US 12,436,374 B2
Microscope, observation method, and program
Yamato Niitani, Yokohama (JP)
Assigned to NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/371,512.
Application 18/371,512 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2022/012028, filed on Mar. 16, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-051951 (JP), filed on Mar. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0019677 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/41 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 21/008 (2013.01) [G01N 21/41 (2013.01); G01N 2021/4173 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microscope comprising:
a light transmitting optical system configured to irradiate a specimen with illumination light from a light source;
a light receiving optical system configured to receive signal light emitted from the specimen;
a phase modulation element that is provided in at least one of the light transmitting optical system and the light receiving optical system and that is configured to add a predetermined phase distribution to the illumination light or the signal light;
a phase distribution measuring unit configured to measure a first phase distribution, which corresponds to specimen-induced aberration at a sampling point of the specimen, at each of a plurality of the sampling points;
a phase distribution calculation unit
(i) that is configured to create, based on the first phase distributions measured at the plurality of sampling points, a phase data model showing an amount of phase change which the illumination light or the signal light receives when the illumination light or the signal light passes through a predetermined position in the specimen, and
(ii) that is configured to calculate, based on the phase data model, a second phase distribution which is added to at least one of the illumination light and the signal light by the phase modulation element in order to detect at least one detection point of the specimen in a state in which specimen-induced aberration is reduced; and
a phase distribution setting unit configured to set the second phase distribution to the phase modulation element, wherein:
the phase distribution measuring unit is configured to sequentially provide a plurality of phase modulation patterns to the phase modulation element;
the illumination light is irradiated by the light transmitting optical system at least to the sampling point, which is a measurement target of the first phase distribution, every time the phase modulation pattern is provided; and
the first phase distribution at each of the plurality of the sampling points is calculated based on the signal light which the light receiving optical system receives.