Electric correction collar system, correction collar calibration method performed by the electric correction collar system, and program

Abstract

To provide an electric correction ring system with which it is possible to use a discretionary objective lens, not just an exclusively designed objective lens.SOLUTION: An electric correction ring system comprises a revolver 110, a control unit that controls transmission of motive power to the correction ring of an objective lens 120 that is attached to the revolver 110, and a storage unit that stores calibration information for each type of objective lens that at least comes with a correction ring. The control unit acquires calibration information corresponding to the objective lens 120 from among the calibration information pieces stored in the storage unit, and calibrates the correction ring of the objective lens 120 on the basis of the acquired calibration information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a motorized correction collar system, a method for calibrating a correction collar performed by the motorized correction collar system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, correction collars in microscope systems have been used to correct spherical aberration caused by the thickness of a cover glass. In recent years, with the development of techniques for observing deep inside samples (e.g., biological specimens), correction collars have also been used to correct spherical aberration that varies with the depth of the observation surface.

[0003] There is a need for motorized correction collars for various reasons, such as structural constraints on microscopes and the need to improve user operability. Technology related to motorized correction collars is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5523840 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] While it would be desirable for a mechanism for electrically adjusting the correction collar to be available for any objective lens equipped with a correction collar, in reality, such a mechanism is provided as an integral part of a specific objective lens equipped with a specially designed correction collar.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a motorized correction collar system that can be used with any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electric correction collar system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a mounting unit for mounting an objective lens; a control unit for controlling the transmission of power to a correction collar ring of a first objective lens, which is the objective lens mounted on the mounting unit; and a storage unit for storing calibration information for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar. a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating the correction ring; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring; and a sensor that detects a reference position of the transmission mechanism. wherein the control unit is configured to execute a first process of acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens, from the calibration information stored in the storage unit, and a second process of calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information. the calibration information is information regarding a position of a transmission mechanism corresponding to an origin position of a correction collar of the objective lens, and the second processing includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects a position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information. . Another aspect of the present invention provides an electric correction collar system including: a mounting unit for mounting an objective lens; a control unit for controlling the transmission of power to a correction collar ring of a first objective lens, which is the objective lens mounted on the mounting unit; and a storage unit for storing calibration information for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar. a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating the correction ring; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring; and a sensor that detects the position of the transmission mechanism, The control unit is configured to execute a first process of acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens, from the calibration information stored in the memory unit, and a second process of calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information, wherein the calibration information is information regarding the position of a transmission mechanism corresponding to an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, and the second process includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects the position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information.

[0008] A calibration method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a motorized correction collar system having a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens; a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction collar ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment portion; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring; and a sensor that detects a reference position of the transmission mechanism. a correction collar calibration method performed by the method of the present invention, comprising: acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to a first objective lens that is an objective lens attached to the attachment portion, from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; To do and calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling transmission of power to the correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information. the calibration information is information regarding a deviation between a correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to a reference position of the transmission mechanism and an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, and calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects the reference position, and controlling the power source after the reference position is detected so that the correction collar rotates by an amount of deviation specified based on the first calibration information. . Another aspect of the present invention provides a calibration method for a correction collar performed by an electric correction collar system having an attachment portion for attaching an objective lens, the electric correction collar system including a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power to rotate the correction collar ring of a first objective lens, which is an objective lens attached to the attachment portion, a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring, and a sensor that detects the position of the transmission mechanism.The calibration method includes: obtaining first calibration information that corresponds to the first objective lens from calibration information stored at least for each type of objective lens with a correction collar; and calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling the transmission of power to the correction collar ring of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information, wherein the calibration information is information regarding the position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, and calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects the position of the transmission mechanism that corresponds to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention includes a motorized correction collar system including a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens. a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction collar ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment portion; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring; and a sensor that detects a reference position of the transmission mechanism.and acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to a first objective lens that is an objective lens attached to the attachment portion, from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar, and controlling transmission of power to a correction collar ring of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information, thereby executing a process of calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens. the calibration information is information regarding a deviation between a correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to a reference position of the transmission mechanism and an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, and the process of calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects the reference position, and controlling the power source after the reference position is detected so that the correction collar rotates by an amount of deviation specified based on the first calibration information. . Another aspect of the present invention provides a program for an electric correction collar system having an attachment portion for attaching an objective lens, the program comprising: a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power to rotate the correction collar ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment portion; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring; and a sensor that detects the position of the transmission mechanism; the program causes a computer of the electric correction collar system to acquire first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment portion, from calibration information stored at least for each type of objective lens with a correction collar, and to execute a process of calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling the transmission of power to the correction collar ring of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information; the calibration information is information regarding the position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens; and calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects the position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a motorized correction collar system that can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electric correction collar system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens attached. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a top view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens attached. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a top view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an objective lens to which an objective lens attachment is attached. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of an objective lens with an objective lens attachment attached. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a side view of the vicinity of the revolver with the objective lens attached to the objective lens attachment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a side view of the vicinity of the revolver with the objective lens removed. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a retraction operation by a retraction mechanism. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the attachment position of the objective lens attachment to the objective lens. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating calibration information used for calibration. [Figure 15] 10 is an example of a screen for registering an objective lens attached to a revolver. [Figure 16] 10 is an example of a screen used for manual calibration. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of the objective lens immediately after it is attached to the revolver. [Figure 18] 10 is a diagram showing the state of the rotation base immediately before the objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a state immediately after the objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the state immediately after the objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the correction collar position is moved until the reference position is detected after the objective lens attachment is attached. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a registration state of calibration information. [Figure 23] 10 is an example of a flowchart of an objective lens switching process. [Figure 24] 10 is an example of a flowchart of a calibration process. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a correction collar adjustment screen. [Figure 26] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of indicators attached to the rotating base. [Figure 27] 10 is a diagram showing the position within the index detected by the sensor for each objective lens when the correction collar is at a specific position. FIG. [Figure 28] 10 is another example of a flowchart of the calibration process. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a registration state of calibration information. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing yet another example of a registration state of calibration information. [Figure 31] 10 is another example of a flowchart of the objective lens switching process. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a registration state of calibration information and movable range information. [Figure 33] 10 is yet another example of a flowchart of the objective lens switching process. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a registration state of calibration information and focus adjustment information. [Figure 35] 10 is an example of a flowchart of a correction collar adjustment process. [Figure 36] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer for realizing a control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an electric correction collar system. The electric correction collar system 1 shown in Figure 1 is a microscope system equipped with a microscope 100 having an electric correction collar mechanism 100a that moves the correction collar, and a control device 200 that controls the electric correction collar mechanism 100a. The microscope 100 has a focusing mechanism 100b that changes the distance between the stage and the nosepiece.

[0013] The electric correction collar system 1 can correctly move the correction collar to the correction collar position specified by the user using the electric correction collar mechanism 100a regardless of the objective lens used. The electric correction collar system 1 automatically performs calibration (hereinafter referred to as correction collar calibration) to achieve such appropriate correction collar movement using calibration information created in advance.

[0014] The microscope 100 is, for example, an inverted microscope as shown in FIG. 1 , but may also be an upright microscope. The control device 200 is, for example, a computer including a processor 220 such as a CPU and a memory 230. The processor 220 is an example of a control unit, and the memory 230 is an example of a storage unit, and includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The memory 230 stores the above-mentioned calibration information for each individual objective lens with a correction collar, or at least for each type of objective lens with a correction collar. The control device 200 may further include input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an output device such as a display device 210.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electric correction collar mechanism with an objective lens attached. FIG. 3 is a top view of the electric correction collar mechanism with an objective lens attached. FIG. 4 is a side view of the electric correction collar mechanism with an objective lens attached. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. FIG. 6 is a top view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. FIG. 7 is a side view of the electric correction collar mechanism with the objective lens removed. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the objective lens with an objective lens attachment attached. FIG. 9 is a side view of the objective lens with the objective lens attachment attached. FIG. 10 is a side view of the vicinity of the nosepiece with the objective lens with the objective lens attachment attached attached. FIG. 11 is a side view of the vicinity of the nosepiece with the objective lens removed. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the retraction operation by the retraction mechanism. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the attachment position of the objective lens attachment to the objective lens. The configuration of the electric correction collar mechanism 100a will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0016] The electric correction collar mechanism 100a is a mechanism that moves the correction collar of the objective lens 120 with a correction collar attached to the nosepiece 110. As shown in FIG. 2 , the electric correction collar mechanism 100a includes the nosepiece 110, a drive mechanism 130, a transmission mechanism 140, a sensor 150, a retraction mechanism 160, and a sensor 170.

[0017] The nosepiece 110 is an example of a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens. The nosepiece 110 is, for example, an electric nosepiece, and can switch the objective lens to be placed on the observation optical axis in accordance with instructions from the control device 200. Although FIGS. 2 to 4 show an example in which only the objective lens 120 is mounted on the nosepiece 110, the nosepiece 110 is provided with six mounting holes, allowing for the mounting of up to six objective lenses.

[0018] The objective lens 120 is an objective lens with a correction collar. A correction collar is a mechanism that moves some of the lenses that make up the objective lens in the optical axis direction, and an objective lens with a correction collar is an objective lens that is provided with a correction collar.

[0019] 13, the objective lens 120 is provided with a correction collar ring 121. The correction collar ring 121 is an interface for operating the correction collar from outside the objective lens 120, and is a ring-shaped member that surrounds the body of the objective lens 120. The correction collar is designed so that the lens inside the objective lens 120 moves in the optical axis direction when the correction collar ring 121 rotates.

[0020] 4, 7, and 12, the drive mechanism 130 includes a motor 131 and a gear 132. The transmission mechanism 140 is a mechanism that transmits power from the drive mechanism 130 to the correction collar ring 121, and includes a rotation base 141 and an objective lens attachment 142 that holds the correction collar ring 121, as shown in FIGS.

[0021] The motor 131 is a power source that generates power for rotating the correction collar 121, that is, power to be transmitted to the objective lens attachment 142. The motor 131 may be, for example, a stepping motor. The rotation of the motor 131 is controlled by the control device 200.

[0022] The gear 132 is a gear that transmits the power generated by the motor 131 from the motor 131 to the transmission mechanism 140. As shown in FIG. 12 , the motor 131 and the gear 132 are fixed to a retraction mechanism 160 (described later) and are not fixed to the nosepiece 110.

[0023] Rotating base 141 is an example of a driven part that transmits power generated by motor 131 from drive mechanism 130 to objective lens attachment 142. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, rotating base 141 is a hollow cylindrical member fixed to nosepiece 110 so as to surround the mounting hole of nosepiece 110, and is configured to be rotatable around the mounting hole. As shown in FIG. 11, rotating base 141 includes gear portion 141a on which a gear is formed and hollow cylindrical portion 141b on which no gear is formed, and these rotate together around the mounting hole.

[0024] 7, when the gear portion 141a engages with, or more specifically, meshes with, the gear 132, the power generated by the motor 131 is transmitted to the rotating base 141 via the gear 132. That is, when the gear portion 141a engages with the gear 132, the rotating base 141 rotates around the mounting hole.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 11, a notch 141n is provided in the hollow cylindrical portion 141b. A member 142b of the objective lens attachment 142 shown in Fig. 9 engages with the notch 141n, specifically, when they fit together, the objective lens attachment 142 rotates together with the rotation base 141. In other words, the notch 141n serves to connect and interlock the component fixed to the microscope 100 side of the electric correction collar mechanism 100a (the rotation base 141 of the transmission mechanism 140) with the component detachable from the microscope 100 (the objective lens attachment 142 of the transmission mechanism 140).

[0026] Furthermore, the notch 141n positions the member 142b of the objective lens attachment 142, which is detachable, with respect to the rotation base 141 fixed to the microscope 100. That is, the notch 141n also plays a role in orienting the objective lens attachment 142 in a fixed direction with respect to the rotation base 141.

[0027] This ensures that the position (orientation) of the objective lens attachment 142 is always maintained in a constant relationship with the position (orientation) of the rotation base 141, which rotates due to power from the drive mechanism 130. Therefore, by controlling the rotation of the motor 131 based on the position (orientation) of the rotation base 141, the position (orientation) of the objective lens attachment 142 can be controlled with high precision.

[0028] 12, the hollow cylindrical portion 141b is provided with an index 10 that is detected by a sensor 150 (described later). The index 10 is a strip-shaped index extending in the circumferential direction of the hollow cylindrical portion 141b. However, the index 10 is not limited to the one in which the light intensity detected by the sensor 150 differs between the portion with the index 10 and the portion without the index 10, as shown in this example. Any index can be used as long as it can identify the reference position (orientation) of the rotation base 141. For example, if the sensor 150 is a magnetic sensor rather than a photosensor, the index 10 may be a magnet attached to the hollow cylindrical portion 141b. The sensor 150 may also be an image sensor. If the sensor 150 is an image sensor, the control device 200 may detect the reference position of the rotation base by, for example, comparing an image of the index 10 acquired by the image sensor with an image corresponding to the reference position stored in advance. Alternatively, the control device 200 may perform image processing on the image of the index 10 acquired by the control device 200 to recognize the amount of movement of the index 10 or an arbitrary position.

[0029] The objective lens attachment 142 is an example of a gripping portion that grips the correction collar 121 of the objective lens 120, and is detachable from the objective lens 120. As shown in Fig. 10, the objective lens attachment 142 is used while fitted into the rotating base 141, but is simply placed on the rotating base 141 and is not fixed thereto, and can be easily removed from the rotating base 141. As shown in Fig. 8, the objective lens attachment 142 may include, for example, members 142a, 142b, and 142c.

[0030] Member 142a is a member that grips the correction ring collar 121 from the left and right. Member 142a has a curved surface that matches the shape of the correction ring collar 121 of the objective lens 120, and this curved surface comes into contact with the correction ring collar 121. This curved surface that functions as a contact surface may be formed with knurling to prevent slipping.

[0031] 9, a part of the member 142b protrudes from the member 142a toward the barrel mounting surface of the objective lens 120, that is, toward the rotation base 141. This protruding portion (first protruding portion) of the member 142b fits into the notch 141n.

[0032] 8 and 13, a protrusion (second protrusion) that engages with the threads of the correction collar ring 121 is formed on the surface of member 142b facing the objective lens 120. When this protrusion engages with the threads of the correction collar ring 121, the objective lens attachment 142 rotates without slipping relative to the correction collar ring 121, and as a result, the correction collar ring 121 rotates by the same amount as the rotation of the objective lens attachment 142.

[0033] The member 142c is an elastic member that fixes the members 142a and 142b together. The elastic force of the member 142c acts so that the member 142a fixed to the member 142c tightens the correction collar ring 121, and the objective lens attachment 142 grips the correction collar ring 121.

[0034] Sensor 150 is an example of a sensor that detects the reference position of transmission mechanism 140. Sensor 150 is, for example, a reflective photosensor that detects color changes using infrared rays, and detects the reference position of transmission mechanism 140 based on index 10 provided on rotating base 141. More specifically, sensor 150 detects the reference position by detecting the end of index 10 based on the difference in color between index 10 and rotating base 141.

[0035] The reference position of the transmission mechanism 140 may be any position that indicates a specific state of the transmission mechanism 140. It does not matter what the specific state is, but there is a one-to-one relationship with the correction collar position for each objective lens. Therefore, at the reference position, i.e., in the specific state, the same correction collar position is always reproduced for each objective lens.

[0036] The retraction mechanism 160 is a mechanism that retracts the drive mechanism 130 from the position where it engages with the rotation base 141. The retraction mechanism 160 includes a motor 161 and a cam mechanism 162, as shown in FIG.

[0037] The motor 161 is a power source that drives the cam mechanism 162. The motor 161 is, for example, a stepping motor. The rotation of the motor 161 is controlled by the control device 200.

[0038] The cam mechanism 162 converts the rotational motion of the motor 161 into linear reciprocating motion. The drive mechanism 130 is fixed to the cam mechanism 162. This allows the drive mechanism 130 to move between a position shown in Fig. 12(a) where it engages with the transmission mechanism 140 (rotation base 141) and a position shown in Fig. 12(b) where it does not engage with the transmission mechanism 140 (rotation base 141).

[0039] The retraction mechanism 160 may retract the drive mechanism 130 from the position where it engages with the rotation base 141 in conjunction with the rotation of the nosepiece 110, in accordance with an instruction from the control device 200. This causes the drive mechanism 130 to automatically move to a position where it does not come into contact with the transmission mechanism 140 when the nosepiece 110 rotates, thereby preventing a large force from being applied between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140.

[0040] The sensor 170 is a sensor that detects the position of the cam mechanism 162 that moves by linear motion. The sensor 170 may be, for example, a photointerrupter as shown in Fig. 2, and may detect that the cam mechanism 162 is at a predetermined position.

[0041] When the retracting mechanism 160 returns the drive mechanism 130 to a position where it engages with the transmission mechanism 140, the tips of the teeth of the gear 132 and the rotation base 141 (gear portion 141a) may collide and not mesh, and as a result, the drive mechanism 130 may not move to the engagement position. Basically, an elastic force (spring force) is applied to the drive mechanism 130 in the direction of engagement with the transmission mechanism 140, and the tips of the teeth of the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140 slide and move slightly to mesh, but by using the sensor 170, it is possible to detect whether the retracting mechanism 160 has moved to a predetermined position. Therefore, even if the drive mechanism 130 fixed to the retracting mechanism 160 does not mesh with the transmission mechanism 140 and a malfunction of engagement occurs, this can be detected. When the sensor 170 detects a misengagement, the control device 200 may cause the retraction mechanism 160 to perform the retraction operation again, and then cause the retraction mechanism 160 to perform the return operation again, thereby ensuring the engagement between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140.

[0042] 2, in the motorized correction collar system 1 configured as described above, with the objective lens attachment 142 attached to the objective lens 120 mounted on the nosepiece 110, the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140 are engaged, thereby transmitting the power of the motor 131 to the objective lens attachment 142. Therefore, with the motorized correction collar system 1, the control device 200 controls the rotation of the motor 131, thereby controlling the transmission of power to the objective lens attachment 142, so that the correction collar 121 can be rotated by a desired amount.

[0043] The control device 200 controls the operation of the electric correction collar mechanism 100a. Specifically, for example, the control device 200 executes the following process. The control device 200 controls the transmission of power to rotate the correction collar 121 to the objective lens attachment 142 by controlling the rotation of the motor 131. The control device 200 also controls the position of the drive mechanism 130 by the retraction mechanism 160 by controlling the rotation of the motor 161. The control device 200 also recognizes that the transmission mechanism 140 is in the reference position based on the detection result of the sensor 150. Furthermore, the control device 200 recognizes a poor engagement between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140 based on the detection result of the sensor 170.

[0044] Next, it will be explained how the electric correction collar system 1 can accurately move the correction collar ring 121 to the correction collar position specified by the user. The electric correction collar system 1 can accurately move the correction collar ring 121 to the position specified by the user by performing calibration for each objective lens with a correction collar.

[0045] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure for creating calibration information used in calibration. FIG. 15 is an example of a screen for registering an objective lens attached to a nosepiece. FIG. 16 is an example of a screen used for manual calibration. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the state of an objective lens immediately after attachment to a nosepiece. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the state of a rotation base immediately before an objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the state immediately after an objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing another example of the state immediately after an objective lens attachment is attached to the objective lens. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a state in which the correction collar position is moved until the reference position is detected after the objective lens attachment is attached. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the registration state of calibration information. First, a method for creating calibration information used in calibration will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 22.

[0046] The calibration information is created through manual work performed by a person while visually checking the position of the correction collar, but this manual work may be performed, for example, in a factory before shipping the electric correction collar system 1. In other words, the worker who creates the calibration information may be different from the user of the electric correction collar system 1.

[0047] As will be described later, calibration information is information regarding the deviation between the correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140 and the origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens. It is desirable to create the calibration information for each objective lens with a correction collar. However, it is rare for different individual objective lenses of the same type to be used in the same motorized correction collar system. Therefore, in many cases, it is sufficient to create calibration information for each type of objective lens with a correction collar. The following describes an example of creating calibration information for the objective lens 120.

[0048] 14 starts, the operator first activates the motorized correction collar system 1, and then attaches the objective lens 120 for which calibration information is to be created to the revolver 110 (step S1). At this time, the objective lens 120 is attached to a mounting hole in which the rotation base 141 is located.

[0049] Next, the operator specifies the type of the attached objective lens 120 to the electric correction collar system 1 (step S2). This is to allow the electric correction collar system 1 to recognize the type of the attached objective lens 120. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 15 , the type of the objective lens 120 may be specified by selecting the type of the objective lens 120 from a drop-down list for the mounting hole (Pos) to which the objective lens 120 is attached on a window 211 of the electric correction collar system 1 application. Note that the type of the objective lens 120 may not only be selected from existing options, but may also be selected by manually inputting the model number or type name by the user, or by reading a barcode or RFID tag previously provided on the objective lens 120 and recognizing the recorded type.

[0050] The operator then orients the correction collar ring 121 of the objective lens 120 and the rotation base 141 in a specific direction relative to the nosepiece 110. Specifically, first, the operator manually rotates the correction collar ring 121 of the objective lens 120 attached to the nosepiece 110 to a specific position (scale) (step S3). This specific position is not particularly limited, but is preferably a position that is frequently used as a correction collar position, such as 0.17 mm, because it functions as the origin position of the correction collar after calibration. In the following explanation, an example will be given in which the specific position is 0.17 mm, as shown in FIG. 17, and the operator aligns the correction collar ring 121 to the 0.17 mm position in step S3.

[0051] Note that because the threading method of each objective lens is different, the orientation (relative to the nosepiece 110) of each objective lens when attached to the nosepiece 110 will vary. However, for the same individual objective lens (especially when attached with the same force), the same orientation will be reproduced no matter how many times the objective lens is reattached to the nosepiece 110. Furthermore, by aligning the correction collar ring of the objective lens to a specific position, the orientation of the correction collar ring will also be reproduced no matter how many times the objective lens is reattached. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 17, the angle between a specific direction and the thread of the correction collar ring 121 closest to that specific direction is always constant (angle θ1 in this example).

[0052] Furthermore, the operator manually rotates the rotation base 141, which is the driven part, to a specific position (step S4). This specific position is not particularly limited as long as it is a predetermined position. However, in this case, it is desirable to rotate the rotation base 141 so that the end of the index 10 is located near the sensor 150 so that the sensor 150 can detect the end of the index 10 (reference position) within the rotation range of the correction collar determined for each objective lens. For example, the rotation base 141 may be set to the specific position by orienting the notch 141n of the rotation base 141 toward a mark on the nosepiece 110.

[0053] By adjusting the orientation of the rotating base 141 in this manner, the rotating base 141 will always face in a fixed direction, even when adjustment is made using a different objective lens to be calibrated. Therefore, for example, as shown in Fig. 18, the angle between the specific direction and the end of the index 10 attached to the rotating base 141 (hollow cylindrical portion 141b) is always fixed (angle φ1 in this example).

[0054] After orienting the correction collar ring 121 and the rotation base 141 in a fixed direction relative to the nosepiece 110, the user then attaches the objective lens attachment 142, which is a gripping portion, to the objective lens (step S5). At this time, the objective lens attachment 142 grips the correction collar ring 121 and engages with the rotation base 141.

[0055] When fitting the member 142b of the objective lens attachment 142 into the notch 141n of the rotating base 141, the correction ring collar 121, the rotating base 141, or both may rotate slightly. This is because, depending on the positional relationship between the protrusion of the member 142b extending toward the correction ring collar 121 and the threads of the correction ring collar 121, the correction ring collar 121 and the rotating base 141 must move relative to each other so that the protrusion and the threads are in a positional relationship where they mesh.

[0056] As a result, after the objective lens attachment 142 is attached, if the correction collar ring 121 is rotated, the angle between the specific direction and the thread of the correction collar ring 121 closest to that specific direction changes from before the objective lens attachment 142 was attached, as shown in FIG. 19. In this example, angle θ1 changes to angle θ2. Also, if the rotation base 141 is rotated, as shown in FIG. 20, the angle between the specific direction and the end of the index 10 attached to the rotation base 141 changes from before the objective lens attachment 142 was attached. In this example, angle φ1 changes to angle φ2.

[0057] The amount of relative movement between the correction collar ring 121 and the rotation base 141 that occurs when attaching the objective lens attachment 142 differs for each objective lens. This is because, while φ1 does not depend on the objective lens, θ1 differs for each objective lens, and the spacing and depth of the threads on the correction collar ring may also differ for each objective lens. This, like the fact that the angle θ1 differs for each objective lens, is a major factor in why sufficient calibration accuracy cannot be obtained by performing calibration uniformly regardless of the objective lens.

[0058] When the objective lens attachment 142 is attached, the user inputs an initialization command (step S6). The user can input the initialization command by, for example, selecting to redo the calibration settings on the window 211.

[0059] When the control device 200 receives the initialization command, it controls the motor 131 until the sensor 150 detects the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 21, it rotates the rotation base 141 until the end of the index 10 moves in front of the sensor 150. When the rotation base 141 rotates, the correction collar ring 121 also rotates, and therefore the correction collar position becomes different from the specific position (0.17 in this example) manually set in step S3.

[0060] In other words, in the electric correction collar system 1, if the transmission mechanism 140 is aligned with the reference position and this state is determined as the origin position for correction collar control by the electric correction collar system 1, the following inconvenience will occur: Correction collar control is performed with the origin position set to a correction collar position different from the specific position (e.g., 0.17 mm) set in step S2 assuming the origin position, and the electric correction collar mechanism 100a will not be able to correctly move the correction collar to the correction collar position specified by the user.

[0061] Therefore, in steps S7 and S8, information regarding the deviation between the correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140 and the origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens is stored as calibration information.

[0062] Specifically, the user first operates the GUI so that the correction collar position coincides with the origin position (step S7). Note that this origin position of the correction collar is, for example, the specified position in step S2.

[0063] In step S7, the user may adjust the correction collar position, for example, on the application window 212 as shown in Fig. 16. If the correction collar position has moved to 0.24 as a result of the initialization operation performed in step S6, as shown in Fig. 21, the user may press the minus button and rotate the correction collar in the minus direction while visually checking the correction collar position until the correction collar position reaches 0.17.

[0064] When the adjustment is completed, the control device 200 stores the adjustment amount of the correction collar position in the adjustment performed in step S7 (step S8). Here, when the control device 200 detects that the OK button on the window 211 shown in Fig. 21 has been pressed, for example, the control device 200 stores the adjustment amount of the correction collar position performed using the electric correction collar mechanism 100a (in this example, angle α1 corresponding to 0.24-0.17=0.07 mm) in the memory 230 as calibration information specific to the objective lens 120, as shown in Fig. 22. The type of the objective lens 120 is "Objective F."

[0065] By repeating the process shown in FIG. 14 for each objective lens with a correction collar, calibration information for each objective lens with a correction collar can be created.

[0066] The electric correction collar system 1 uses the calibration information created in the above manner to perform optimized calibration for each objective lens with a correction collar, thereby enabling the correction collar ring to be accurately moved to the position specified by the user.

[0067] Fig. 23 is an example of a flowchart of objective lens switching processing. Fig. 24 is an example of a flowchart of calibration processing. Fig. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a correction collar adjustment screen. Below, with reference to Figs. 23 to 25, an example of automatic calibration when objective lenses are switched will be described.

[0068] The control device 200 monitors input of an objective lens switching command (step S11), and when a switching command is input, the control device 200 retracts the drive mechanism 130 using the retraction mechanism 160 (step S12). Thereafter, the control device 200 rotates the nosepiece 110 so that the selected objective lens is positioned on the observation optical axis (step S13). After the objective lens switching is complete, the control device 200 connects the drive mechanism 130 to the transmission mechanism 140 using the retraction mechanism 160 (step S14). Note that the following description will be given taking as an example a case where the objective lens 120 is positioned on the observation optical axis.

[0069] Next, the control device 200 acquires calibration information (step S15). Here, the control device 200 acquires first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the objective lens 120 placed on the observation optical axis, from the calibration information stored in the memory 230. Specifically, for example, the control device 200 reads out from the memory 230 a calibration value (angle α1 corresponding to an adjustment amount of 0.07 minutes) corresponding to the objective lens 120 (Objective F) shown in FIG. 22. The process performed in step S15 is an example of the first process of the motorized correction collar system 1.

[0070] 24 (step S16). The calibration process is a process of calibrating the correction collar of the objective lens 120 based on the calibration information acquired in step S15, and is an example of the second process of the electric correction collar system 1.

[0071] In the calibration process, the control device 200 first controls the motor 131 until the sensor 150 detects the reference position (steps S21, S22, and S23). That is, the control device 200 first starts rotating the correction collar ring 121 (step S21), monitors the detection of the reference position by the sensor 150 (step S22), and stops the rotation of the correction collar ring 121 when the reference position is detected (step S23). Finally, the control device 200 rotates the correction collar ring 121 by an amount of deviation determined based on the calibration information (step S24). That is, the control device 200 rotates the correction collar ring 121 by an amount equal to the calibration value (α1).

[0072] After the calibration is complete, the user may further adjust the correction collar on, for example, window 213 shown in Fig. 25 while viewing the image acquired by the microscope 100. Because the calibration eliminates the discrepancy between the correction collar position recognized by the motorized correction collar system 1 and the actual correction collar position, the motorized correction collar system 1 can accurately move the correction collar to the position specified by the user on window 213.

[0073] Of the above-described calibration processes, the first process (steps S21 to S23) corresponds to the process performed in step S6 of FIG. 14, and the second process (step S24) corresponds to the process performed in step S7 of FIG. 14. In other words, by performing the process of FIG. 23, the motorized correction collar system 1 can automatically perform the calibration work that was performed manually when creating the calibration information, using the calibration information. Furthermore, by using calibration information created for each objective lens (type), the calibration process can be optimized for the objective lens being used. Therefore, the correction collar can be accurately calibrated regardless of the objective lens being used.

[0074] Therefore, the electric correction collar system 1 is not limited to a specially designed objective lens, but can use any objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens.

[0075] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the correction collar was moved to the origin position via the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140. The second embodiment is different in that, during calibration, the correction collar is moved to the origin position (for example, the correction collar position corresponding to 0.17 mm) without passing through the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140.

[0076] Fig. 26 is a diagram showing another example of an index attached to a rotation base. Fig. 27 is a diagram showing, for each objective lens, the position within the index detected by the sensor when the correction collar is in a specific position. Fig. 28 is another example of a flowchart of the calibration process. Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 26 to 28, this embodiment in which the lens moves to the origin position without passing through the reference position will be described.

[0077] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment differs from the motorized correction collar system 1 in that an index 20 shown in FIG. 26 is provided on the rotating base 141 instead of the index 10. The index 20 is a strip-shaped index whose height changes in the direction of rotation. The index 20 has different characteristics at each position on the rotating base 141, and the detection result of the sensor 150 only needs to differ depending on the orientation of the rotating base 141, and the detection result functions as position information (orientation information) of the rotating base 141. In this case, the sensor 150 detects an arbitrary position of the transmission mechanism 140 instead of detecting the reference position of the transmission mechanism 140. When generating calibration information, an arbitrary position of the index 20 may be used as the reference position.

[0078] In this embodiment, when creating the calibration information, in step S8 of Fig. 14, instead of storing the adjustment amount, information about the position of the transmission mechanism 140 detected by the sensor 150 after adjustment, that is, the position within the index 20 corresponding to the origin position of the correction collar, is stored as the calibration information. Fig. 27 shows an example in which calibration information for three types of objective lenses (Objectives D, E, and F) is stored as information about the position within the index 20.

[0079] In this embodiment, the control device 200 performs the calibration process of FIG. 28 instead of the calibration process of FIG. 24. First, the control device 200 identifies a position corresponding to the origin position (hereinafter referred to as the origin-corresponding position) based on the calibration information (step S31). Thereafter, the control device 200 starts rotating the correction collar ring 121 (step S32), monitors the detection of the origin-corresponding position by the sensor 150 (step S33), and stops the rotation of the correction collar ring 121 when the origin-corresponding position is detected (step S34). That is, the control device 200 controls the motor 131 until it detects the position of the transmission mechanism 140 that corresponds to the origin position identified based on the calibration information.

[0080] As with the electric correction collar system 1, the electric correction collar system of this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens.

[0081] <Third embodiment> 29 is a diagram showing another example of the registration state of the calibration information. In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which only one piece of calibration information is stored for each type of objective lens with a correction collar, but multiple pieces of calibration information may be stored for each type of objective lens with a correction collar.

[0082] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that calibration information is stored for each type of objective lens with a correction collar and for each environmental temperature when the objective lens is used, as shown in Fig. 29. In this example, calibration information corresponding to two temperatures, 23°C and 37°C, is stored, but calibration information corresponding to three or more temperatures may also be stored.

[0083] The electric correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens, just like the electric correction collar system 1. Furthermore, the electric correction collar system according to this embodiment can perform accurate calibration in various temperature environments by using different calibration information depending on the ambient temperature, even if the state of the electric correction collar mechanism 100a changes due to the effects of expansion, contraction, etc.

[0084] <Fourth embodiment> 30 is a diagram showing yet another example of the registration state of calibration information. In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the correction collar is calibrated to an origin position that is determined regardless of the container, but the origin position of the correction collar may also be determined for each container.

[0085] When using a glass-bottom dish with a thin bottom, the correction collar is usually set to a correction collar position of 0.17 mm. However, when using a plastic-bottom dish with a thick bottom, the correction collar is set to a correction collar position greater than 0.17 mm (for example, 1 mm). Taking into account such differences in correction collar settings depending on the container, this embodiment stores calibration information for each type of objective lens with a correction collar and for each type of container when using that objective lens, as shown in Figure 30. In other words, the origin position is determined for each container. This embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in that multiple pieces of calibration information are stored for each type of objective lens with a correction collar.

[0086] Like the electric correction collar system 1, the electric correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed one, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens. Furthermore, the electric correction collar system according to this embodiment can align the correction collar to the origin position corresponding to the container through calibration. Therefore, even when various containers are used, the user can avoid the need to adjust the correction collar position to match the container after calibration.

[0087] <Fifth embodiment> 31 is another example of a flowchart of the objective lens switching process. In the first embodiment, the explanation is given on the assumption that the calibration information has already been created when the electric correction collar system 1 performs calibration, but a situation may occur in which an objective lens with a correction collar is used before the calibration information is created.

[0088] Therefore, the motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment executes the objective lens switching process of FIG. 31 instead of the objective lens switching process of FIG. 23. In the objective lens switching process shown in FIG. 31, the control device 200 executes the process of acquiring calibration information in step S45, and then determines whether or not the acquisition of the calibration information was successful (step S46). If the acquisition of the calibration information fails, a notification is issued that the calibration information of the objective lens to be used after switching is not stored in the memory 230 (step S47). The method of notification is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, by displaying information on the display device 210. In other words, the display device 210 may function as a notification unit. This can prompt the user to create calibration information.

[0089] The processes from step S41 to step S44 and step S47 are similar to the processes from step S11 to step S14 and step S16 in FIG. 23, respectively.

[0090] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration on the correction collar of any objective lens, just like the motorized correction collar system 1. Furthermore, according to the motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment, if calibration information has not been created, the user is notified of this fact, which prevents the user from mistakenly believing that calibration has been performed and continuing the work as is.

[0091] Sixth Embodiment 32 is a diagram showing an example of the registration status of calibration information and movable range information. In the fifth embodiment, an example was shown in which the user was notified when calibration information was not registered, but it would also be possible to notify an error in the registered information. In other respects, the electric correction collar system according to this embodiment is the same as the electric correction collar system according to the fifth embodiment.

[0092] The thickness of containers and cover glasses that objective lenses with correction collars can accommodate varies, for example, from 0 mm to 2 mm, 0 mm to 1.6 mm, or 0.1 mm to 1.3 mm. Even for objective lenses with the same compatible thickness range, the angular range over which the correction collar ring can rotate (hereinafter referred to as the movable range) can vary. In other words, the movable range of the correction collar ring varies depending on the type of objective lens.

[0093] In order to appropriately electrically control the correction collars of various objective lenses, it is desirable to also register the movable range when registering the type of objective lens attached to the nosepiece in window 211 shown in Fig. 15. Therefore, for example, as shown in Fig. 33, calibration information and movable range information may be registered as a set, and control device 200 may limit the thickness that can be specified in window 213 shown in Fig. 25 based on the movable range information. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the electric correction collar mechanism or the objective lens due to rotation exceeding the movable range.

[0094] However, with this method, if an incorrect type of objective lens is registered when registering the objective lens, the movable range may also be registered incorrectly, which could result in an instruction to rotate the correction collar ring beyond the movable range. The control device 200 may detect and report such an error in the registration information. Specifically, when an instruction to rotate the correction collar ring beyond the movable range is received, the control device 200 may detect an error in the registration information by detecting a force of a magnitude different from normal applied to the motorized correction collar mechanism, and report the error in the registration information. Furthermore, when an instruction to rotate the correction collar ring beyond the movable range is received, the control device 200 may detect an error in the registration information by detecting that the correction collar ring is not rotating, and report the error in the registration information. Furthermore, when an instruction to rotate the correction collar ring beyond the movable range is received, the control device 200 may detect an error in the registration information by detecting that the correction collar ring does not rotate and no change occurs in the image, and report the error in the registration information.

[0095] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens, just like the motorized correction collar system 1. Furthermore, the motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can detect errors in the registration of objective lens information early on, preventing the user from continuing work in an incorrect state, for example, by performing observation at a magnification different from the intended magnification.

[0096] Seventh Embodiment 33 is yet another example of a flowchart of the objective lens switching process. In the first embodiment, an example has been shown in which calibration is performed without checking the engagement state (engagement success / failure) between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140, but calibration may be performed after checking the engagement state before calibration.

[0097] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment executes the objective lens switching process of Fig. 33 instead of the objective lens switching process of Fig. 23. In the objective lens switching process shown in Fig. 33, when the control device 200 receives an objective lens switching instruction in step S51, it retracts the drive mechanism 130 using the retraction mechanism 160 before rotating the nosepiece 110 in step S53 (step S52), and after rotating the nosepiece 110 in step S53, it returns the drive mechanism 130 using the retraction mechanism 160 and connects it to the transmission mechanism 140 (step S54). This is the same as the objective lens switching process of Fig. 23.

[0098] Thereafter, the control device 200 determines whether or not the engagement between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140 was successful through the return process of step S54 (step S55). Specifically, the control device 200 determines whether the engagement was successful based on the detection result of the sensor 170. If it is determined that the engagement was unsuccessful, the control device 200 repeats the retraction process and return (connection) process of the drive mechanism 130 again (steps S56 and S54). This allows calibration to be performed in a state in which the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140 are reliably engaged.

[0099] The processes in steps S57 and S58 are similar to those in steps S15 and S16 in FIG. 23, respectively.

[0100] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens, just like the motorized correction collar system 1. Furthermore, the motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can avoid calibration failures due to poor engagement between the drive mechanism 130 and the transmission mechanism 140.

[0101] Eighth Embodiment Fig. 34 shows an example of the registration state of calibration information and focus adjustment information. Fig. 35 is an example of a flowchart of the correction collar adjustment process. When the correction collar is rotated, some of the lenses in the objective lens move, causing the focal position to move and resulting in focus deviation. For this reason, the correction collar adjustment work must be performed in parallel with the focus adjustment work, which makes the correction collar adjustment work difficult for users.

[0102] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 34, memory 230 stores focus adjustment information along with calibration information, and the motorized correction collar system uses these to automate the focus adjustment associated with the correction collar adjustment work. Note that the focus adjustment value shown in Fig. 34 is focus adjustment information, which is information related to the relationship between the correction collar position of the objective lens and the focal length of the objective lens. More specifically, the focus adjustment information indicates the amount of movement of the focus position per rotation angle of the correction collar.

[0103] In the electric correction collar system according to this embodiment, after calibration is completed, for example, when an instruction to change the correction collar position is received on the window 213 shown in Fig. 25, the control device 200 executes the correction collar adjustment process shown in Fig. 35. The control device 200 first calculates the amount of rotation of the correction collar ring 121 based on the specified correction collar position (step S61).

[0104] Thereafter, the control device 200 calculates the focus movement amount based on the rotation amount calculated in step S61 (step S62). Here, the control device 200 acquires focus adjustment information corresponding to the objective lens 120 currently in use from the focus adjustment information stored in the memory 230 shown in FIG. 34. The control device 200 calculates the focus movement amount based on the acquired focus adjustment information and the calculated rotation amount. Furthermore, the control device 200 rotates the correction collar ring 121 by the rotation amount calculated in step S61 to adjust the correction collar (step S63). Finally, the control device 200 moves the focusing mechanism 100b by the focus movement amount calculated in step S62 to adjust the focus (step S64). That is, the control device 200 controls the focusing mechanism 100b to change the distance between the stage and the revolver 110 based on the rotation amount of the correction collar ring 121 and the focus movement amount calculated from the focus adjustment information. The focusing mechanism 100b is not particularly limited as long as it can change the distance between the stage and the revolver 110. It may be configured to move the stage in the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens, or it may be configured to move the revolver 110 in the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens. It may also be configured to move both the stage and the revolver 110 in the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens. While the focus adjustment information has been described above as storing the amount of movement of the focal position per rotation angle of the correction collar, there are also objective lenses in which the amount of rotation of the correction collar and the amount of movement of the focal position are not linear. In such cases, the amount of movement (position) of the focusing unit relative to the absolute position of the correction collar can be stored in a 1:1 relationship, rather than the amount of rotation of the correction collar. The absolute positions and movement amounts can be stored, for example, in a table format.

[0105] The motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can use any objective lens, not just a specially designed objective lens, and can perform calibration for the correction collar of any objective lens, just like the motorized correction collar system 1. Furthermore, the motorized correction collar system according to this embodiment can automate the focus adjustment that accompanies the correction collar adjustment work by using focus adjustment information.

[0106] Fig. 36 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 200a for realizing the control device 200 according to the embodiment described above. The hardware configuration shown in Fig. 36 includes, for example, a processor 220, a memory 230, a storage device 203, a reading device 204, a communication interface 206, and an input / output interface 207. The processor 220, the memory 230, the storage device 203, the reading device 204, the communication interface 206, and the input / output interface 207 are connected to one another via, for example, a bus 208.

[0107] The processor 220 is an example of an electric circuit that controls the electric correction collar mechanism, and may be, for example, a single processor, a multiprocessor, or a multi-core processor. The processor 220 reads and executes a program stored in the storage device 203 to perform control processing for the electric correction collar mechanism.

[0108] The memory 230 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and may include a RAM area and a ROM area. The storage device 203 is, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a hard disk or a flash memory, or an external storage device.

[0109] The reader 204 accesses the removable storage medium 205 in accordance with, for example, instructions from the processor 220. The removable storage medium 205 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor device, a medium that inputs and outputs information by magnetic action, or a medium that inputs and outputs information by optical action. An example of a semiconductor device is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. An example of a medium that inputs and outputs information by magnetic action is a magnetic disk. An example of a medium that inputs and outputs information by optical action is a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a Blu-ray Disc, etc. (Blu-ray is a registered trademark).

[0110] The communication interface 206 communicates with other devices, for example, according to instructions from the processor 220. The input / output interface 207 is an interface between an input device and a display device 210, for example.

[0111] The program executed by the processor 220 is provided to the computer in the following form, for example. (1) It is pre-installed in the storage device 203. (2) Provided by removable storage medium 205. (3) Provided from a server such as a program server.

[0112] 36 is an example, and the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, part of the above-described configuration may be deleted, or new configuration may be added. In another embodiment, for example, part or all of the functions of the above-described control device 200 may be implemented as a hardware circuit using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an SoC (System-on-a-Chip), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or the like.

[0113] The above-described embodiments are illustrative examples provided to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Modifications and alternatives to the above-described embodiments may be included. In other words, the components of each embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, new embodiments can be implemented by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in one or more embodiments. Furthermore, some components may be deleted from the components shown in each embodiment, or some components may be added to the components shown in each embodiment. Furthermore, the order of the processing steps shown in each embodiment may be reversed as long as they are not inconsistent. In other words, the motorized correction collar system, the correction collar calibration method performed by the motorized correction collar system, and the program of the present invention may be variously modified and altered without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0114] In the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the transmission mechanism 140 has a rotating base 141 and an objective lens attachment 142, but if the rotating base 141 has a shape that allows it to directly engage with the objective lens, the objective lens attachment 142 may be omitted.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which the rotation base 141 is fixed to the revolver 110, but the rotation base 141 may be detachable from the revolver 110 in the same manner as the objective lens 120.

[0116] Although not specifically mentioned in the above-described embodiment, information regarding the movable range of the correction collar of each objective lens with a correction collar may be stored together with the calibration information. By using the information regarding the movable range, adjustment of the correction collar beyond the movable range can be prevented in advance, and malfunction of the correction collar can be avoided.

[0117] Although not specifically mentioned in the above-described embodiment, the gear may be rotated slightly in the opposite direction after the correction collar ring is rotated to release the force applied to the threads of the correction collar ring and the gear portion 141a of the rotation base 141. This makes it possible to suppress field of view deviation caused by the force applied to the objective lens when the correction collar ring is rotated.

[0118] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which gears are mainly used to transmit power, but power may also be transmitted by meshing of belts or friction.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, a band-shaped indicator 20 whose height changes in the direction of rotation is used as an indicator whose detection result by the sensor 150 differs depending on the orientation of the rotating base 141. However, a band-shaped indicator having a gradation of different densities in the direction of rotation may also be used.

[0120] In the above-described embodiment, a band-shaped indicator 20 whose height changes in the direction of rotation is used as an indicator whose detection result by the sensor 150 differs depending on the orientation of the rotating base 141. However, a band-shaped indicator having a gradation of different densities in the direction of rotation may also be used.

[0121] In the above-described embodiment, the movement amount of the focusing mechanism per rotation amount of the correction collar is exemplified as the focus adjustment information, but the movement amount of the focusing mechanism corresponding to a combination of any two correction collar positions may also be stored as the focus adjustment information. Note that the movement amount for a combination of correction collar positions can be specified by moving the focusing mechanism at each correction collar position and detecting the focused state while observing the contrast of the image, etc.

[0122] In the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which calibration is performed when the objective lens is switched, but calibration may be performed at other times. Because the objective lens to be used is explicitly selected by the user when switching the objective lens, calibration can be performed correctly by using the calibration information of the selected objective lens. However, when calibration is performed at other times, it may be difficult to identify the calibration information to be used. Therefore, the motorized correction collar system may further include an identification unit that acquires identification information for identifying the objective lens positioned on the observation optical axis. The control device 200 may identify the calibration information to be read from the memory 230 based on the identification information acquired by the identification unit.

[0123] In this specification, the expression "based on A" does not mean "based only on A," but also means "based at least on A," and further means "based at least partially on A." That is, "based on A" may be based on B in addition to A, or may be based on a part of A.

[0124] As used herein, the terms "first," "second," etc., used to modify a noun do not limit the quantity or order of the elements described by the noun. These terms are used to distinguish between two or more elements, not less, not more. Thus, the identification of a "first" and a "second" element does not imply that the "first" element precedes the "second" element, nor does it negate the existence of a "third" element. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1. Electric correction collar system 10, 20 indicators 100 microscopes 100a Electric correction ring mechanism 100b Focusing mechanism 110 Revolver 120 objective lens 121 Correction Ring 130 Drive mechanism 131, 161 motor 132 gears 140 Transmission Mechanism 141 Rotating Base 141a Gear section 141b hollow cylindrical part 141n notch 142 Objective lens attachment 142a, 142b, 142c members 150, 170 sensors 160 Evacuation mechanism 162 Cam mechanism 200 control device 210 Display device 211, 212, 213 windows 220 processors 230 memory

Claims

1. An electric correction collar system, a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens; a control unit that controls transmission of power to a correction ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment unit; a storage unit that stores calibration information for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating the correction collar; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring; a sensor for detecting a reference position of the transmission mechanism; The control unit a first process of acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens, from the calibration information stored in the storage unit; a second process of calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information; the calibration information is information regarding a deviation between a correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to a reference position of the transmission mechanism and an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, The second process includes: controlling the power source until the sensor detects the reference position; and controlling the power source so that the correction collar rotates by an amount of deviation determined based on the first calibration information after the reference position is detected. An electric correction collar system.

2. 2. The motorized correction collar system according to claim 1, The transmission mechanism includes: a gripping portion that grips the correction collar; a driven part fixed to the mounting part and transmitting the power from the drive mechanism to the grip part, The sensor detects the reference position based on an index provided on the follower. An electric correction collar system.

3. An electric correction collar system, a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens; a control unit that controls transmission of power to a correction ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment unit; a storage unit that stores calibration information for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating the correction collar; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring; a sensor for detecting a position of the transmission mechanism; The control unit a first process of acquiring first calibration information, which is calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens, from the calibration information stored in the storage unit; a second process of calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information; the calibration information is information about a position of a transmission mechanism corresponding to an origin position of a correction collar of the objective lens, The second process includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects a position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information. An electric correction collar system.

4. 4. The motorized correction collar system according to claim 3, The transmission mechanism includes: a gripping portion that grips a correction ring of the first objective lens; a driven part fixed to the mounting part and transmitting the power from the drive mechanism to the grip part, The sensor detects the position of the transmission mechanism based on an index that differs for each position provided on the driven part. An electric correction collar system.

5. The electric correction collar system according to claim 2 or 4, the driven portion includes a hollow cylindrical member that surrounds a mounting hole provided in the mounting portion and that is interlocked with the drive mechanism and the gripping portion, The indicator is provided on the hollow cylindrical member. An electric correction collar system.

6. The electric correction collar system according to claim 2, claim 4, or claim 5, the mounting portion is a revolver to which a plurality of objective lenses are attached, The motorized correction collar system further includes a retraction mechanism that retracts the drive mechanism from the position where it engages with the driven part in response to rotation of the revolver. An electric correction collar system.

7. 7. The electric correction collar system according to claim 2, wherein: The gripping portion is an elastic member; The correction ring is gripped by the elastic force of the elastic member. An electric correction collar system.

8. The electric correction collar system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: an identification unit that acquires identification information that identifies the first objective lens; The first process includes a process of identifying the first calibration information based on identification information acquired by the identification unit. An electric correction collar system.

9. The electric correction collar system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: The stage and a focusing mechanism for changing the distance between the stage and the mounting portion, the storage unit further stores, for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar, focus adjustment information which is information relating to the relationship between the position of the correction collar of the objective lens and the focal length of the objective lens; The control unit further a third process of acquiring first focus adjustment information corresponding to the first objective lens from the focus adjustment information stored in the storage unit; and and a fourth process of controlling the focusing mechanism to change the distance based on the rotation amount of the correction collar and the first focus adjustment information. An electric correction collar system.

10. The electric correction collar system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a notification unit that notifies that calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens is not stored in the storage unit; An electric correction collar system.

11. A correction collar calibration method performed by an electric correction collar system having a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens, the electric correction collar system including: a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction collar ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens mounted on the mounting portion; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring; and a sensor that detects a reference position of the transmission mechanism, acquiring first calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling transmission of power to the correction collar ring of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information; the calibration information is information regarding a deviation between a correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to a reference position of the transmission mechanism and an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, calibrating the correction collar controlling the power source until the sensor detects the reference position; and controlling the power source so that the correction collar rotates by an amount of deviation determined based on the first calibration information after the reference position is detected. A method characterized by:

12. A method for calibrating a correction ring performed by an electric correction ring system having an attachment part for attaching an objective lens, the electric correction ring system comprising: a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction ring ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens attached to the attachment part; a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring ring; and a sensor that detects the position of the transmission mechanism, acquiring first calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; calibrating a correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling transmission of power to the correction collar ring of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information; the calibration information is information about a position of a transmission mechanism corresponding to an origin position of a correction collar of the objective lens, calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects a position of the transmission mechanism that corresponds to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information. A method characterized by:

13. A motorized correction collar system is provided with a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens, the motorized correction collar system including a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction collar ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens mounted on the mounting portion, a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction collar ring, and a sensor that detects a reference position of the transmission mechanism, acquiring first calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens attached to the attachment portion from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; Calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling transmission of power to the correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information. Execute the process, the calibration information is information regarding a deviation between a correction collar position of the objective lens corresponding to a reference position of the transmission mechanism and an origin position of the correction collar of the objective lens, The process of calibrating the correction collar includes: controlling the power source until the sensor detects the reference position; and controlling the power source so that the correction collar rotates by an amount of deviation determined based on the first calibration information after the reference position is detected. A program characterized by:

14. An electric correction ring system having a mounting portion for mounting an objective lens, the electric correction ring system having a drive mechanism including a power source that generates power for rotating a correction ring ring of a first objective lens that is the objective lens mounted on the mounting portion, a transmission mechanism that transmits the power from the drive mechanism to the correction ring ring, and a sensor that detects the position of the transmission mechanism, acquiring first calibration information corresponding to the first objective lens attached to the attachment portion from calibration information stored for at least each type of objective lens with a correction collar; Calibrating the correction collar of the first objective lens by controlling transmission of power to the correction collar of the first objective lens based on the first calibration information. Execute the process, the calibration information is information about a position of a transmission mechanism corresponding to an origin position of a correction collar of the objective lens, calibrating the correction collar includes controlling the power source until the sensor detects a position of the transmission mechanism corresponding to the origin position identified based on the first calibration information. A program characterized by:

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