Dish, embryo culture device using the same, and method for imaging embryo culture section

Abstract

To realize a highly reliable optical system for imaging treated eggs.SOLUTION: A dish used in an embryo culture device for culturing embryos is made of a transparent resin or glass, and multiple wells, which are depressions with a diameter large enough to accommodate treated eggs, are formed in a bottom part of the dish. An optical function unit with a specified optical function, such as a lens, a lens array, a light guide path, or a diffusion plate, is formed on at least one of a bottom part side and a side part side of each well. Since at least a part of the optical function unit is provided on the dish side, the embryo culture device can be made more compact and its reliability improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to technologies such as a dish for culturing embryos and an embryo culture device using this dish. [Background technology]

[0002] With the increasing societal demand for infertility treatment, various devices have been proposed or sold for culturing treated eggs that have been fertilized under a microscope or the like. In recent years, devices have become widespread that incorporate a camera within the culture device to capture images of the treated eggs during culture and, as necessary, display the captured images on an external display (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). In such embryo culture devices, the treated eggs are placed in a tray (hereinafter also referred to as a dish) that holds them stably, and the tray is transported into the camera's field of view at predetermined intervals and photographed. By observing this image, an embryologist can determine whether fertilization is possible, so there is no need to remove the treated eggs from the culture device just to observe them.

[0003] The treated eggs are roughly spherical, with a diameter of about 100 to 200 μm, but because the camera only captures them from one direction, the captured image is flat. For this reason, attempts have been made to extract three-dimensional information from the treated eggs by controlling the position of the camera lens to change the focal point. Furthermore, attempts have been made to capture desirable images by adjusting the illuminance and angle of the light shining on the treated eggs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-39929 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, changing the focal position in this way would complicate the camera's optical system, and it is not easy to precisely control the focal position to the micron level. Furthermore, adjusting the illuminance and angle of the lighting also complicates the configuration of the illumination system. Equipping the imaging lighting device and camera with these various functions would increase the number of moving parts, complicating the device configuration and making it more susceptible to malfunctions. Because embryo culture devices handle patients' eggs as part of infertility treatment, malfunctions of the device can easily lead to the failure of the infertility treatment. Therefore, a highly reliable optical system for imaging treated eggs is required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the present disclosure is a dish used in an embryo culture device for culturing embryos. The dish is made of transparent resin or glass, and the bottom of the dish is formed with a plurality of wells, which are depressions with a diameter large enough to accommodate treated eggs. An optical function unit having a predetermined optical function is formed on at least one of the bottom and side of each well. In this way, since the optical function unit is formed on a portion of the dish, part of the optical device on the embryo culture device can be omitted, allowing the embryo culture device to be configured compactly. Furthermore, since the optical function unit is provided on the dish side, if the optical function unit becomes soiled, it is only necessary to replace the dish, thereby reducing the need to replace or repair the optical device on the embryo culture device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embryo culture device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating one of the culture chambers. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a dish. [Figure 4] 4 is a view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] Enlarged view of part V in Figure 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of imaging and correction of a treated egg in a well. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the embryo culture device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a display module. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a time lapse control processing routine. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a diffusion plate, which is an optical function portion, in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the shapes of an embryo culture chamber and a dish in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing, in plan view, the arrangement of light guide paths which are optical function sections in the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of the light guide paths as viewed from the side. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the arrangement of optical functional components and cameras provided on the dish in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: (A-1) Hardware configuration: FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embryo culture device (also called an incubator) 10, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the interior of one of the culture chambers of the embryo culture device 10. This embryo culture device 10 is used to culture eggs that have undergone in vitro fertilization treatment (hereinafter referred to as "treated eggs") for a certain period of time in a predetermined culture environment, i.e., at constant temperature and humidity. Treated eggs are not necessarily fertilized eggs, and are therefore cultured for a certain period of time in the embryo culture device 10. Note that in vitro fertilization treatment may be performed using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICS) under a microscope, or it may be conventional in vitro fertilization, in which eggs and sperm are placed together in a predetermined container. The fertilization method used to culture the treated eggs is not important.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, this embryo culture device 10 has a total of nine culture units for embryo culture, with five culture units 11-15 arranged on the lower level and four culture units 21-24 arranged on the upper level. Hereinafter, when referring to components related to the culture units collectively, they will be referred to as culture units 11-24. Naturally, the number of culture units is not important. Each culture unit 11-24 has a culture chamber R11-R24, a lid 17 that seals each of the culture chambers R11-R24, and switches SW11-SW24. By operating switches SW11-SW24, the lid 17 of the corresponding culture unit 11-24 is opened or closed by a drive mechanism (not shown). Naturally, the culture units 11-24 may be configured to be opened and closed manually. A silicone rubber seal is provided on the side of the cover 17 facing the culture chambers R11 to R24, and when the cover 17 is closed, the interiors of the culture chambers R11 to R24 are kept airtight by this seal.

[0010] Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and nitrogen gas (N2) are supplied to the embryo culture device 10 from external gas cylinders. Gas ports 18, 19 through which these gases are supplied are provided on the rear of the embryo culture device 10. Filter ports 28, 29, to which a filter 27 is attached, are also provided on the rear of the embryo culture device 10. This filter 27 is used to remove foreign matter such as dust from the outside air taken in by an internal pump (not shown). Inside the embryo culture device 10, carbon dioxide gas (CO2), nitrogen gas (N2) input through the gas ports 18, 19, and air input through the filter 27 are mixed in a predetermined ratio to generate a gas mixture. The ratio of each gas in the gas mixture is measured by a sensor (not shown) and is always maintained at the same ratio.

[0011] A display 70 is provided on the surface of the case body 20. The surface of the display 70 is a touch panel, and various information can be displayed by tapping displayed buttons, etc. The case body 20 is also provided with a general-purpose connector 26 such as USB-C or Thunderbolt (registered trademark), to which an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse can be connected to input various information. Display examples on the display 70 and connecting other devices to the general-purpose connector 26 will be described later.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows the culture unit 11 with the lid 17 open. Culture chambers R11 to R24 are provided in each of the culture units 11 to 24. Since the culture chambers R11 to R24 have the same structure, the following description will be given taking culture chamber R11 as an example. A holding frame 180 for placing a dish 191 thereon is provided in culture chamber R11. A supply port 43 and an exhaust port 44 are provided on the bottom of each of the culture chambers R11 to R24. The supply port 43 is an opening for supplying the gas mixture to the culture chamber R11. The exhaust port 44 is an opening for circulating the gas mixture. The exhaust port 44 is provided in a position covered by the holding frame 180. As mentioned above, the culture chamber R11 becomes almost airtight when the lid 17 is closed, so the internal gas environment is kept constant, but in order to make the temperature distribution within the culture chamber R11 uniform, the mixed gas is supplied from the supply port 43 and exhausted from the exhaust port 44.

[0013] The culture chamber R11 is provided with panel heaters (not shown) on its sidewalls and bottom. The panel heaters maintain a constant temperature inside the culture chamber R11. Although not described here, the culture chambers R11 to R24 are provided with not only heaters but also temperature sensors, gas concentration sensors, and humidity sensors (not shown), which can detect the temperature, gas concentration, and humidity inside the culture chamber R11. By feeding back signals from these sensors, the culture chamber R11 is maintained at a constant temperature and humidity, and the gas concentration is also maintained constant. Instead of detecting the temperature, etc. inside the culture chamber R11, the environment inside the culture chamber R11 may be maintained constant by maintaining constant the temperature, humidity, gas concentration, etc. of the gas mixture supplied from the supply port 43.

[0014] A dish 191 containing treated eggs is placed in the holding frame 180 of the culture chamber R11. The dish 191 shown in FIG. 2 has a bottom 196 with 5 x 5 microwells 195 for containing treated eggs, for a total of 25. These depressions for containing treated eggs are also simply called wells. However, in this embodiment, 25 wells are densely arranged in a particularly small area, and the depressions themselves are smaller than conventional wells, so they are called microwells. The shape of the dish 191 is shown in FIG. 3. This dish 191 is placed in a storage location in the culture chamber R11 with treated eggs contained in the microwells 195. For ease of handling, the dish 191 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter of approximately 35 mm. On the outside, an outer peripheral wall 194 with a height of approximately 10 mm extends from the bottom 196. Furthermore, a circular partition wall 192 with a thickness of approximately 2 mm is placed inside to surround the microwells 195. The inside of this partition wall 192 is filled with a culture medium. Treated eggs are housed in microwells 195 filled with the culture medium. The 25 microwells 195, surrounded by the partition wall 192 and filled with the culture medium, are further covered with mineral oil.

[0015] This makes it easy for the embryologist to hold the dish 191 when handling it, and because it is only necessary to fill the small compartments separated by the partition walls 192 with culture medium, no culture medium is wasted. Furthermore, the 25 microwells 195 that house the treated eggs are each a few millimeters square, so they can be easily imaged with a single camera unit, as described below. A narrower imaging area allows for higher image resolution per treated egg, improving the accuracy of assessments of fertilization and other conditions when using these images. Furthermore, the captured image of the microwells 195 can be displayed, as needed, on the display 70, which is a display unit located at the top right end of the top surface of the case body 20.

[0016] The dish 191 shown in FIG. 3 has a recess 197 formed at one location on the outside of the outer peripheral wall 194. When the circular dish 191 is placed in the culture chamber R11, this recess 197 fits into a protrusion 182 provided on a holding frame 180 that holds the dish 191, and is used to position the dish 191 at a predetermined position. The holding frame 180 is shaped to be able to hold approximately half the circumference of the dish 191, and the dish 191 is stably held at a predetermined position within the culture chamber R11. Note that the dish 191 is not limited to a circular shape and may be other shapes such as a rectangular, elliptical, or trapezoidal shape. Furthermore, the partition wall 192 is not limited to a circular shape and may be other shapes such as a square. Alternatively, the partition wall 192 may not be provided and the entire dish 191 may be filled with culture medium.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. For clarity, hatching has been omitted from the cross-sections of the lid 17 and the dish 191, and the camera module 51 and lens module 52 are shown as external views. Reference symbol H11 indicates the continuous sidewall and bottom that form the culture chamber R11. As shown in the figure, an illumination unit 170 provided inside the lid 17 is disposed directly above the dish 191. An opening 198 is provided in the bottom H11 of the culture chamber R11 directly below the microwell 195 of the dish 191, and the camera module 51 and lens module 52 attached to the case body 20 are disposed therein. The microwell 195 of the dish 191 is illuminated by the illumination unit 170 provided on the lid 17, and the treated egg 25 contained in the microwell 195 is imaged by the camera module 51.

[0018] An optical function unit 200 is formed at a bottom position of the dish 191 corresponding to the microwells 195. The optical function unit 200 in the first embodiment is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part V in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the optical function unit 200 is a lens array LA of convex lenses provided at a position corresponding to the microwells 195. The lens array LA is made up of 5×5 convex lenses, similar to the 5×5 microwells 195. Since the optical function unit 200 is formed at the bottom 196 of the dish 191, its position exactly corresponds to the position of the microwells 195 formed at the same bottom 196.

[0019] This lens array LA works together with the lenses of the lens module 52 to form an accurate image on the imaging element 53 of the camera module 51. Specifically, light incident as parallel light is formed on the imaging element 53 by the lens groups L1, L2, and L3 of the lens module 52. The focal length of the lens array LA is adjusted so that when parallel light enters from outside, it is focused on the treated eggs 25 in each microwell 195. Therefore, an image of the treated eggs 25 in each microwell 195 is focused on the imaging element 53.

[0020] When the optical system is formed in this manner, one convex lens of the lens array LA is disposed directly below each microwell 195, and an enlarged image of each microwell 195 can be formed on the imaging element 53. Images other than those formed by each lens of the lens array LA are not focused on the imaging element 53. In other words, the area in which each of the 5 x 5 microwells 195 exists is imaged collectively, and the portion of each microwell 195 is enlarged, so the resolution of each microwell 195 on the imaging element 53 is increased compared to when an image is taken without the lens array LA.

[0021] Furthermore, the apparent angle of view for each microwell 195 is reduced, and both the microwell 195 located at the center CX of the dish 191 and the peripheral microwells 195 can be imaged as if viewed from almost directly below. Therefore, distortion of the image of each microwell 195 in an image obtained by imaging 5 × 5 microwells 195 at one time can be reduced.

[0022] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between image distortion and correction. Because multiple microwells 195 are imaged simultaneously, it is not possible to position all of the microwells 195 directly below the optical axis of the camera module 51. Therefore, when a dish without a lens array LA as the optical function unit 200 is used, distortion occurs in the image of each microwell 195. In the case of color images, blurring and coloring due to aberration may occur. Focusing on an image of a single microwell 195 and the treated egg 25 contained therein, since it is not directly below the optical axis, the outline of the microwell 195, which is formed as a perfect circle, is distorted as shown by the dashed line IM in the figure and is not a perfect circle. Naturally, a similar distortion occurs in the captured image of the treated egg 25. In contrast, when an image is captured using a dish 191 with a lens array LA as the optical function unit 200 on the bottom 196, the outline of the microwell 195 becomes nearly a perfect circle as shown by the solid line AM. The shape of the treated egg 25 is also corrected in the same way, and an image is taken of a shape close to the original shape. Not only distortion of the shape but also coloring due to chromatic aberration and the like is suppressed.

[0023] Next, the processing performed in the embryo culture device 10 will be described. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the embryo culture device 10. As shown in the figure, the embryo culture device 10 is provided with a control unit 60. In addition to a well-known CPU 61, ROM 62, and RAM 63, the control unit 60 also includes a memory interface 64 for exchanging data with a memory card 65, a general-purpose I / O interface 66 for exchanging signals with external devices, an incubation chamber interface 67 for exchanging signals for controlling the environment within the incubation chambers R11 to R24, a camera interface 68 for issuing imaging instructions to the camera module 51 and acquiring captured images, and a video interface (abbreviated as video I / F) 69 for displaying images on a display 70.

[0024] The CPU 61 uses a high-speed processor that incorporates a DSP function for high-speed processing of fertilization determination based on images (described later) and a vector calculation function for performing determination processing using neural networks, etc. The ROM 62 stores programs that implement processing in the embryo culture device 10, including the time-lapse control processing (described later). The CPU 61 implements necessary processing and control by appropriately reading these programs from the ROM 62, loading them into the RAM 63, and executing them. The memory card 65 stores images captured by the camera module 51 as well as information about the culture environment, such as the temperature of each culture chamber R11 to R24. Instead of the memory card 65, a magnetic storage medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor storage medium such as an SSD may be used. Data may also be stored in a so-called cloud connected via a network.

[0025] The display 70 has a touch panel on its surface, and buttons and the like displayed on the display 70 can be selected by touching the display 70. In this embodiment, the display 70 is provided integrally with the embryo culture device 10, but it may be provided separately from the embryo culture device 10 and connected by wire or wirelessly. Alternatively, the embryo culture device 10 may be connected to a computer via a network or the like, and the computer's display may be used as the display 70. Alternatively, a highly portable terminal such as a mobile phone or tablet may be used as the display 70.

[0026] The general-purpose I / O interface 66 is connected to switches SW11 to SW24 provided in the embryo culture device 10, a drive device 71 that opens and closes the lid 17, a warning device 72 that generates a warning sound, and a mixture adjustment device 73 that adjusts the mixture. The mixture adjustment device 73 includes a pressure adjustment valve that adjusts the pressure of carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, etc. supplied to the gas ports 18 and 19, a pump that takes in air through a filter 27, and a pump that sends the mixture to the culture chambers R11 to R24. The culture chamber interface 67 is connected to panel heaters provided in each culture chamber R11 to R24 and control valves V11 to V24 that control the amount of mixture supplied. The control valves V11 to V24 are provided in the piping that extends from the mixture supply piping 84 that supplies the mixture to the culture chambers R11 to R24.

[0027] A computer (hereinafter referred to as PC) 90 is connected to the general-purpose I / O interface 66 via a general-purpose connector 26. The PC 90 includes a display 91, a keyboard (not shown), and a rotary pointing device 95. The control device 95 includes a small-diameter dial 96 on a roughly circular base 97. Rotating the dial 96 left and right allows the display of multiple time-lapse images displayed on the display 91 to scroll forward and backward in chronological order. This type of device is also called a rotary selector. The dial 96 can be rotated left and right and can also be pressed down, allowing for a "confirm" operation similar to a mouse button when selecting one of the currently displayed images. Alternatively, a dedicated button may be provided on the base 97 to perform the confirm or select operation. If time-lapse images are captured every 10 minutes for 24 hours, for example, 6 × 24 = 144 images will be captured for each treated egg. This rotary pointing device is useful for quickly referencing multiple images to confirm fertilization status, for example.

[0028] (A-2) Embryo culture treatment: Assuming the hardware configuration of the first embodiment described above, the embryo culture device 10 performs the following process. When the embryo culture device 10 is powered on, the display 70 displays the usage status of the culture units 11 to 24 of the embryo culture device 10. An example of this display is shown in section (A) of FIG. 8. As shown in the figure, the display 70 displays nine rectangular areas 76 corresponding to the culture units 11 to 24, with culture units in use being highlighted. Above the rectangular areas 76, a message appears stating, "To start using the culture unit, tap the area of ​​the culture unit you want to use." Following this instruction, tapping one of the areas marked as not in use makes the corresponding culture unit 11 to 24 available for use. In the following description, the identified culture unit will be referred to with the suffix n, such as "culture unit n," and the corresponding culture chamber will be referred to with the suffix n, such as "culture chamber Rn." Note that instead of tapping on the touch panel on the display 70, various commands may be entered using the keyboard or control device 95 of a PC 90 connected to the general-purpose connector 26.

[0029] Tapping the rectangular area 76 and pressing the switch SWn of the selected culture unit n opens the lid 17, allowing the dish 191 to be placed in the culture chamber. Alternatively, the lid 17 may be opened simply by tapping the rectangular area 76 on the display 70. After the dish 191 is placed in the holder frame 180 and the lid 17 is closed, the control unit 60 adjusts the temperature and gas concentration within the culture chamber Rn to the desired conditions, starts time-lapse processing, and displays information about the culture chamber Rn on the display 70. An example of this is shown in section (B) of Figure 8. In this example, the message "Starting culture in culture chamber Rn" is displayed, and information about the current culture chamber Rn is displayed below it. Specifically, information about the imaging, such as the start time, elapsed time, and imaging interval, as well as information about the environment within the culture chamber, i.e., temperature, humidity, and gas concentration, are displayed. The temperature and gas concentration are detected by sensors (not shown). In addition to this information, information identifying the patient of the treated egg, such as a medical record number, may also be displayed.

[0030] In this way, when culturing begins, 25 microwells 195 in the dish 191 in the culture chamber Rn are imaged collectively, the images are divided into individual microwells 195 and saved, and a time lapse control process is performed in which the possibility of fertilization of each treated egg 25 in the microwell 195 is determined individually and the necessary images are displayed on the display 70. Of the time lapse control processes, the fertilization determination process and the like will be briefly explained later, but for example, as shown in column (C) of Figure 8, when fertilization of each treated egg 25 is determined from the captured images, this is displayed on the display 70.

[0031] The time lapse control process will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the time lapse control process routine. This process is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals when the use of the culture chamber Rn begins. When the time lapse control process begins, it is first determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous image of the treated egg was captured (step S300). Here, the predetermined time corresponds to the imaging interval shown in column (B) of FIG. 10. Of course, it is not limited to the 10 minutes shown in column (B) of FIG. 10, and may be a shorter or longer time. If the predetermined time has elapsed since the previous image was captured (step S300: "YES"), imaging processing is performed (step S310). The image is captured for multiple microwells 195 at once, i.e., for all 25 microwells 195 present in the dish 191. The captured image is saved in the memory card 65 together with the data of the image capture time. 5, the camera module 51 captures images from below the dish 191. At this time, the camera module 51 may capture multiple images per microwell 195 while moving the focal position.

[0032] After the photographing process, the photographed image is divided into sections for each microwell 195 (step S330). In this case, since there are 25 microwells 195 in the area photographed by the camera module 51, the photographed image is divided into 25 sections. The divided images are then corrected (step S340). The correction is performed to remove distortion and dirt from the image. Because multiple microwells 195 are photographed at once, it is not possible for all of the microwells 195 to be located directly below the optical axis of the camera module 51. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the lens array LA, which is the optical function unit 200, is used to reduce such distortion. However, slight distortion still occurs in the image photographed for each microwell 195. In addition, blurring and coloring due to aberrations may occur.

[0033] Therefore, in image correction (step S340), such distortions and stains are corrected. When the distorted image is corrected, the outline of each microwell 195 becomes almost a perfect circle. The shape of the treated egg 25 is also corrected in the same way, returning to its original shape. This correction is performed not only to correct distortions in the shape, but also to remove coloring due to chromatic aberration and ghosting due to lens stains.

[0034] After image correction, if correction can be performed, the image is then saved to the memory card 65 (step S350). At this time, saving is performed for each divided image. Of course, each divided image may be associated with a tag, such as a file name, to identify which culture chamber Rn the image was taken for and which microwell 195 it was taken from. Furthermore, when saving, only the corrected image may be saved, or it may be saved together with the uncorrected image, or it may be saved separately from the uncorrected image. The saved destination for the corrected image may be the same memory card 65 as the uncorrected image, or it may be saved in another storage device, for example, a cloud server. The saved destination may be another storage medium, such as a hard disk or SSD, different from the memory card 65.

[0035] The CPU 61 monitors whether any abnormality has occurred in the series of processes described above, from the image capture by the camera module 51 to the process of dividing, correcting, and saving (step Serr). The occurrence of an abnormality is determined as needed in the interrupt process.

[0036] If it is detected (step Serr) that some abnormality has occurred between the time of shooting and the time of saving (steps S310 to S350), an abnormality display process (step S320) is performed to display the details of the abnormality on the display 70. At this time, the display 70 functions as a display unit that displays the abnormality. An example of the abnormality display is shown in column (D) of FIG. 8. In the example shown, the details of the abnormality are as follows: □ Light malfunction □ Camera malfunction □ Correction processing error □ Image division or storage error If any of these abnormalities occur, the relevant areas will be marked and displayed. If multiple abnormalities occur, multiple items will be marked. In the example shown in column (D) of Figure 8, "correction processing abnormality" is marked.

[0037] Among the abnormalities, "lighting abnormality" refers to when the lighting unit 170 does not light up or when the illumination light is uneven, resulting in a partially dark image. In such cases, the captured image is dark and the average brightness of the image does not fall within a predetermined range, making it possible to identify the abnormality. A camera malfunction occurs when the camera module 51 does not work, such as when the CCD or CMOS light-receiving module used for photography does not work. Of course, if an optical focusing device or shutter is included, this also includes malfunctions of these devices. With regard to the light-receiving module, for example, when the readout clock is not being input normally, it can be determined to be a camera malfunction.

[0038] An abnormal correction process occurs when the correction to remove distortion or dirt from a captured image cannot be performed normally. For example, distortion is removed by inputting parameters such as the distance from the optical axis in advance and correcting the shape using these parameters. However, if the shape of the microwell 195 is significantly different from a perfect circle as a result of the correction, it is determined that the correction process was not performed normally. Furthermore, the process of removing dirt is usually performed by removing isolated dots of about one or two dots on the screen, but if the number of isolated dots after the correction process is greater than a predetermined number, it is determined that the correction process was not performed normally.

[0039] Of the image division or storage abnormalities, a division abnormality occurs when an image of multiple microwells 195 is divided and the division process does not end normally, or when the imaging position by the camera module 51 or the like is shifted due to reasons such as a misalignment of the dish 191, resulting in each microwell 195 not fitting into each of the divided images. A divided image storage abnormality occurs when the divided image files cannot be saved normally to the memory card 65 or the like due to insufficient capacity or a malfunction of the memory card 65.

[0040] After completing the above processes (steps S330 to S350), if no abnormalities are found, a determination is made as to whether it is time to determine whether fertilization has occurred (step S360). Determining fertilization means determining whether fertilization has occurred in the treated egg 25 that has undergone fertilization treatment. Fertilization usually occurs as early as about seven hours, on average about 17 hours, and at the latest within 24 hours after the fertilization treatment. Since the treated egg 25 that has undergone fertilization treatment is promptly placed in the microwell 195 of the dish 191 and placed in one of the incubation units 11 to 24 after the treatment, the determination in step S360 returns "YES," i.e., fertilization can be determined, approximately six hours after the start of imaging by the camera module 51. Of course, this time may be shorter, and fertilization may be determined immediately after the dish 191 is placed in one of the incubation chambers R11 to R24. In this case, the determination in step S360 is unnecessary.

[0041] If it is determined that fertilization is possible, the fertilization determination process is then performed (step S370). This process reads out images of the treated eggs 25 divided into each microwell 195 and stored on the memory card 65, and determines whether two pronuclei are clearly visible in the images. Naturally, this determination can be made by reading out multiple images previously stored on the memory card 65 and based on changes over time, particularly changes in the number of regions recognized as pronuclei. Furthermore, multiple images of fertilized and unfertilized treated eggs may be prepared and machine-learned in advance, and the images read from the memory card 65 may be input into this machine-learned determination device to determine whether fertilization is possible. This process can be performed in real time by utilizing the high-speed processing function of the CPU 61 shown in FIG. 7. It is also possible to display the captured images on the display 70 and have an embryologist determine whether fertilization is possible.

[0042] After executing the fertilization determination process (step S370), a determination is made as to whether the treated egg 25 is a fertilized egg for which fertilization can be confirmed (step S380). If it is determined to be a fertilized egg, the fertilized egg number is displayed (step S390). An example of this display has already been explained in section (C) of FIG. 8. In this example, a message 77a indicating that fertilization has been confirmed, an image of the treated egg 25 for which fertilization has been confirmed, a number display 77b indicating the number of the microwell 195 in which the fertilized egg is located, and an "Exit" button 78 for issuing an instruction to end the screen display are displayed on the display 70. Thereafter, the process exits to "NEXT" to end this processing routine.

[0043] If there are no particular abnormalities from the start of imaging until the presence of a fertilized egg is displayed, then in the example of Figure 8, the display will go from column (A) through column (B) to column (C). If any abnormality occurs between imaging and storage, column (D) will be displayed. It is not necessary to detect abnormalities for all of the above items, but it will suffice if it is performed for at least one of them. Of course, abnormalities other than those listed above may also be detected and reported. In such cases, the abnormality may be reported by display on the display 70, or by voice using an audio output device (not shown). Alternatively, the notification may be sent by email or message to the mobile phone of the person in charge.

[0044] In the first embodiment described above, the lens array LA is formed as the optical function unit 200 at the bottom of the microwells 195 of the dish 191. This allows for the omission of some of the lenses in the lens module 52 of the camera module 51 on the embryo culture device 10, thereby enabling the compact configuration of the lens module 52 of the embryo culture device 10. Furthermore, the positional relationship between each lens of the lens array LA and the microwells 195 can be fixed, ensuring reliable alignment of each lens of the lens array LA during imaging. The dish 191 with the microwells 195 is usually manually placed in the holding frame 180 of the culture chamber R11 by the user, and the placement position may not be perfectly consistent. Even in such cases, the optical axes of each lens of the lens array LA and the microwells 195 are aligned from the beginning, eliminating the need for repeated optical axis adjustment. Furthermore, when the dish 191 is placed using an arm such as a robot, the positioning precision does not need to be very strict, making it easy to place the dish 191 using a robot.

[0045] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the camera modules 51 are fixedly provided for each of the culture units 11 to 24, eliminating the need to move the dish 191 when capturing images of the treated eggs 25. This allows for shorter imaging intervals during time-lapse photography, or allows for continuous video capture. Furthermore, because microwells are used in which up to 25 treated eggs 25 are arranged within a narrow range, the imaging range of the camera module 51 can be narrowed, thereby increasing the resolution of the captured images per treated egg. Furthermore, by placing a lens array LA directly below the microwells 195, the angle of view of each microwell 195 as seen from the camera module 51 can be reduced, thereby reducing distortion in the captured images of the treated eggs. Therefore, while up to 25 microwells 195 and the treated eggs 25 contained therein can be captured at one time, the accuracy of various assessments, such as fertility assessment, can be improved based on the images separately stored for each treated egg 25. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the images of each treated egg are corrected before assessment, which removes distortions and impurities, further improving the accuracy of assessment.

[0046] B. Second embodiment: Next, a second embodiment will be described. The embryo culture device and dish of the second embodiment have the same configuration as those of the first embodiment, but differ in that, as shown in Fig. 10, a camera module 51 and a lens module 52 are provided in a culture chamber Rn at positions where the dish 191 is imaged from above, and the dish 191 is provided with a diffuser panel 201 as an optical function unit. To image the microwells 195 of the dish 191 from above, the camera module 51 and the like can be provided on the lid 17. Furthermore, the illumination unit 170 can be provided at the position of the camera module 51 in the first embodiment, that is, below the bottom of the dish 191.

[0047] In the second embodiment, a diffuser plate 201 is provided as an optical function unit on the bottom 196 of the dish 191 directly below the microwells 195. An illumination unit 170 is provided below this diffuser plate 201. The illumination unit 170 is provided with high-brightness LEDs 175. Light emitted from the high-brightness LEDs 175 in the direction of the microwells 195 is diffused by the diffuser plate 201 to become uniform light, which illuminates the microwells 195. By providing the diffuser plate 201 directly below the microwells 195, a light source that does not cast shadows, like a shadowless lamp, is provided while using a single high-brightness LED 175, and the treated eggs 25 contained in each microwell 195 can be thoroughly illuminated.

[0048] The treated egg 25 illuminated from below by such a light source is captured by the camera module 51 provided on the opposite side of the illumination unit 170. At this time, the position of the lens provided in the lens module 52 is moved to vertically shift the focal position. This will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . By moving at least one of the lenses provided in the lens module 52 vertically along the optical axis, the focal position of the camera module 51 can be shifted from a central position GL0 to a position GL+1 farther from the camera module 51, a further position GL+2, a position GL-1 closer to the camera module 51, and a still closer position GL-2. Since the size of a treated egg 25, like a human egg, is approximately 100 to 200 μm, the difference between each position is set to approximately 20 to 25 μm. In this case, the lens configuration of the lens module 52 has a shallow focal depth, and the imaging range at each focal position is focused to 25 to 30 μm. When imaging the treated egg 25 using the camera module 51, the focal position is changed from GL-2 to GL+2 and five images are captured. Of course, more images (for example, about 11 images) may be captured by changing the focal position. Capturing multiple images with different focal positions increases the likelihood that the pronucleus, which is a clue for determining fertilization in the treated egg 25, will be clearly visible in one of the multiple images, regardless of where it is located in the approximately spherical treated egg 25. Furthermore, even if two pronuclei overlap when viewed from the camera module 51 side, they can be observed separately.

[0049] The second embodiment having such a configuration not only achieves the same effects as the embryo culture device of the first embodiment, but also has a diffuser plate 201 provided as an optical function unit on the bottom 196 directly below the microwells 195, so that light diffused by the diffuser plate 201 can be applied to the microwells 195. Therefore, an image of the treated embryo 25 contained in the microwell 195 can be captured with uniform illumination light.

[0050] C. Third embodiment: Next, a third embodiment will be described. The embryo culture device and the dish installed therein of the third embodiment have the same configuration as the first embodiment, but differ in that the dish is provided with a light guide path as an optical function unit. As shown in FIG. 11, the dish 191 of the third embodiment has a circular outer shape with a portion cut linearly. When the dish 191 is installed in alignment with the linear portion 183 provided on the holding frame 180, the light receiving portion 199 of the dish 191 comes into contact with the light emitting portion 81 provided on the linear portion 183.

[0051] 12, the light-emitting unit 81 is connected to the general-purpose I / O interface 66 in the control unit 60, and five light-emitting diodes 231-235 provided in the light-emitting unit 81 are sequentially lit in response to instructions from the CPU 61. The light-emitting surfaces of the light-emitting diodes 231-235 of the light-emitting unit 81 face the ends of light guide paths 221-225 provided in the light-receiving unit 199 of the dish 191. Therefore, when each of the light-emitting diodes 231-235 is lit, the light is guided via the light guide paths 221-225 to the light-projecting rings 211-215 on the outer periphery of the microwell 195.

[0052] 12, the light-projecting rings 211-215 are drawn overlapping each other because the microwells 195 are viewed from above, but as shown in FIG. 13, the light-projecting rings 211-215 are arranged overlapping each other in the height direction. In addition, a similar structure is provided on the periphery of each of the 5 x 5 microwells 195. Therefore, when any one of the light-emitting diodes 231-235 emits light, light is emitted into the microwells 195 from one of the corresponding light-projecting rings 211-215 provided on the periphery of each of the microwells 195.

[0053] 13, each of the light-projecting rings 211-215 is composed of a core portion 252 having a predetermined refractive index and a clad portion 251 that covers the core portion 252 and has a refractive index higher than that of the core portion 252. The light guides 221-225 also have the same core and clad configuration. Therefore, the light from each of the light-emitting diodes 231-235 that enters from the end of the light guides 221-225 is totally reflected at the boundary between the core portion 252 and the clad portion 251, is efficiently guided to the end face of each of the light-projecting rings 211-215 on the microwell 195 side, and is emitted from there to illuminate the treated egg 25.

[0054] Therefore, if the CPU 61 shifts the timing of lighting of the light-emitting diodes 231 to 235 provided in the light-emitting unit 81 and drives the camera module 51 to capture images in accordance with the timing of lighting of the light-emitting diodes 231 to 235, images of a plurality of positions GL-2 to GL+2 of the treated egg 25 can be captured without adjusting the focal position of the lens module 52. In this case, if the focal depth achieved by the lens of the lens module 52 is deepened to provide a so-called single-focus lens configuration, all images can be captured without blurring.

[0055] According to the third embodiment, the optical function unit 200 includes light guides 221-225 that guide the light from the LEDs 231-235 and light projector rings 211-215 that project the guided light at different heights within the microwell 195. Therefore, the embryo culture device 10 can capture images at different heights within the microwell 195 simply by controlling the timing of the light emission of the five LEDs 231-235. Therefore, there is no need to install a mechanism that moves the lens within the lens module 52 to adjust the focus position. This eliminates the need to consider lens movement time, allowing for shorter image capture intervals during time-lapse control. Furthermore, the absence of moving parts reduces the likelihood of malfunctions. Furthermore, the absence of lubricants for movement prevents the mixer introduced into the culture chambers R11 and R24 from being contaminated by evaporated lubricants. The dish 191 of the third embodiment, like the first and second embodiments, can also achieve the effect of simplifying the configuration of the embryo culture device 10.

[0056] D. Fourth embodiment: FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the configuration of the fourth embodiment. In the figure, two optical functional components are shown mounted on the dish 191, but either one may be mounted. Also, it is possible to use the optical functional components of the first to third embodiments in combination. In this example, a marking 310 is provided as an optical functional component on the bottom surface 196 of the dish 191, and an image of this is taken by a camera 351 provided on the lid portion 17. The marking 310 has the optical function of transmitting / blocking light, and is formed by burning it into the bottom surface 196 of the dish 191 with a laser. For example, assuming 4×4 dots, at least three of the four corners of these are burned in with laser light, i.e., black dots, and at least the other 12 dots are set to burn in = on (1) and not burn in = off (0), thereby forming a 2×4 dot pattern. 12 Various types of marks can be formed. Therefore, by attaching one of these marks to the dish 191, the dish 191 can be distinguished. Moreover, in this case, the mark is burned into the dish 191 rather than affixed with tape or a label, so there is no risk of mis-attaching a label or the like. The dish 191 may be provided with the marking 310 from the beginning, or a low-power laser may be provided in the embryo culture device 10 so that the patient's ID or the like can be written on the dish 191 immediately upon first use.

[0057] Similarly, marking 320 as an optical functional component may be provided on outer peripheral wall 194 of dish 191. In this case, camera 352 may be provided on the side wall of the culture chamber facing marking 320 to capture an image of marking 320. Dish 191 has recess 197 on outer peripheral wall 194, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, its position is uniquely determined in relation to protrusion 182 provided on holding frame 180. Therefore, it is easy to provide camera 351 or camera 352 at a position where it can capture an image of marking 310 or marking 320. Note that, in addition to being burned in with laser light, markings can also be easily formed by printing with an inkjet printer.

[0058] Alternatively, marking can be easily performed by leaving the outer peripheral wall 194 opaque and drilling holes in it with a laser beam or a microdrill, or by melting the surface to make it transparent. The outer peripheral wall 194 can be made opaque by painting the surface of the outer peripheral wall 194, forming an opaque coating, or roughening the surface. The marking may be formed in a form that can be discerned by visible light, or in a form that can be discerned by non-visible light, such as infrared or ultraviolet light. For light of a specific wavelength, laminating a film with a thickness half the wavelength reduces the transmission of light of that wavelength. Therefore, laminating such a film on the surface of the dish 191 and melting or evaporating it with laser light makes it easy to form a mark that can be read with light of such a specific wavelength. Making the markings 310, 320 readable with light of a specific wavelength makes it difficult to modify the marking, thereby improving the security of the embryo culture device 10.

[0059] The markings 310, 320 are not limited to the dot patterns described above, and may be two-dimensional or one-dimensional barcodes, etc., as long as they are formed by an optical function. Alternatively, a simple image, such as a patient's handwritten signature, may be used. Such an image may be formed by a hologram, etc. Whether an image matches a registered image may be determined by dynamic pattern matching, or may be determined by learning images from a dictionary, etc., using machine learning, etc.

[0060] E. Variations of the Embodiments: The microwells 195 are not limited to a 5 x 5 array, but may be arranged in a smaller number, or in another arrangement, such as a circular arrangement. As long as the required resolution is obtained, any number of treated eggs may be imaged at one time. The content and method of correction and image division may be changed depending on the arrangement of the microwells 195. Also, a number of camera units less than the number of dishes 191 may be provided, and these may be moved within the case body 20 so that the camera units share the responsibility of imaging multiple trays.

[0061] In the embodiment described above, a determination is made as to whether the treated eggs 25 have been fertilized, but the treated eggs 25 may be continuously cultured without such a determination or after a determination is made, and the state of culturing may be photographed by the camera module 51. Alternatively, the device may be configured to perform all processes automatically, from placing the treated eggs 25 in the microwells 195 of the dish 191 to sending the fertilized eggs for the next treatment.

[0062] Although one camera module 51 is provided for each dish 191, two or more camera modules 51 may be provided for each dish 191, and multiple microwells 195 in one dish 191 may be imaged by different camera modules 51. Multiple camera modules 51 may also be configured to image multiple microwells 195 in an overlapping manner. In this way, even if one camera module breaks down and is unable to image, images of all microwells 195 can be obtained by using the images from the other camera modules.

[0063] In the above embodiments, all wells have been described as microwells, but larger normal wells may also be used to house the treated eggs 25. The shape of the wells is not limited to a hemispherical shape as long as they are depressions that can house the treated eggs 25, and may be depressions with an elliptical cross section or an oval cross section.

[0064] F. Other Aspects: (1) One aspect of the present disclosure is a dish used in an embryo culture device for culturing embryos. The dish is made of transparent resin or glass, and the bottom of the dish is formed with a plurality of wells, which are depressions with a diameter large enough to accommodate treated eggs. An optical function unit having a predetermined optical function is formed on at least one of the bottom and side of each well. In this way, since the optical function unit is formed on a portion of the dish, it is possible to omit part of the optical device on the embryo culture device, thereby enabling the embryo culture device to be configured compactly. Furthermore, since the optical function unit is provided on the dish side, if the optical function unit becomes soiled, it is only necessary to replace the dish, thereby reducing the need to replace or repair the optical device on the embryo culture device.

[0065] (2) In this configuration, the optical function unit may be at least one of [1] a lens provided directly below the well, [2] a light guide provided at a position surrounding the periphery of the well, and [3] an optical filter provided directly below the well. In this way, in the case of [1], some of the lenses on the embryo culture device side can be omitted, and the positional relationship between the necessary lenses and the well can be easily determined. In the case of [2], light guide to the well can be easily achieved. Furthermore, by providing the light guide in the dish, the embryo culture device can be made compact. On the other hand, in the case of [3], the optical filter can be provided close to the well, making the optical filter smaller and allowing its function to be fully utilized. Optical filters include, for example, those that transmit or block light of a specific wavelength, and diffusers that diffuse light. When an optical filter is provided on the side of the well that irradiates light, light of a wavelength that may affect the treated eggs contained in the well, such as ultraviolet light, is considered as light of a specific wavelength. When an optical filter is provided on the imaging side, it is possible to use an optical filter that selectively transmits light of wavelengths that are meaningful for determining the state of the treated eggs, such as light closer to infrared that is normally emitted by living organisms.

[0066] (3) In this configuration, the optical function unit may be a light guide path provided at a position surrounding the outer periphery of the well, a plurality of light guide paths may be stacked in the thickness direction of the well, and the input end of the light guide path may be provided at a position facing an illumination LED provided for each light guide path. In this way, illumination light can be selectively projected at different positions in the thickness direction of the well, making it easier to capture images of, for example, a treated egg at different positions in the thickness direction.

[0067] (4) A second aspect of the present disclosure is an embryo culture device. One such embryo culture device includes a dish equipped with the optical function unit described above, a culture unit that houses the dish and provides a culture environment for the embryo, and an imaging unit that is fixed in position in the culture unit and captures images of the wells from above or below, using the optical function unit when imaging the wells. Since the dish includes an optical function unit with various functions, this embryo culture device does not need to include components corresponding to the optical functions, simplifying the configuration of the embryo culture device.

[0068] (5) In this configuration, the device may include a dish having a light guide path around the well, a culture unit that houses the dish and provides a culture environment for the embryos, illumination LEDs provided at the input ends of the light guide paths, an imaging unit that is fixed in position in the culture unit and images the well from above or below, and an imaging control unit that controls the illumination of the LEDs when the imaging unit images the well, thereby capturing images under two or more different lighting conditions. This allows the well to be easily captured under two or more different lighting conditions, thereby expanding the range of use of the captured images. This is because images under these different lighting conditions are highly useful when determining the condition of treated eggs.

[0069] (6) In this configuration, the different illumination states may be illumination states that enable capturing images of the treated eggs contained in the wells through the plurality of light guide paths, with different positions in the height direction of the treated eggs as the center. In this way, a camera that captures images two-dimensionally from one direction can capture images of the treated eggs in the wells by focusing on different positions in the height direction of the treated eggs, thereby improving the accuracy of, for example, determining the fertilization of the treated eggs.

[0070] (7) A third aspect of the present disclosure is a method for imaging embryos. This method for imaging embryos comprises: a dish made of transparent resin or glass, with a plurality of wells, which are depressions with a diameter large enough to accommodate a treated egg, formed in the bottom; an optical function unit having optical functionality formed on at least one of the bottom and side of each well; the dish is held in a culture unit that provides an embryo culture environment; and an imaging unit, whose position is fixed in the culture unit and which images the wells from above or below, uses the optical function unit of the dish to perform imaging. In this way, the treated egg in the well can be imaged using the optical function unit and imaging unit on the dish side. In this case, since the optical function unit is provided on the dish side, the distance between the optical function unit and the treated egg can be reduced, making it possible to utilize the optical function of the optical function unit.

[0071] (8) In each of the above embodiments, some of the configurations realized by hardware may be replaced with software. At least a portion of the configurations realized by software may also be realized by a discrete circuit configuration. Furthermore, when some or all of the functions of the present disclosure are realized by software, the software (computer program) may be provided in a form stored on a computer-readable recording medium. The term "computer-readable recording medium" is not limited to portable recording media such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs, but also includes internal storage devices within a computer, such as various RAMs and ROMs, and external storage devices fixed to a computer, such as a hard disk. In other words, the term "computer-readable recording medium" has a broad meaning, including any recording medium capable of fixing data packets, not just temporarily.

[0072] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10...embryo culture device, 11...culture unit, 17...lid, 18...gas port, 20...case body, 21...culture unit, 25...treated egg, 26...general-purpose connector, 27...filter, 28...filter port, 43...supply port, 44...exhaust port, 51...camera module, 52...lens module, 53...imaging element, 60...control unit, 61...CPU, 62...ROM, 63...RAM, 64...memory interface, 65...memory card, 66...general-purpose I / O interface, 67...culture chamber interface, 68...camera interface, 70...display, 71...driver, 72...warning device, 73...air-mixture adjustment device, 76...rectangular area, 77a...message, 77b ...number display, 78...button, 81...light-emitting portion, 84...air-fuel mixture supply pipe, 90...computer (PC), 91...display, 95...control device, 96...dial, 97...base portion, 170...lighting unit, 180...holding frame, 182...protrusion, 183...straight portion, 191...dish, 192...partition wall, 194...peripheral wall, 195...microwell, 196...bottom, 197...recess, 198...opening, 199...light-receiving portion, 200...optical function portion, 201...diffusion plate, 211-215...projection ring, 221-225...light guide path, 231-235...light-emitting diode, 251...clad portion, 252...core portion, 310, 320...marking, 351, 352...camera

Claims

1. A dish used in an embryo culture device for culturing embryos, the dish is made of transparent resin or glass, A plurality of wells, which are depressions having a diameter large enough to accommodate treated eggs, are formed in the bottom of the dish; An optical function portion having a predetermined optical function is formed on at least one of the bottom side and the side side of the well. Dish.

2. 2. The dish of claim 1, The optical function unit is [1] a lens provided directly below the well; [2] a light guide provided at a position surrounding the outer periphery of the well; [3] an optical filter provided directly below the well; At least one of the dishes.

3. 3. The dish of claim 2, the optical function portion is a light guide path provided at a position surrounding the outer periphery of the well, a plurality of the light guide paths are stacked in a thickness direction of the well, an input side end of the light guide path is provided at a position facing an illumination LED provided for each of the light guide paths; Dish.

4. A dish according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a culture unit that houses the dish and provides a culture environment for the embryo; an imaging unit whose position is fixed in the culture unit and which images the well from above or below, the imaging unit using the optical function unit when imaging the well; An embryo culture device equipped with:

5. The dish according to claim 3; a culture unit that houses the dish and provides a culture environment for the embryo; an LED for illumination provided at each input end of the plurality of light guide paths; an imaging unit whose position is fixed in the culture unit and which images the well from above or below; an imaging control unit that controls the lighting of the plurality of LEDs when the imaging unit images the well, thereby performing imaging under two or more different illumination states; An embryo culture device equipped with:

6. 6. The embryo culture device according to claim 5, wherein the different illumination states are illumination states that enable images to be captured via the plurality of light guide paths, with different positions in the height direction of the treated embryo contained in the well as the center.

7. a dish made of transparent resin or glass, with a plurality of wells formed in the bottom, each of which is a depression having a diameter large enough to accommodate a treated egg, and an optical function section having an optical function formed on at least one of the bottom and side of each well, said dish being held in a culture section that provides an embryo culture environment; an imaging unit whose position is fixed in the culture unit and which images the well from above or below, using the optical function unit of the dish to perform imaging; Embryo imaging methods.

Images