Digital determination of focus position

US11460683B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Lars Stoppe · Jena, DE
• Thomas MILDE · Nausnitz, DE
• Andrea Berner · Jena, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 21, 2018
• Grant date: Oct 4, 2022
• Expiry date: May 11, 2039

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B11/0608
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A detection optical unit (112) of an optical apparatus is configured to produce an imaged representation (151, 152) of a sample object (150) on a detector (114). An adjustable filter element (119) is arranged in a beam path of the detection optical unit (112) that defines the imaged representation (151, 152). A controller is configured to drive the adjustable filter element (119) to filter the spectrum of the beam path with a first filter pattern (301-308) and with a second filter pattern (301-308) and to drive the detector (114) to capture a first image, associated with the first filter pattern (301-308), and to capture a second image, which is associated with the second filter pattern (301-308). The controller is furthermore configured to determine a focus position (181) of the sample object (150) based on the first image and the second image. The first filter element (301-308) here defines a first line and the second filter element (301-308) defines a second line.