The present disclosure includes systems and methods for capture a whole slide image of a sample. In exemplary embodiments, a camera is configured to capture a digital image of a sample. The system captures a bright field image of the sample, and captures a digital image of the sample illuminated from a first incident angle at a first wavelength and a second incident angle at a second wavelength. The system can determine whether the sample is defocused based on the transitional shift between a first wavelength channel and a second wavelength channel of the captured digital image. The system can determine the defocus distance based on the transitional shift and autofocus using the defocus distance such the bright field image is in focus.

A digital pathology imaging apparatus includes a single line scan camera sensor optically coupled with first and second optical paths. In a first embodiment, transmission mode illumination and oblique mode illumination are simultaneously used during a single stage movement that captures a low resolution macro image of the entire sample area and the entire label area of the slide via the first optical path. In a second embodiment, transmission mode illumination is used during a first stage movement that captures a low resolution macro image of at least the entire sample area via the first optical path and oblique mode illumination is used during a second stage movement that captures a low resolution macro image of at least the entire label area via the first optical path.

Systems and methods for capturing a digital image of a slide using an imaging line sensor and a focusing line sensor. In an embodiment, a beam-splitter is optically coupled to an objective lens and configured to receive one or more images of a portion of a sample through the objective lens. The beam-splitter simultaneously provides a first portion of the one or more images to the focusing sensor and a second portion of the one or more images to the imaging sensor. A processor controls the stage and/or objective lens such that each portion of the one or more images is received by the focusing sensor prior to it being received by the imaging sensor. In this manner, a focus of the objective lens can be controlled using data received from the focusing sensor prior to capturing an image of a portion of the sample using the imaging sensor.

A control device includes circuitry configured to: acquire an operation command through voice input to an imaging device including: an image sensor; and an optical system including a focus lens; and proceed to a mode for performing control to return a position of the focus lens such that a focus position of the focus lens is returned, from a focus position at a time of stoppage of the focus lens, by an amount of return equal to or less than a reference focal depth in the optical system when the operation command is a command to stop operation of the focus lens.

Real-time focusing in a slide-scanning system. In an embodiment, focus points are added to an initialized focus map while acquiring a plurality of image stripes of a sample on a glass slide. For each image stripe, a plurality of frames, collectively representing the image stripe, may be acquired using both an imaging line-scan camera and a tilted focusing line-scan camera. Focus points, representing positions of best focus for trusted frames, are added to the focus map. Outlying focus points are removed from the focus map. In some cases, one or more image stripes may be reacquired. Finally, the image stripes are assembled into a composite image of the sample.

A medical observation system 1 is provided with an imaging unit 21 which captures an image of a subject to generate a captured image, a distance information acquiring unit which acquires subject distance information regarding subject distances from a specific position to corresponding positions on the subject that correspond to at least two pixel positions in the captured image, and an operation control section 264c which controls at least any of the focal position of the imaging unit 21, the brightness of the captured image, and the depth of field of the imaging unit 21 on the basis of the subject distance information.

An irradiation unit (14) projects excitation light (LB) having an asymmetric shape with respect to an optical axis (A1, A2). An objective lens (20) concentrates the excitation light (LB) at a measurement-target member (22) including a glass member (22C, 22A) and a measurement-target region (22B). The detection unit (30) includes at least one or more light-receiving units (31) that receive fluorescence emitted from the measurement-target region (22B) in response to the excitation light (LB), and outputs a fluorescence signal indicating intensity values of fluorescence received by the respective light-receiving units (31). The movement control unit (12C) includes a derivation unit (12B) that derives a movement amount and a movement direction of at least one of the objective lens (20) or the measurement-target member (22) on the basis of the fluorescence signal, and moves at least one of the objective lens (20) or the measurement-target member (22) by the derived movement amount in the derived movement direction.

This information processing apparatus includes: a search image acquisition unit that acquires enlarged images at focal positions different from each other; a first feature amount calculation unit that obtains, for each of the multiple captured enlarged images, a first feature amount based on a direct current component and a dynamic range of an alternating current component of pixel values for each of blocks forming each of the enlarged images; and an in-focus position determination unit that determines an in-focus position of each enlarged image based on the first feature amount.

Methods and systems are provided for synchronizing image capture at a multi-detector imaging system. In one example, a method includes coordinating cycling of each microscope assembly of the multi-detector imaging system through a selection of illumination channels, each microscope assembly configured to obtain an image of a portion of one of more than one microplate wells simultaneously, to generate complete images of the more than one microplate wells concurrently.

Systems and methods disclosed herein include an imaging system that may include a laser diode source; an objective lens positioned to direct a focus tracking beam from the light source onto a location in a sample container and to receive the focus tracking beam reflected from the sample; and an image sensor that may include a plurality of pixel locations to receive focus tracking beam that is reflected off of the location in the sample container, where the reflected focus tracking beam may create a spot on the image sensor. Some examples may further include a laser diode light source that may be operated at a power level that is above a power level for operation at an Amplified Spontaneous Emission (“ASE”) mode, but below a power level for single mode operation.