Patent · US Active

Automatic focusing apparatus for use in a microscope in which fluorescence emitted from a cell is captured so as to acquire a cell image, and automatic focusing method therefor

US8237785B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
1References
4Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 2007
Grant dateAug 7, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 10, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/673
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In acquisition of an image of cells, a focal position is accurately set at highly active cells rather than focusing on dead cells. Provided is an automatic focusing apparatus (8) used in a microscope (1) that image captures fluorescence emitted from cells to acquire a cell image, the automatic focusing apparatus (8) including a setting unit (5) that sets a luminance range indicating a region where viable cells exist on the basis of a luminance distribution of the acquired cell image; and a focus-detecting unit that detects a focal position on the basis of a luminance of an image of nuclei of the cells within the luminance range set by the setting unit (5).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.