A control apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire an operation instruction made by a voice input to an imaging device including: an optical system including a focus lens; and an image sensor; and a controller configured to control the focus lens moving at a first velocity to stop movement when the operation instruction is an instruction to stop an operation of the focus lens, and control the focus lens to move at a second velocity lower than the first velocity.

A microscope for examining a sample received in a sample carrier having a lid includes: a sample chamber for receiving the sample carrier; a microscope stage arranged below the sample chamber, the microscope stage being arranged to have the sample carrier arranged thereon; and a sample carrier handling device that is at least partially arranged within the sample chamber and that removes the lid from the sample carrier to provide access to the sample.

The present subject matter described an optical microscopy device (3) for a portable imaging system, such as a smartphone. The optical microscopy device (3) comprises an optical lens assembly with eight to fifteen lens elements. The optical lens assembly has an optical magnification in a range of about 1× to about 7.8×, an airy radius in a range of about 3 micron to about 23.25 micron, a depth of field in a range of about 20 micron to about 338 micron, a numerical aperture in a range of about 0.015 to about 0.115, a half field of view in a range of about 12 degrees to about 30 degrees, and a length in a range of about 6.5 millimeter (mm) to about 57 mm.

The present subject matter described an optical microscopy device (3) for a portable imaging system, such as a smartphone. The optical microscopy device (3) comprises an optical lens assembly with eight to fifteen lens elements. The optical lens assembly has an optical magnification in a range of about 1× to about 7.8×, an airy radius in a range of about 3 micron to about 23.25 micron, a depth of field in a range of about 20 micron to about 338 micron, a numerical aperture in a range of about 0.015 to about 0.115, a half field of view in a range of about 12 degrees to about 30 degrees, and a length in a range of about 6.5 millimeter (mm) to about 57 mm.

Some implementations of the disclosure relate to an imaging system, including: a sample holder to support a sample container having multiple sample locations; an optical stage having; an assembly comprising one or more actuators physically coupled to the sample holder to tilt the sample holder relative to the optical stage during imaging of the multiple sample locations to focus the optical stage onto a current sample location; a first light source to project a first pair of spots on the sample container; and a controller to control, based on a sample tilt determined from a first separation measurement of the first pair of spots from one or more images taken by an image sensor at one or more of the sample locations, the one or more actuators to tilt the sample holder along a first direction of the imaging or a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

A method for adjusting a focus of an optical system includes focusing measurement light in a sample space using an optical arrangement. The measurement light is transmitted on a sample side of the optical arrangement through at least one optical medium. The measurement light reflected by a reflector and transmitted through a further optical arrangement is detected using a detector arrangement. A working distance between the optical arrangement and the reflector is ascertained based on the measurement light detected by the detector, wherein a focus of the measurement light lies on the reflector for the working distance.

A scanning stage with opposing edges to secure a slide during scanning and guide the slide during unloading. In an embodiment, the system includes a reference edge with a surface facing a first edge of the slide and an opposing edge with a surface facing a second edge of the slide. The opposing edge is controlled by a processor to engage the second edge of the slide and press the first edge of the slide against the reference edge surface. The opposing edge surface is parallel to a side of a slide rack slot into which the slide will be inserted during unloading. The system also includes an assembly having a pull bar configured to pull the glass slide from the scanning stage into the slide rack slot while the first edge of the slide is simultaneously being pressed against the reference edge surface by the opposing edge surface.

A compact microscope including an enclosure, a support element, a primary optical support element located within the enclosure and supported by the support element, at least one vibration isolating mount between the support element and the primary optical support element, a sample stage supported on the primary optical support element to support a sample, a return optical system to receive returned light from a sample and transmit returned light to a detection apparatus, wherein the return optical system is mounted on the primary optical support element, and wherein the compact microscope include a at least one of the following elements; a) an objective lens system, b) a temperature-control system, and c) the return optical system being operable to separate returned light into at least a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band.

A compact microscope including an enclosure, a support element, a primary optical support element located within the enclosure and supported by the support element, at least one vibration isolating mount between the support element and the primary optical support element, a sample stage supported on the primary optical support element to support a sample, a return optical system to receive returned light from a sample and transmit returned light to a detection apparatus, wherein the return optical system is mounted on the primary optical support element, and wherein the compact microscope include a at least one of the following elements; a) an objective lens system, b) a temperature-control system, and c) the return optical system being operable to separate returned light into at least a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band.

An optical assembly in a laser scanning microscope, having an optical scanning unit providing a first pupil plane, a first beam deflecting device, made of a first scanner arranged on the first pupil plane, for scanning excitation radiation in a first coordinate direction, a first focusing device generating a second pupil plane, optically conjugated to the first pupil plane, and a second beam deflecting device for deflecting the excitation radiation. The second deflecting device is arranged on the second pupil plane. A second focusing device to generate a third pupil plane, is optically conjugated to the first pupil plane and the second pupil plane. A third beam deflecting device is arranged on the third pupil plane, and a variable beam deflecting device is provided to switch an optical beam path between a first beam path and a second beam path.