of segments is varied from one pattern to the next, light of the optical device impinges on the phase mask, at least one part of the total intensity of the light in the beam path is measured downstream of the phase mask for the different patterns, and a characteristic of the measured intensity is obtained in dependence on the second grey level, a relationship between the second grey level and a phase shift, being imprinted by the phase mask, is obtained from the characteristic and an actuation of the phase mask is calibrated based on the obtained relationship.

Method for calibrating a phase mask in a beam path of an optical device with the steps: the phase mask is actuated successively with different patterns of grey levels, wherein a first grey level of a first quantity of segments remains constant and a second grey level of a second quantity of segments is varied from one pattern to the next, light of the optical device impinges on the phase mask, at least one part of the total intensity of the light in the beam path is measured downstream of the phase mask for the different patterns, and a characteristic of the measured intensity is obtained in dependence on the second grey level, a relationship between the second grey level and a phase shift, being imprinted by the phase mask, is obtained from the characteristic and an actuation of the phase mask is calibrated based on the obtained relationship.

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 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.