An auto-focusing system is disclosed. The system includes an illumination source. The system includes an aperture. The system includes a projection mask. The system includes a detector assembly. The system includes a relay system, the relay system being configured to optically couple illumination transmitted through the projection mask to an imaging system. The relay system also being configured to project one or more patterns from the projection mask onto a specimen and transmit an image of the projection mask from the specimen to the detector assembly. The system includes a controller including one or more processors configured to execute a set of program instructions. The program instructions being configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive one or more images of the projection mask from the detector assembly and determine quality of the one or more images of the projection mask.

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.

Methods and systems are provided for a microscope assembly. In one example, the microscope assembly include an objective arranged at a top of a plate and aligned with a first side of the plate and a tube lens positioned below the objective along the first side of the plate and spaced away from the objective. The assembly further includes a laser auto-focus oriented parallel with a height of the plate and a light source coupled to a central region of the front face of the plate, between the tube lens and the laser auto-focus.

The disclosure relates to an optical system and to a method for operating an optical system, wherein the optical system includes at least one carrier having at least one optical element, a movement bearing element for supporting the carrier during a movement, at least one first bearing element and at least one further bearing element for statically supporting the carrier, wherein the carrier includes corresponding bearing elements for providing static support, wherein the optical system includes a first and a further end stop element, wherein the carrier is supported movably between the end stop elements, wherein the first end stop element has or forms the first bearing element for providing static support and the further end stop element has or forms the further bearing element for providing static support, wherein the bearing elements define the stop poses of the carrier with repetition accuracy.

The present disclosure discloses a method and a system for imaging. The method for imaging objects using the system for imaging. The system for imaging comprises a lens. The objects comprise a first object, a second object and a third object located at different positions on a first preset track. The method for imaging comprises: allowing the lens and the first preset track to move relatively in a first predetermined relationship to acquire a clear image of the third object using the system for imaging without focusing, the first predetermined relationship is determined by a focal plane position of the first object and a focal plane position of the second object. The aforementioned method for imaging is high in imaging efficiency and is capable of fast focusing according to the first predetermined relationship even if focus tracking fails so that the blurring of a photographed image due to defocusing is avoided.

A microscope system includes an objective lens, configured to gather a first light of a target sample to enter a first optical path, wherein the first light converges, at a beamsplitter, with a second light generated by an image projection module after entering the first optical path through a lens assembly; a beamsplitter assembly, configured to respectively separate and cast light in different optical paths; a camera assembly, configured to photograph the target sample in a microscope field of view, to photograph a clearly focused image through a first optical path by using the camera assembly; an auxiliary focusing device, configured to determine a focal length matching the camera assembly; and a focusing device, configured to adjust a focal length of image light entering the camera assembly according to a defocus amount of a target sample image determined by the auxiliary focusing device.

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.

In a case where a microscope apparatus main body scans the bottom surface of the cultivation container by synchronously controlling a piezoelectric element and an actuator serving as optical axis-directional transport devices having different properties from each other, an objective lens of the imaging optical system is transported to a focus position in the optical axis direction.

A microscope system includes: a light source unit that emits linear illumination parallel to a first direction; an objective lens that condenses the linear illumination onto a measurement target region; an acquisition unit that acquires a first optical signal indicating a light intensity value of light emitted from the measurement target region by the linear illumination; and a focus control unit that controls at least one of a relative position or a relative posture of the light source unit and an imaging unit that generates the first optical signal on a basis of a light intensity distribution of the first optical signal.

A method and system for autofocusing an objective lens in a microscope system are disclosed. A decentered aperture is disposed in an optical path between an objective lens and an image plane of an image capturing device and a plurality of reference images are captured. Each reference image is captured when the objective lens is positioned at a corresponding z-position of a plurality of z-positions along an axis of travel of the objective lens and the optical path is at least partially occluded by the decentered aperture. At least one reference image of the plurality of the reference images is associated with a best focus position. The plurality of reference images are analyzed to develop a plurality of pattern locations, wherein each pattern location represents a position of a pattern formed on the image plane when a corresponding reference image was captured. The objective lens is positioned in accordance with the best focus position and the plurality of pattern locations.