Conveyance device and image acquisition device

Abstract

This conveyance device conveys, in an image acquisition device provided with an imaging unit and a placement table, a sample holding member between the imaging unit and a storage member placed on the placement table. This conveyance device comprises: a base part; a body part disposed on the base part; a holding part provided to the body part; and a rotation mechanism that moves the holding part between a first position and a second position by rotating the body part with respect to the base part about a rotation axis along the vertical direction. When moving the holding part from the first position to the second position, the rotation mechanism tilts the body part so that the sample holding member held by the holding part is in a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal plane as the body part rotates.

Description

Carrier device and image acquisition device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a carrier device and an image acquisition device.

[0002] An image acquisition device is known that includes an imaging unit that images a plate-shaped sample holding member holding a sample, a placement table on which a plurality of storage members capable of storing a plurality of sample holding members are arranged, and a carrier device that conveys the sample holding member between the storage member arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit. As a technology related to this image acquisition device, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a carousel of a digital slide scanning device including a digital slide scanning device that scans a slide glass holding a sample and a carousel on which a plurality of slide glass racks are arranged.

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-502552

[0004] In the above-described technology, in the storage member arranged on the placement table, for example, in order to make it difficult for the sample holding member to shift, the sample holding member may be arranged in a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "inclined arrangement"). In recent years, in such a case, it has been desired to be able to simply and appropriately convey the sample holding member between the storage member and the imaging unit.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a carrier device and an image acquisition device capable of simply and appropriately conveying a sample holding member between a storage member arranged on a placement table and an imaging unit.

[0006] The transport device of the present disclosure is [1] "an image acquisition device comprising an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held, and a placement table on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of sample holding members are arranged, wherein the transport device transports the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit, comprising a base unit, a main body unit arranged on the base unit, a holding unit provided on the main body unit for holding the sample holding member, and a rotation mechanism for moving the holding unit between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit and a second position corresponding to the placement table by rotating the main body unit about a rotation axis along the vertical direction relative to the base unit, wherein the rotation mechanism tilts the main body unit so that the sample holding member held by the holding unit is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when moving the holding unit from the first position to the second position."

[0007] In the transport device of this disclosure, by moving the holding part from a first position to a second position using a rotation mechanism, the orientation of the sample holding member held by the holding part located at the second position can be matched to the orientation of the sample holding member that is inclined in the storage member (i.e., an orientation inclined with respect to the horizontal plane). Therefore, the sample holding member can be appropriately inserted into and removed from the storage member in which the sample holding member is inclined. In other words, it becomes possible to transport the sample holding member between the storage member placed on the placement stage and the imaging unit in a simple and appropriate manner.

[0008] The transport device of the present disclosure may also be [2] "the transport device according to [1], wherein the holding part holds one end of the sample holding member, and the rotating mechanism tilts the main body as the main body rotates when the holding part moves from a first position to a second position, so that the other end of the sample holding member held by the holding part is lower than the one end." In this case, the holding part specifically holds the sample holding member, and the rotating mechanism can tilt the main body according to the manner in which it is held.

[0009] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be [3] "the conveying device according to [1] or [2], wherein the rotating mechanism has a support portion that tiltably supports the main body portion, an inclined surface formed on either the main body portion or the base portion and inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and a projection portion provided on the other of the main body portion or the base portion and projecting in the vertical direction, wherein as the main body portion rotates, the projection portion slides on the inclined surface and tilts the main body portion with respect to the base portion." In this case, the configuration of the rotating mechanism that tilts the main body portion as the main body portion rotates can be specifically realized.

[0010] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device described in [3], which includes a rotating part that rotates while in contact with an inclined surface. In this case, the projection can be configured to slide smoothly along the inclined surface.

[0011] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device described in [4], in which the rotating part is configured to be rotatable in all directions. In this case, the projection can be configured to slide more smoothly on the inclined surface.

[0012] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be [6] "a conveying device according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein the inclined surface is subjected to a composite surface treatment." In this case, the projection can be configured to slide smoothly along the inclined surface.

[0013] The transport device of the present disclosure may be [7] "a transport device according to any one of [1] to [6] wherein the holding parts are provided in a plurality of parts on the main body." In this case, a plurality of sample holding members can be held by the plurality of holding parts.

[0014] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device according to [1] to [7], which has a tilt restricting part that restricts the main body from tilting by more than a predetermined angle. In this case, the tilt restricting part makes it possible to restrict the main body from tilting too much.

[0015] The transport device of the present disclosure may also be the transport device according to [1] to [8], wherein the rotating mechanism has a biasing unit that biases the main body with a force to tilt it in a second tilting direction opposite to the first tilting direction, when the direction in which the rotating mechanism tilts the main body is defined as the first tilting direction such that the other end of the sample holding member is lower than the one end. In this case, the biasing unit makes it possible to bias the main body so that it does not tilt too much.

[0016] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device described in [3] to [6], wherein the rotating mechanism has a drive unit that outputs a driving force for rotating the main body around a rotation axis, and further comprises a control unit that controls the operation of the drive unit, and the control unit rotates the main body around a rotation axis to move the holding part from a first position to a second position, and the rotation speed of the main body when the projection contacts the inclined surface is slower than the rotation speed of the main body when the projection does not contact the inclined surface. This makes it possible to move the holding part when the main body is tilted more slowly than when the main body is not tilted.

[0017] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device described in

[10] , wherein the drive unit is a non-backlash or backlash-less geared motor. This makes it possible to suppress the rotation and subsequent tilt of the main body caused by the rotation mechanism from being misaligned due to backlash of the drive unit.

[0018] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device described in any of [3] to [6], wherein the projection is configured such that the projection height from either the main body or the base is adjustable. In this case, the tilt of the main body caused by the rotation mechanism can be adjusted by adjusting the projection height.

[0019] The transport device of the present disclosure may be

[13] "a transport device according to any one of [1] to

[12] wherein, in a storage member placed on a placement stand, the sample holding member is arranged along a surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane such that the rear side of the storage member is lower than the front side of the storage member." The present disclosure is particularly effective when transporting the sample holding member between a storage member in which the sample holding member is arranged at an inclination in this manner.

[0020] The transport device of the present disclosure may be

[14] "a transport device according to any one of [1] to

[13] , wherein the rotation mechanism tilts the main body so that the sample holding member held by the holding part is in a position along the horizontal plane as the main body rotates when the holding part moves from the second position to the first position." Generally, the imaging unit images the sample holding member in a position along the horizontal plane. In this regard, the present disclosure makes it possible to adjust the position of the sample holding member held by the holding part at the first position to the position of the sample holding member imaged by the imaging unit (i.e., a position along the horizontal plane) by moving the holding part from the second position to the first position using the rotation mechanism. Therefore, the sample holding member can be transported to the imaging unit in a simple and appropriate manner.

[0021] The transport device of the present disclosure may be

[15] "the transport device according to any one of [1] to

[14] wherein the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism is inclined with respect to the vertical direction." In this case, by inclining the rotation axis with respect to the vertical direction, the main body can be tilted so that the sample holding member held by the holding part is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane as the main body rotates.

[0022] The transport device of the present disclosure may also be the transport device according to

[15] , wherein the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism is inclined toward the side that approaches the placement table and moves toward the imaging unit as it goes upward. In this case, the inclination of the rotation axis makes it possible to specifically realize the above-described action of tilting the main body in conjunction with the rotation of the main body.

[0023] The transport device of the present disclosure may also be the transport device according to

[15] or

[16] , wherein the rotating mechanism moves the holding portion between the first position and the second position by rotating the main body portion 90° around the rotation axis with respect to the base portion, the first vertical plane is defined as a vertical plane including the direction of approaching and moving away from the imaging portion, and the second vertical plane is defined as a plane obtained by rotating the first vertical plane 90° in one rotational direction around the vertical direction and including the direction of approaching and moving away from the placement table, and the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism extends on a third vertical plane obtained by rotating the second vertical plane 45° in the one rotational direction. In this case, the above-described action of tilting the main body portion in conjunction with the rotation of the main body portion can be specifically realized by inclining the rotation axis.

[0024] The conveying device of the present disclosure may also be the conveying device according to any one of

[15] to

[17] , wherein the upper surface of the base portion and the lower surface of the main body portion are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other when the holding portion is positioned in the first position. In this case, the base portion and the main body portion can be configured in accordance with the above-described action of tilting the main body portion as the main body portion rotates due to the inclination of the rotation axis.

[0025] The image acquisition apparatus of the present disclosure is

[19] "an image acquisition apparatus comprising an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held, a placement stage on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of sample holding members are arranged, and a transport device as described in [1] to

[18] ." This image acquisition apparatus also includes the transport device described above, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect of being able to transport the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement stage and the imaging unit in a simple and appropriate manner.

[0026] The transport device of the present disclosure is

[20] "an image acquisition device comprising an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held, and a placement table on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of the sample holding members are arranged, wherein the transport device transports the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit, comprising a main body, a holding unit provided on the main body for holding the sample holding member, and a rotation mechanism for moving the holding unit between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit and a second position corresponding to the placement table by rotating the main body, wherein the rotation mechanism tilts the main body so that the sample holding member held by the holding unit is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when the holding unit is moved from the first position to the second position." This transport device also achieves the above-mentioned effect of being able to transport the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit in a simple and appropriate manner.

[0027] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a transport device and an image acquisition device that can easily and appropriately transport a sample holding member between a storage member and an imaging unit located on a placement stage.

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the image acquisition device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the placement stand of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a diagram showing a part of the cross section along the line IV-IV of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an enlarged part of the transport device of Figure 2. Figure 6 is another perspective view showing an enlarged part of the transport device of Figure 2. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the bottom of the main body of Figure 5. Figure 8 is a side view showing the bottom of the main body of Figure 5. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing an enlarged projection and biasing part of the transport device of Figure 2. Figure 10(a) is a perspective view showing the operation of the transport device of Figure 2. Figure 10(b) is a perspective view of a part of the transport device of Figure 10(a) from a different direction. Figure 11(a) is a perspective view of the transport device continuing from Figure 10(a). Figure 11(b) is a perspective view of a part of the transport device of Figure 11(a) from a different direction. Figure 12(a) is a perspective view of the transport device continuing from Figure 11(a). Figure 12(b) is a perspective view of a part of the conveying device shown in Figure 12(a) from a different direction. Figure 13(a) is a perspective view showing a projection according to a first modified example. Figure 13(b) is a perspective view showing a projection according to a second modified example. Figure 13(c) is a perspective view showing a projection according to a third modified example. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a conveying device according to another embodiment. Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism in Figure 14. Figure 16 is a plan view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism in Figure 14. Figure 17(a) is a front view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism in Figure 14. Figure 17(b) is a side view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism in Figure 14. Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the rotating mechanism in Figure 14. Figure 19(a) is a diagram showing the rotation axis XT as seen from arrow A in Figure 18. Figure 19(b) is a diagram showing the rotation axis XT as seen from arrow B in Figure 18. Figure 19(c) is a diagram showing the rotation axis XT as seen from arrow C in Figure 18. Figure 20 is a perspective view showing the state in which the holding part is located between the first and second positions in the conveying device of Figure 14. Figure 21 is a perspective view showing the state in which the holding part is located in the second position in the conveying device of Figure 14. Figure 22 is a perspective view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism of Figure 21. Figure 23 is a plan view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism of Figure 21. Figure 24(a) is a front view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotating mechanism of Figure 21.Figure 24(b) is a side view showing the peripheral configuration of the rotation mechanism in Figure 21. Figure 25(a) is a perspective view showing the dog, first photoelectric sensor and second photoelectric sensor in the conveying device of Figure 14. Figure 25(b) is a perspective view showing the dog, first photoelectric sensor and second photoelectric sensor in the conveying device of Figure 21.

[0029] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image acquisition device 100 is a device for acquiring images of a sample held in a sample holding member. The sample holding member is a plate-shaped member, such as a microplate, a slide glass, a prepared slide, or a petri dish. Here, a long rectangular slide glass S is used as the sample holding member. Examples of samples to be observed include human or animal cells, tissues, organs, animals or plants themselves, plant cells, tissues, etc. The sample may be contained in a solution, a gel, or a substance with a different refractive index from the sample.

[0031] The image acquisition device 100 comprises a placement table 1, an imaging unit 2, a transport device 3, and a control unit 4. The placement table 1 is a table on which multiple slide racks (storage members) 5, each capable of storing multiple slide glasses S, are arranged in the image acquisition device 100. The imaging unit 2 images the slide glasses S. Here, a slide scanner is used as the imaging unit 2 to acquire and display an image of the sample held on the slide glass S. For example, the imaging unit 2 irradiates the sample on the slide glass S with planar light and acquires image data of the inside of the sample by imaging the fluorescence or scattered light generated inside the sample. The imaging unit 2 is not particularly limited and may be various imaging devices.

[0032] The transport device 3 transports the slide glass S between the slide rack 5, which is placed on the placement table 1, and the imaging unit 2. The control unit 4 controls each part of the image acquisition device 100. The control unit 4 is a computer consisting of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The control unit 4 can be configured as software, for example, in which a program stored in ROM is loaded onto RAM and executed by the CPU. The control unit 4 may also be configured as hardware, such as electronic circuits.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, multiple slide racks 5 are arranged on the display stand 1. Each slide rack 5 stores multiple microscope slides S so that they overlap with gaps in the height direction of the slide rack 5 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "height direction"). Multiple microscope slides S are arranged in the slide rack 5 with their thickness direction as the height direction. The illustrated slide rack 5 has an elongated outer shape in plan view. The slide rack 5 has a flat bottom plate 151 and a flat top plate 152 provided above the bottom plate 151. Between the bottom plate 151 and the top plate 152, multiple shelf sections 153 on which microscope slides S can be placed are provided along the height direction. The microscope slides S are inserted into and removed from the slide rack 5 from one side in its longitudinal direction (hereinafter also referred to as the "front side"). The slide rack 5 is also called, for example, a slide basket or a slide cassette.

[0034] The placement platform 1 comprises a rotating stage 11, a base 12, a positioning section 13, a partition section 14, and a ceiling section 15. The rotating stage 11 supports the base 12 from below and rotates the base 12 around a rotation axis G that runs in the vertical direction by a driving force such as a motor. The base 12 is an annular member with the rotation axis G as its central axis. In the illustrated example, the base 12 is a plate-like member that has an annular shape in plan view and whose thickness is in the vertical direction. The base 12 rotates on one side and the other side in the rotational direction around the rotation axis G by the rotating stage 11.

[0035] The base 12 has multiple mounting areas 20 on its upper surface, on which each of the multiple slide racks 5 can be placed. The mounting areas 20 are arranged on the upper surface of the base 12 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. The mounting areas 20 are elongated areas corresponding to the outer shape (footprint) of the slide rack 5 in a plan view. The mounting areas 20 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is along the radial direction of the base 12.

[0036] The mounting area 20 includes a first plane 21, a second plane 22, a third plane 23, a first edge portion 31, a second edge portion 32, and a third edge portion 33. The first plane 21, the second plane 22, and the third plane 23 are planes that align with the horizontal plane. The second plane 22 is located outside the first plane 21 (on the opposite side from the rotation axis G), and in the illustrated example, it is located at the edge of the mounting area 20. The third plane 23 is located outside the first plane 21 and inside the second plane 22 (on the rotation axis G side).

[0037] The first edge portion 31 constitutes a step located above the first plane 21. In a plan view, the first edge portion 31 extends linearly in a direction intersecting the radial direction of the base portion 12. The second edge portion 32 constitutes a step located below and inward from the first edge portion 31. In a plan view, the second edge portion 32 extends linearly parallel to the first edge portion 31. The third edge portion 33 constitutes a step located below and inward from the first edge portion 31, and above and outward from the second edge portion 32. In a plan view, the third edge portion 33 extends linearly parallel to the first edge portion 31 and the second edge portion 32.

[0038] The slide rack 5 placed on the mounting area 20 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane at an angle of inclination of the straight line connecting the first edge portion 31 and the second edge portion 32, such that the front side, which is the insertion / removal side, faces upward (so that the front side of the slide rack 5 is positioned higher than the opposite rear side). As a result, in the slide rack 5 placed on the mounting base 1, the microscope slides S are arranged along a surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane such that the rear side is lower than the front side. In other words, in the slide rack 5 placed on the mounting base 1, the microscope slides S are arranged in an inclined position with respect to the horizontal plane. Hereafter, this inclined arrangement of the microscope slides S will be simply referred to as "inclined arrangement". The angle of the inclined microscope slides S with respect to the horizontal plane is, for example, 5°.

[0039] The positioning portion 13 is an annular (in this case, circular) member coaxial with the base portion 12. The positioning portion 13 is provided on the base portion 12 so as to protrude above the first plane 21. The positioning portion 13 is positioned adjacent to the inside of the mounting area 20. The positioning portion 13 positions the slide rack 5 by contacting the inside of the slide rack 5 placed on the mounting area 20, thereby restricting the inward movement of the slide rack 5.

[0040] The partition section 14 is erected (placed upright) on the base section 12. The partition section 14 divides a plurality of mounting areas 20. The partition section 14 is a wall section that extends radially and is located adjacent to one side and the other side in the circumferential direction of each mounting area 20. The ceiling section 15 is provided so as to span the upper parts of the plurality of partition sections 14. The ceiling section 15 is an annular (in this case, circular) plate-shaped member that is coaxial with the base section 12.

[0041] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the transport device 3 comprises a base portion 30, a main body portion 40, and a rotating mechanism 50. The base portion 30 is installed on the floor of the image acquisition device 100. The main body portion 40 is positioned on the base portion 30. The main body portion 40 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis X that is perpendicular to the base portion 30 via the rotating mechanism 50. The main body portion 40 has a bottom portion 41, a support column 42, a lifting portion 43, and a holding portion 44.

[0042] The base portion 41 is a substantially rectangular block-shaped member having a planar upper surface 41a. The support column 42 is a columnar member erected on the base portion 41. The support column 42 extends along a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 41a of the base portion 41. The lifting portion 43 is provided so as to be able to move up and down along the support column 42 by a driving force such as a motor. The holding portion 44 is provided on the lifting portion 43. The holding portion 44 holds one end of the slide glass S. The holding portion 44 is provided so as to be able to move back and forth along a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the support column 42 by a driving force such as a motor. The configuration of the holding portion 44 is not particularly limited, and various known configurations can be used. Multiple holding portions 44 are provided, and here include a first holding portion 44A and a second holding portion 44B arranged below the first holding portion 44A.

[0043] The rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding part 44 between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit 2 and a second position corresponding to the slide rack 5 by rotating the main body part 40 about a rotation axis X that is vertically aligned with the base part 30. The first position is, for example, a position in which the holding part 44 can approach the imaging unit 2. The first position is, for example, a position in which the holding part 44 can transfer the slide glass S to the imaging unit 2 when the holding part 44 is extended. The second position is, for example, a position in which the holding part 44 can approach the slide rack 5 placed on the mounting table 1. The second position is, for example, a position in which the holding part 44 can transfer the slide glass S to the slide rack 5 when the holding part 44 is extended.

[0044] When the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding part 44 from the first position to the second position, as the main body part 40 rotates, the other end side of the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 (the end side farther from the holding part 44 (the back side)) is lower than the one end side (the end side closer to the holding part 44 (the front side)), and the main body part 40 is tilted. Further, when the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding part 44 from the second position to the first position, as the main body part 40 rotates, the main body part 40 is tilted so that the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is along the horizontal plane. In other words, in the rotating mechanism 50, when moving the holding part 44 from the first position to the second position, as the main body part 40 rotates, the main body part 40 is tilted so that the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is in a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and when moving the holding part 44 from the second position to the first position, as the main body part 40 rotates, the main body part 40 is tilted so that the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is in a posture along the horizontal plane. The tilting of the main body part 40 accompanying the rotation of the main body part 40 by the rotating mechanism 50 will be described in detail later.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rotating mechanism 50 includes a turntable 51, a motor M0, a support part 52, an inclined surface 53, and a protruding part 54. In the following description, the direction in which the rotating mechanism 50 tilts the main body part 40 so that the other end side of the slide glass S is lower than the one end side is referred to as the "first tilting direction". The direction opposite to the first tilting direction is referred to as the "second tilting direction". The first tilting direction is the direction in which the support column 42 tilts so as to fall on the advancing direction side of the holding part 44. The second tilting direction is the direction in which the support column 42 tilts so as to fall on the retreating direction side of the holding part 44. In FIGS. 5 and 6, for convenience of explanation, the elevating part 43 of the main body part 40 is shown omitted (the same applies to FIGS. 10(b), 11(b), and 12(b) below).

[0046] The turntable 51 is provided on the base portion 30. The turntable 51 rotates around the rotation axis X with respect to the base portion 30. The turntable 51 is rotationally driven by a motor M0 (drive unit, see FIG. 6). The motor M0 is a drive unit that outputs a driving force for rotating the main body portion 40 around the rotation axis X. The motor M0 is a motor with a non-backlash or backlash-free gear. A control unit 4 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the motor M0, and its drive is controlled by the control unit 4.

[0047] The support portion 52 supports the main body portion 40 so as to be tiltable. The support portion 52 is placed on the turntable 51 and fixed to the turntable 51. The support portion 52 supports the bottom portion 41 of the main body portion 40 and is connected to the bottom portion 41 via a tilt axis 52A that extends along a horizontal direction orthogonal to the advancing and retreating direction of the holding portion 44. The tilt axis 52A is inserted into a through-hole 41h (see FIG. 7) on one end side in the advancing and retreating direction of the holding portion 44 at the bottom portion 41. Such a support portion 52 supports the bottom portion 41 so as to be tiltable about the tilt axis 52A so as to change between a state where the upper surface 41a of the bottom portion 41 is along a horizontal plane and a state where it is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the inclined surface 53 is formed on the bottom portion 41 of the main body portion 40. The illustrated inclined surface 53 is a plane inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The inclined surface 53 rides on the protrusion 54 as the main body portion 40 rotates. The inclined surface 53 is formed at the lower portion of the end portion on the side opposite to the through-hole 41h side in the bottom portion 41. The inclined surface 53 constitutes the lower surface of the bottom portion 41. The inclined surface 53 is inclined at a constant gradient in the extending direction of the through-hole 41h (tilt axis 52A). For example, an R chamfer (a curved continuous portion is provided) is applied to the continuous portion between the lower portion 53a of the inclined surface 53 and the planar lower surface 41b of the bottom portion 41 so that the two are smoothly continuous. The inclined surface 53 is subjected to a composite surface treatment. The composite surface treatment may include, for example, at least any one of a hard anodizing treatment and an impregnation treatment with a fluororesin.

[0049] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 9, the projection 54 is provided on the base portion 30 and protrudes vertically. In the illustrated example, the projection 54 is located at the corner of the upper surface of the base portion 30. The projection 54 has a rotating portion 54A, a receiving portion 54B, and a spacer 54C. For example, a ball roller is used as the projection 54.

[0050] The rotating part 54A rotates while in contact with the inclined surface 53. The rotating part 54A is, for example, a sphere. The rotating part 54A is configured to be rotatable in all directions. In other words, the rotating part 54A is a component with three degrees of freedom of rotation. The receiving part 54B holds the rotating part 54A so that it can rotate freely. The spacer 54C adjusts the distance between the upper surface of the base part 30 and the receiving part 54B. By adjusting this distance with the spacer 54C, the height of the projection 54 protruding from the base part 30 (the position of the upper vertex of the rotating part 54A) can be adjusted.

[0051] In such a transport device 3, when transporting a glass slide S from the imaging unit 2 to the slide rack 5 of the placement table 1, first, the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 50 rotates the main body 40 around the rotation axis X, positioning the holding unit 44 at the first position corresponding to the imaging unit 2. The holding unit 44 moves forward and backward relative to the imaging unit 2, and the glass slide S of the imaging unit 2 is held by the holding unit 44. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, the inclined surface 53 is not riding on the projection 54, and the main body 40 is in a standard state where it is not tilted (the upper surface 41a of the bottom 41 is aligned with the horizontal plane, also simply called the "standard state"). The holding unit 44 holds the glass slide S so that it is aligned with the horizontal plane, in other words, with the thickness direction as the vertical direction.

[0052] Next, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b), the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 50 rotates the main body 40 around the rotation axis X at a first rotational speed by a constant angle, moving the holding part 44 toward the second position corresponding to the slide rack 5. At this time, the inclined surface 53 has not yet ridden onto the projection 54, and the projection 54 is not in contact with the inclined surface 53.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 50 continues to rotate the main body 40 around the rotation axis X, and continues to move the holding part 44 toward the second position. At this time, in conjunction with the rotational movement of the main body 40, the inclined surface 53 comes into contact with the rotating part 54A of the projection 54, the inclined surface 53 rides up onto the projection 54, and the rotating part 54A slides along the inclined surface 53. As a result, the bottom part 41 of the main body 40 is pushed upward by the projection 54, the bottom part 41 tilts around the tilting axis 52A so that there is a gap between the bottom part 41 and the support part 52, and the main body 40 tilts so that it falls in the first tilting direction. At this time, the rotational speed of the main body 40 is set to a second rotational speed which is slower than the first rotational speed.

[0054] Next, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 50 continues to rotate the main body 40 around the rotation axis X at a second rotational speed, moving the holding part 44 to the second position. As a result, the rotating part 54A slides on the inclined surface 53, the bottom part 41 of the main body 40 is further pushed upward by the projection 54, the bottom part 41 tilts further around the tilting axis 52A so that there is a gap between the bottom part 41 and the support part 52, and the main body 40 tilts further so that it falls in the first tilting direction.

[0055] As a result, the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is tilted at the same angle as the tilt of the slide rack 5 on the mounting area 20, such that the other end is lower than the other end. Subsequently, the holding part 44 moves back and forth, and the slide glass S is smoothly inserted into the slide rack 5 and positioned at an inclination.

[0056] On the other hand, when the transport device 3 transports a slide glass S from the slide rack 5 on the placement table 1 to the imaging unit 2, it operates in the reverse direction to the transport of the slide glass S from the imaging unit 2 to the slide rack 5 described above. That is, with the holding unit 44 positioned in the second position by the rotation mechanism 50, the holding unit 44 is moved forward and backward relative to the slide rack 5 placed on the placement table 1, and the slide glass S on the slide rack 5 placed on the placement table 1 is held by the holding unit 44. At this time, the inclined surface 53 comes into contact with the projection 54, and the main body 40 is tilted so that the inclined surface 53 rides up onto the projection 54 and falls in the first tilting direction. The slide glass S held by the holding unit 44 is tilted such that the other end is lower than the one end.

[0057] Next, the rotating mechanism 50 rotates the main body 40, moving the holding part 44 from the second position to the first position. As a result, in conjunction with this rotation, the rotating part 54A slides along the inclined surface 53, and the inclined surface 53 moves so that it descends from the projection 54 (eliminating any overlap). The bottom part 41 tilts around the tilting axis 52A so that the space between the bottom part 41 and the support part 52 closes, and the main body 40 tilts so that it falls in the second tilting direction. As a result, the main body 40 is returned to its reference state, and the holding part 44 holds the slide glass S in a position aligned with the horizontal plane. After that, the holding part 44 moves forward and backward, and the slide glass S is smoothly transferred to the imaging unit 2.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6 and 9, the rotation mechanism 50 further includes a tilt restricting section 55 and a biasing section 56. The tilt restricting section 55 restricts the tilt of the main body 40 from tilting by more than a predetermined angle. Specifically, the tilt restricting section 55 restricts the tilting of the bottom 41 of the main body 40 relative to the support section 52 so that the main body 40 does not tilt by more than a predetermined angle in the first tilting direction from the reference state. The predetermined angle is not particularly limited, but for example, it corresponds to the angle at which the slide rack 5 placed on the placement stand 1 is tilted, and is, for example, an angle of tilt of 5° + α (for example, α = 1°) with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0059] The tilt restricting portion 55 is a pin member provided on the through hole 41h side of the lower surface 41b of the bottom portion 41 of the main body portion 40. The tilt restricting portion 55 is provided so as to protrude from the lower surface 41b in a direction perpendicular to the lower surface 41b. In the standard state where the main body portion 40 is not tilted (the upper surface 41a of the bottom portion 41 is aligned with the horizontal plane), the tilt restricting portion 55 is positioned at a distance to the side of the support portion 52 with its axial direction vertical, and does not interfere with the support portion 52. On the other hand, in the tilted state where the main body portion 40 is tilted by a predetermined angle (the upper surface 41a of the bottom portion 41 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane), the tilt restricting portion 55 tilts in accordance with the tilt of the bottom portion 41, and its lower end interferes with the side surface of the support portion 52, preventing the bottom portion 41 from tilting any further (the main body portion 40 from tilting any further).

[0060] The biasing section 56 biases the main body 40 with a force that causes it to tilt in the second tilting direction. The biasing section 56 includes a movable pin 56A, a fixed pin 56B, and a coil spring 56C. The movable pin 56A is a pin member provided on the side surface of the bottom 41 of the main body 40. The movable pin 56A is provided so as to protrude laterally from the bottom 41. The fixed pin 56B is a pin member provided around the movable pin 56A on the side surface of the support section 52. The fixed pin 56B is provided so as to protrude laterally from the support section 52. The coil spring 56C is provided so as to bridge the movable pin 56A and the fixed pin 56B. The coil spring 56C constantly applies a tensile force that pulls the movable pin 56A towards the fixed pin 56B.

[0061] As described above, in the transport device 3, the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding part 44 from the first position to the second position, so that the orientation of the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 at the second position can be matched to the orientation of the slide glass S inclined on the slide rack 5 (i.e., an orientation inclined with respect to the horizontal plane). Therefore, the slide glass S can be appropriately inserted into and removed from the slide rack 5 in which the slide glass S is inclined. In other words, it becomes possible to transport the slide glass S between the slide rack 5 placed on the placement table 1 and the imaging unit 2 in a simple and appropriate manner.

[0062] In the transport device 3, the holding part 44 holds one end of the slide glass S, and when the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding part 44 from the first position to the second position, the rotating mechanism 50 tilts the main body 40 so that the other end of the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is lower than the one end. In this case, the holding part 44 specifically holds the slide glass S, and the rotating mechanism 50 can tilt the main body 40 according to the way it is held.

[0063] In this embodiment, since the glass slides S are positioned at an angle in the slide rack 5 on the placement stand 1, the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the rotating stage 11 on the placement stand 1 makes it difficult for the glass slides S to fly out of the slide rack 5. There is a concern that the operation of inserting and removing the glass slides S by the transport device 3 may become complicated when the glass slides S are positioned at an angle, but the transport device 3 can reliably insert and remove the glass slides S, which are positioned at an angle, with a simple structure.

[0064] In the conveying device 3, the rotating mechanism 50 includes a support portion 52 that tiltably supports the main body portion 40, an inclined surface 53 formed on the main body portion 40, and a projection portion 54 provided on the base portion 30. As the main body portion 40 rotates, the projection portion 54 slides on the inclined surface 53, tilting the main body portion 40 relative to the base portion 30. In this case, the configuration of the rotating mechanism 50 can be specifically realized such that the main body portion 40 tilts so that the slide glass S held by the holding portion 44 tilts as the main body portion 40 rotates.

[0065] In the conveying device 3, the projection 54 includes a rotating part 54A that rotates while in contact with the inclined surface 53. In this case, the rotating part 54A can reduce friction between the projection 54 and the inclined surface 53, and the projection 54 can be configured to slide smoothly on the inclined surface 53.

[0066] In the conveying device 3, the rotating part 54A is configured to be rotatable in all directions. In this case, the rotating part 54A further reduces friction between the projection 54 and the inclined surface 53, and the projection 54 can be configured to slide more smoothly on the inclined surface 53.

[0067] In the conveying device 3, the inclined surface 53 is treated with a composite surface treatment. This composite surface treatment allows the projection 54 to slide smoothly on the inclined surface 53.

[0068] In the transport device 3, multiple holding units 44 are provided on the main body 40. In this case, multiple slide glasses S can be held by multiple holding units 44. In particular, in the transport device 3, the holding unit 44 is a double-hand mechanism having a first holding unit 44A and a second holding unit 44B. This allows, for example, either the first holding unit 44A or the second holding unit 44B to take out and hold a slide glass S that has finished imaging in the imaging unit 2, while the other of the first holding unit 44A or the second holding unit 44B can transfer a slide glass S that has been taken out of the slide rack 5 and is being held to the imaging unit 2.

[0069] In the conveying device 3, the rotating mechanism 50 has a tilt restricting unit 55 that restricts the main body 40 from tilting beyond a predetermined angle. In this case, the tilt restricting unit 55 makes it possible to restrict the main body 40 from tilting too much.

[0070] In the conveying device 3, the rotating mechanism 50 has a biasing unit 56 that biases the main body 40 to tilt in the second tilting direction. In this case, in addition to the weight of the main body 40, the biasing unit 56 makes it possible to bias the main body 40 so that it does not tilt too much. Furthermore, the biasing unit 56 can stabilize the tilting of the main body 40.

[0071] In the transport device 3, when the control unit 4 rotates the main body 40 to move the holding part 44 from the first position to the second position, it sets the second rotational speed, which is the rotational speed of the main body 40 when the projection 54 contacts the inclined surface 53, slower than the first rotational speed, which is the rotational speed of the main body 40 when the projection 54 does not contact the inclined surface 53. This makes the movement of the holding part 44 when the main body 40 is tilted from its reference state slower than when the main body 40 is in its reference state without tilting.

[0072] In the conveying device 3, the motor M0 is a geared motor with no backlash or no backlash. This makes it possible to suppress the rotation and subsequent tilt of the main body 40 caused by the rotating mechanism 50, which would otherwise be affected by backlash from the motor M0.

[0073] In the conveying device 3, the projection 54 is configured to have an adjustable protrusion height from the base 30. In this case, for example, the protrusion height of the projection 54 can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting at least one of the thickness and number of spacers 54C, thereby making it possible to adjust the tilt of the main body 40 caused by the rotating mechanism 50.

[0074] In the transport device 3, the slide glass S is positioned at an angle on the slide rack 5 located on the placement table 1. This embodiment is particularly effective when transporting the slide glass S to and from the slide rack 5 where the slide glass S is positioned at an angle in this manner.

[0075] Generally, in the imaging unit 2, the slide glass S is imaged in a position aligned with the horizontal plane. In this respect, in the transport device 3 of this embodiment, when the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding unit 44 from the second position to the first position, the rotating mechanism 50 tilts the main body 40 so that the slide glass S held by the holding unit 44 is in a position aligned with the horizontal plane as the main body 40 rotates. In other words, when the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding unit 44 from the second position to the first position, the position of the slide glass S held by the holding unit 44 at the first position can be adjusted to match the position aligned with the horizontal plane, which is the position of the slide glass S imaged by the imaging unit 2. Therefore, the slide glass S can be transported to the imaging unit 2 simply and appropriately.

[0076] The image acquisition device 100 comprises a placement table 1, an imaging unit 2, and a transport device 3. Since the image acquisition device 100 also includes a transport device 3, it achieves the above-mentioned effect of easily and appropriately transporting the slide glass S between the slide rack 5 placed on the placement table 1 and the imaging unit 2.

[0077] Next, other embodiments will be described. In the following description, explanations similar to those for the embodiments described above will be omitted.

[0078] As shown in Figures 14, 15, 16, 17(a), and 17(b), the transport device 203 according to another embodiment is equipped with a rotating mechanism 250 instead of the rotating mechanism 50 (see Figure 5). The rotating mechanism 250 moves the holding part 44 between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit 2 and a second position corresponding to the slide rack 5 by rotating the main body 40 about a rotation axis XT that is vertically aligned with respect to the base 30. The rotating mechanism 250 moves the holding part 44 between the first position and the second position by rotating the main body 40 90° about the rotation axis XT with respect to the base 30.

[0079] When the rotating mechanism 250 moves the holding portion 44 from the first position to the second position, it tilts the main body portion 40 so that the other end of the slide glass S held by the holding portion 44 is lower than the one end, as the main body portion 40 rotates. When the rotating mechanism 50 moves the holding portion 44 from the second position to the first position, it tilts the main body portion 40 so that the slide glass S held by the holding portion 44 is aligned with the horizontal plane, as the main body portion 40 rotates. The rotating mechanism 250 has a turntable 251. The turntable 251 is provided on the base portion 30. The bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 is placed on the upper surface 251a of the turntable 251. The turntable 251 is fixed to the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 by fastening, for example, with bolts. The turntable 251 is rotationally driven by a motor M0 (see Figure 6).

[0080] As shown in Figures 18, 19(a), 19(b), and 19(c), the rotating platform 51 rotates its main body 40 around the rotation axis XT relative to the base 30. The rotation axis XT is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. That is, the rotation axis XT is an axis that aligns with the vertical direction and extends in a direction inclined by a predetermined angle of a certain degree or less with respect to the vertical direction. The direction aligned with the vertical direction is not limited to a direction that perfectly coincides with the vertical direction, but only needs to align with the vertical direction and may be inclined, for example, 0° to 10° with respect to the vertical direction (that is, it may have a predetermined angle (for example, 0° to 10°) with respect to the vertical direction). As the rotation axis XT goes upward, it is inclined toward the side that approaches the mounting platform 1 and moves away from the imaging unit 2. In this embodiment, the rotation axis XT is inclined by 5° with respect to the vertical direction. The rotation axis XT is inclined three-dimensionally with respect to the vertical in a coordinate system where the vertical direction, the direction toward the mounting stage 1, and the direction toward the imaging unit 2 are each defined as axes.

[0081] The rotation axis XT extends on the following third vertical plane VS3. That is, the rotation axis XT extends on the third vertical plane VS3, which is a vertical plane obtained by rotating the second vertical plane VS2 by 45° in the rotational direction, where the first vertical plane VS1 is a vertical plane that includes the direction of approaching and moving away from the imaging unit 2, and the second vertical plane VS2 is a vertical plane obtained by rotating the second vertical plane VS2 by 90° in the rotational direction (for example, counterclockwise in a plan view), where the second vertical plane VS2 is a vertical plane obtained by rotating the second vertical plane VS2 by 45° in the rotational direction. A vertical plane is a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane and includes the vertical direction.

[0082] As shown in Figures 17(a), 17(b), and 18, the upper surface 251a of the turntable 251 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane in accordance with the inclination of the rotation axis XT with respect to the vertical direction. Specifically, the upper surface 251a of the turntable 251a is inclined such that the vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface 251a is parallel to the rotation axis XT. The upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane in accordance with the upper surface 251a of the turntable 251a. The upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 is parallel to the upper surface 251a of the turntable 251a. In other words, the upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 is inclined such that the vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface 30a is parallel to the rotation axis XT.

[0083] The upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 and the lower surface 241b of the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other when the holding portion 44 is in the first position. The upper surface 241a of the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 extends along the horizontal plane when the holding portion 44 is in the first position. The upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 and the lower surface 241b of the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and extend in directions that intersect each other when the holding portion 44 is in the second position (see Figure 24(a)). The upper surface 241a of the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane in the first inclination direction when the holding portion 44 is in the second position (see Figure 24(a)).

[0084] In such a transport device 203, when transporting a glass slide S from the imaging unit 2 to the slide rack 5 of the placement table 1, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, first, the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 250 rotates the main body 40 around the rotation axis XT, positioning the holding unit 44 at the first position corresponding to the imaging unit 2. At this time, the main body 40 is in a reference state where it is not tilted. The holding unit 44 holds the glass slide S along the horizontal plane, in other words, with the thickness direction as the vertical direction.

[0085] Next, as shown in Figure 20, the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 250 rotates the main body 40 around the rotation axis XT, moving the holding part 44 toward the second position corresponding to the slide rack 5. As a result, the main body 40 tilts in the first tilting direction in conjunction with the rotation of the main body 40.

[0086] Next, as shown in Figures 21, 22, 23, 24(a), and 24(b), the control unit 4 controls the motor M0, and the rotation mechanism 250 continues to rotate the main body 40 around the rotation axis XT, moving the holding unit 44 to the second position. At this time, the main body 40 has rotated 90° around the rotation axis XT from the reference state and tilts so that it tilts by a predetermined angle (5° in this case) only in the first tilting direction. As a result, the slide glass S held by the holding unit 44 tilts at the same tilting angle as the slide rack 5 on the mounting area 20, such that the other end is lower than the one end. In other words, when the holding unit 44 rotates 90° from the imaging unit 2 side to face the mounting stage 1 side (when it is in the second position), the slide glass S tilts by 5° in the first tilting direction. When the holding unit 44 is in the second position, the slide glass S tilts only in the first tilting direction. On the other hand, when the transport device 203 transports the slide glass S from the slide rack 5 of the placement table 1 to the imaging unit 2, it operates in the reverse direction to the transport of the slide glass S from the imaging unit 2 to the slide rack 5 as described above.

[0087] As shown in Figures 25(a) and 25(b), the transport device 203 includes a dog 91, a first photoelectric sensor 92, and a second photoelectric sensor 93. The dog 91 is fixed to the bottom 241 of the main body 40 and moves in conjunction with the rotation of the main body 40 around the rotation axis XT. In the illustrated example, the dog 91 is a plate-shaped member bent into an L shape.

[0088] The first photoelectric sensor 92 is a sensor that detects whether or not the holding portion 44 is in a first position (i.e., whether or not the main body portion 40 is in a reference state where it is not tilted). The first photoelectric sensor 92 is fixed to the base portion 30 and includes a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion. The first photoelectric sensor 92 is positioned such that a dog 91 is interposed between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion when the holding portion 44 is in the first position.

[0089] The second photoelectric sensor 93 is a sensor that detects whether or not the holding portion 44 is located in the second position (i.e., whether or not the main body portion 40 is tilted at a predetermined angle in the first tilting direction). The second photoelectric sensor 93 is fixed to the base portion 30 and includes a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion. The second photoelectric sensor 93 is positioned such that the dog 91 is interposed between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion when the holding portion 44 is located in the second position.

[0090] In the conveying device 203, the rotation axis XT of the rotation mechanism 250 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction. In this case, by inclining the rotation axis XT with respect to the vertical direction, the main body 40 can be tilted so that the slide glass S held by the holding part 44 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane as the main body 40 rotates. Furthermore, the rotation mechanism 50 that tilts the main body 40 as the main body 40 rotates can be realized with increased durability and operating speed. This embodiment can be made simpler in configuration than the above embodiment. With the rotation mechanism 50, the resistance associated with the rotation of the main body 40 is small, and energy saving can be achieved.

[0091] In the transport device 203, the rotation axis XT of the rotation mechanism 250 is inclined so that as it goes upward, it approaches the placement table 1 and moves away from the imaging unit 2. In this case, the inclination of the rotation axis XT makes it possible to specifically realize the above-mentioned effect of tilting the main body 40 in conjunction with the rotation of the main body 40.

[0092] In the conveying device 203, the holding part 44 is moved between the first and second positions by rotating the main body 40 90° around the rotation axis XT relative to the rotating mechanism 250 and the base part 30. The rotation axis XT extends on the third vertical plane VS3. In this case, the above-mentioned action of tilting the main body 40 in conjunction with the rotation of the main body 40 can be specifically realized by the inclination of the rotation axis XT.

[0093] In the conveying device 203, the upper surface 30a of the base portion 30 and the lower surface 241b of the bottom portion 241 of the main body portion 40 are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other when the holding portion 44 is positioned in the first position. In this case, the base portion 30 and the main body portion 40 can be configured in accordance with the above-mentioned action of tilting the main body portion 40 as the main body portion 40 rotates due to the inclination of the rotation axis XT.

[0094] In the conveying device 203, the amount of rotation of the motor M0 can be controlled by the number of pulses, so by inputting the number of pulses corresponding to a 90° rotation to the motor M0, the main body 40 can be reliably rotated 90° around the rotation axis XT. In the conveying device 203, by using the dog 91, the first photoelectric sensor 92 and the second photoelectric sensor 93, origin setting and abnormality detection during initial operation can be easily performed. In the conveying device 203, a moment acts on the rotation mechanism 250, but the rotation mechanism 250 is configured to tolerate this moment.

[0095] The embodiments described above are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0096] In the above embodiment, a ball roller was used as the projection 54, but the configuration of the projection is not particularly limited. The above embodiment may include a projection 154 whose upper end is a spherical pin, as shown in Figure 13(a). The above embodiment may also include a projection 254 which is a ball screw, as shown in Figure 13(b). The above embodiment may also include a projection 354 which includes a roller 354A that is rotatably supported along a horizontal axis by a support member 354B, as shown in Figure 13(c). In addition, a bearing may be used as the projection in the above embodiment.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the inclined surface 53 may be a flat surface, a curved surface, or a surface that combines both a flat and a curved surface, as described above. The inclined surface 53 may be a continuous surface on which the projections 54 can ride up. In the above embodiment, there may be multiple projections 54, and the inclined surface 53 may ride up on multiple projections 54 (multiple projections 54 slide on the inclined surface 53).

[0098] In the above embodiment, an inclined surface 53 is formed on the bottom 41 of the main body 40 and a projection 54 is provided on the base 30. However, a projection 54 may be provided on the bottom 41 and an inclined surface 53 may be formed on the base 30. In short, it is sufficient that an inclined surface 53 is formed on either the main body 40 or the base 30, and a projection 54 is provided on the other of the main body 40 or the base 30. In the above embodiment, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the upper surface 30a of the base 30 and at least a portion of the lower surface 241b of the main body 40 are parallel. In the above embodiment, the direction of the rotation axis XT is not particularly limited and may extend in a direction intersecting the horizontal plane. The above angle value may have manufacturing errors (for example, an error of 10% or less of the value).

[0099] The components in the above embodiments and modifications are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be applied. Furthermore, the components in the above embodiments and modifications can be arbitrarily applied to the components in other embodiments or modifications.

[0100] 1...Placement stage, 2...Imaging unit, 3, 203...Transport device, 4...Control unit, 5...Slide rack (storage member), 30...Base unit, 30a...Top surface, 40...Main body unit, 44...Holding unit, 50, 250...Rotation mechanism, 52...Support unit, 53...Inclined surface, 54...Protrusion, 54A...Rotation unit, 55...Tilt regulating unit, 56...Biasing unit, M0...Motor (drive unit), 100...Image acquisition device, 241b...Bottom surface, X, XT...Rotation axis, S...Slide glass (sample holding member), VS1...First vertical surface, VS2...Second vertical surface, VS3...Third vertical surface.

Claims

1. An image acquisition apparatus comprising an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held, and a placement table on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of the sample holding members are arranged, wherein the transport device transports the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit, comprising: a base portion; a main body portion disposed on the base portion; a holding portion provided on the main body portion for holding the sample holding member; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the main body portion around a rotation axis perpendicular to the base portion, thereby moving the holding portion between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit and a second position corresponding to the placement table, wherein the rotation mechanism tilts the main body portion as the main body portion rotates, so that the sample holding member held by the holding portion is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion holds one end of the sample holding member, and the rotating mechanism tilts the main body such that, as the main body rotates, the other end of the sample holding member held by the holding portion is lower than the one end.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating mechanism comprises a support portion that supports the main body portion so as to be tiltable, an inclined surface formed on either the main body portion or the base portion and inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and a projection portion provided on the other of the main body portion or the base portion and projecting in the vertical direction, wherein the projection portion slides on the inclined surface as the main body portion rotates, causing the main body portion to tilt relative to the base portion.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the projection includes a rotating part that rotates while in contact with the inclined surface.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the rotating part is configured to be rotatable in all directions.

6. The conveying device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the inclined surface is subjected to a composite surface treatment.

7. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the holding portion is provided in multiple locations on the main body.

8. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rotating mechanism has a tilt restricting part that restricts the main body from tilting by more than a predetermined angle.

9. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rotating mechanism has a biasing part that biases the main body with a force to tilt it in a second tilting direction opposite to the first tilting direction, when the direction in which the rotating mechanism tilts the main body is defined as the first tilting direction such that the other end of the sample holding member is lower than the one end.

10. The conveying device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the rotating mechanism has a drive unit that outputs a driving force for rotating the main body around the rotation axis, and further comprises a control unit that controls the operation of the drive unit, and the control unit rotates the main body around the rotation axis to move the holding unit from the first position to the second position, and slows down the rotation speed of the main body when the projection contacts the inclined surface compared to the rotation speed of the main body when the projection does not contact the inclined surface.

11. The conveying device according to claim 10, wherein the drive unit is a geared motor that is backlash-free or has no backlash.

12. The conveying device according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the projection is configured to be adjustable in height from either the main body or the base.

13. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the storage member placed on the placement stand is arranged along a surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane such that the rear side of the storage member is lower than the front side.

14. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the rotating mechanism tilts the main body so that, when moving the holding portion from the second position to the first position, the sample holding member held by the holding portion is in a position aligned with the horizontal plane as the main body rotates.

15. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the rotating shaft of the rotating mechanism is inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

16. The conveying device according to claim 15, wherein the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism is inclined toward the side that approaches the placement table and moves toward the imaging unit as it goes upward.

17. The conveying device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the rotating mechanism moves the holding portion between the first position and the second position by rotating the main body portion 90° around the rotation axis with respect to the base portion, and the first vertical plane is defined as a vertical plane including the direction of approaching and moving away from the imaging portion, and the second vertical plane is defined as a plane obtained by rotating the first vertical plane 90° in one rotational direction around the vertical direction and including the direction of approaching and moving away from the placement table, the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism extends on a third vertical plane obtained by rotating the second vertical plane 45° in the one rotational direction.

18. The conveying device according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the upper surface of the base portion and the lower surface of the main body portion are inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and parallel to each other when the holding portion is positioned in the first position.

19. An image acquisition device comprising: an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held; a placement stage on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of sample holding members are arranged; and a transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. An image acquisition apparatus comprising an imaging unit for imaging a plate-shaped sample holding member on which a sample is held, and a placement table on which a plurality of storage members capable of accommodating a plurality of the sample holding members are arranged, wherein the transport apparatus transports the sample holding member between the storage members arranged on the placement table and the imaging unit, comprising: a main body; a holding unit provided on the main body for holding the sample holding member; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the main body to move the holding unit between a first position corresponding to the imaging unit and a second position corresponding to the placement table, wherein the rotation mechanism tilts the main body so that the sample holding member held by the holding unit is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when moving the holding unit from the first position to the second position.

Images