JPH05215969A - Microscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform integral control over a specimen and information regarding the specimen by reading a bar code without providing a television camera dedicated to bar code reading operation. CONSTITUTION:An image of a sample 18 of the microscope specimen 14 is picked up by a television(TV) camera 28 and displayed on a TV monitor 42. The information regarding the specimen is added as a two-dimensional bar code to the specimen 14 and image of the two-dimensional bar code part is formed on the TV camera 28 through an objective 26. The bar code image picked up by the TV camera 28 is converted into a binary signal, which is decoded by a two-dimensional bar code decoder 34. The decoded specimen information is passed through a video memory 38 and a video signal switching superimposing circuit 40 and displayed on the TV monitor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope system, and more particularly to a microscope system suitable for managing sample information using a bar code.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an automatic microscope apparatus (system) which uses a barcode to automate the stage insertion of a microscope slide glass, the microscope operation and the sample identification.

For example, such a device is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-59.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 71018. In the apparatus disclosed in this publication, a bar code indicating a sample number is attached to a part of a slide glass, and a sample number reading television dedicated to read the sample number is provided separately from a television camera for microscope observation. A john camera is provided, a bar code is imaged by the sample number reading television camera, and the sample number is read from the imaged bar code and displayed on a color monitor.

Here, only the sample number is printed on the bar code as a means for identifying the sample. Then, various information regarding the sample is stored in an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk device, a floppy disk device, etc.) provided in the automatic microscope device, and the bar coded sample number is used for information processing. The device is used as a key (ID) for searching the information on the sample from the external storage device.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional device,
Since the barcode, which is the ID, and the body of the information corresponding to it are managed separately, the specimen and the information corresponding to it are stored when borrowing or lending a specimen that is commonly performed in the medical community. Simultaneous delivery of the information storage medium such as the floppy disk is indispensable, and there is a problem that information management becomes complicated. In addition, since a dedicated television camera is provided to read the barcode, the microscope system becomes large in size and the system cost increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, enables barcode reading without providing a television camera dedicated to reading barcodes, and enables integrated management of a sample and information related to the sample. An object of the present invention is to provide a microscope system capable of reducing the system cost.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the microscope system of the present invention comprises a microscope, a television camera for observing a microscope mounted on a stage of the microscope, and a television camera for observing the microscope. A microscope system having a television monitor for displaying a video signal from a John camera, wherein a two-dimensional bar code label having a two-dimensional bar code encoding sample information on a sample is attached to the microscope sample. Every time, an objective lens for observation of a microscope is used as an imaging lens for reading the two-dimensional barcode, and
The three-dimensional barcode is imaged by the television camera, the information thereof is decoded, and displayed on the television monitor.

Here, the sample information includes a control number, a staining method, a creation date, a patient age, a patient sex, an organ name, a diagnosis name, and a diagnostic finding, and the two-dimensional bar code label is the one for the microscope. If the microscope is of the transillumination type, a transparent one is used, and if the microscope is of the epi-illumination type, an opaque one is used.

[0009]

That is, according to the microscope system of the present invention, a two-dimensional bar code label having a two-dimensional bar code formed by encoding sample information on a sample is attached to a microscope sample, and the two-dimensional bar code Since the observation objective lens of the microscope is used as the image pickup lens for reading, the two-dimensional bar code transmitted through this objective lens is imaged by the television camera, the information is decoded and displayed on the television monitor. Since a bar code-reading television camera is unnecessary, the system can be downsized and the system cost can be reduced. Also,
By forming the sample information on the sample on the two-dimensional barcode label and attaching it to the sample, information management can be integrated and management becomes simple.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing the configuration,
In the figure, reference numeral 10 is a transmitted illumination type biological microscope. A microscope sample 14 is placed on the stage 12 of the microscope 10.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the microscope sample 14 has a sample 18 mounted on a slide glass 16 and a cover glass 20 mounted thereon. The specimen 14 further has a transparent label 22 with a two-dimensional barcode printed on the front or back surface of the slide glass 16, and a transparent sticker 24 for protection is attached on the label 22. ..

Here, the reason why the label 22 is made transparent is that the microscope 10 is of a transillumination type, and when the epi-illumination type of the microscope 10 is adopted, an opaque type is used. use.

The bar code used in the conventional microscope system is a one-dimensional bar code having a length of 10 m.
Only a recording density of about 10 characters could be obtained in an area of m × width 30 mm, and only identification information of the object could be used. For this reason, I had to keep separate information about the specimen. On the other hand, the 2D barcode is 50m
As many as 2000 characters of information can be recorded in the m-square area.

When such a two-dimensional bar code is applied to the microscope sample 14, the recording area is limited to about 25 mm square, but 500 characters of information can be recorded here.
In addition, the two-dimensional bar code can also have an error correction function, and the reliability of the system can be increased.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a format of information (500 characters) regarding a pathological examination specimen recorded in such a two-dimensional bar code. As shown in the same figure, by converting it into a two-dimensional bar code, a large number of information such as sample control number, staining method, sample creation date, patient age, patient sex, organ name, diagnosis name, diagnosis finding, etc. Information can be placed on the specimen 14 itself.

Returning to FIG. 1A, the objective lens 26
Image a two-dimensional bar code portion of the sample 14 placed on the stage 12 onto a television (TV) camera 28. The TV camera 28 is controlled by the TV camera control device 30. The frame memory 32 stores the video signal from the TV camera control device 30 and binarizes it. The two-dimensional bar code decoder unit 34 decodes the binarized video signal stored in the frame memory 32. This decoding work is controlled by the CPU 36.

The video memory 38 stores the decoded sample information and converts it into a video signal. The video signal switching / superimposing circuit 40 switches or superimposes the video signal directly sent from the TV camera control device 30 and the character information video signal sent from the video memory 38, and displays them on the TV monitor 42. Let

The keyboard 44 is used to enter sample information. The memory 46 temporarily stores the character information input from the keyboard 44. The two-dimensional bar code encoder unit 48 converts the sample information stored in the memory 46 into two.
The printer 50 encodes the two-dimensional bar code information,
The two-dimensional barcode label 22 is created by printing the three-dimensional barcode.

The operation of the microscope system having the above structure will be described below. First, the operation of optically reading the two-dimensional bar code of the sample 14 and displaying the contents of the sample as shown in FIG. 2 on the TV monitor 42 will be described.

An image of the two-dimensional bar code portion of the microscope sample 14 placed on the stage 12 of the transmitted illumination type biological microscope 10 is obtained by the objective lens 26 of low magnification, for example, 1 ×.
An image is formed on the TV camera 28. TV camera controller 30
Controls the TV camera 28 and sends a video signal. This video signal is input to the frame memory 32 and binarized here. The binarized video signal is sent to the two-dimensional bar code decoder unit 34. The decoding work in the two-dimensional bar code decoder section 34 is controlled by the CPU 36, and the decoded sample information is sent to the video memory 38, where it is converted into a video signal.

The video signal switching superimposing circuit 40 switches the video signal directly sent from the TV camera control device 30 and the character information video signal sent from the video memory 38, or superimposes these video signals and the character information video signal. They are matched and sent to the TV monitor 42, which displays them.

That is, the video signal switching superposition circuit 40
When displaying the image of the sample 18 captured by the TV camera 28 on the TV monitor 42, the video signal sent directly from the TV camera control device 30 is displayed on the TV monitor 42.
To send to.

When the sample information decoded by the two-dimensional bar code decoder 34 is displayed on the TV monitor 42, the character information from the video memory 38 is used instead of the video signal from the TV camera controller 30. Video signal to TV
It is sent to the monitor 42. FIG. 3 shows the TV monitor 4 in this case.
2 shows an image display example of No. 2.

Furthermore, when it is necessary to display both the image of the sample 18 and the sample information on one screen,
The video signal from the TV camera control device 30 and the character information video signal from the video memory 38 are superimposed and sent to the TV monitor 42.

Next, the two-dimensional bar code printing function will be described. The character information input from the keyboard 44 is C
It is temporarily stored in the memory 46 via the PU 36.
Here, although not particularly shown, the TV monitor 42
Besides, a display device (for example, a CRT display) for displaying various data from the CPU 36 is provided,
While viewing the display, the input data from the keyboard 44 can be edited. That is, input data can be edited in the same manner as a known editor or word processor. Then, the edited sample information is sent to the two-dimensional barcode encoder 48, and becomes the two-dimensional barcode label 22 via the printing device 50.

The two-dimensional bar code label 22 thus created is attached to the front surface or the back surface of the slide glass 16, and a transparent protective layer (seal 24) is placed on the label to protect the two-dimensional bar code. As a result, the microscope sample 14 is created. At this time, a transparent or opaque adhesive is applied to the printed surface of the two-dimensional bar code label 22 and the bar code surface is attached to the slide glass 16 side so that the protective layer and the label of the two-dimensional bar code label are the same. It is also possible. As described above, in this embodiment, the two-dimensional barcode label obtained by encoding the sample information regarding the sample with the two-dimensional barcode is attached to the front surface or the back surface of the microscope sample, and the two-dimensional barcode is read. The objective lens for observation is used as the imaging lens for the TV, and the two-dimensional bar code transmitted through this objective lens is displayed on the TV.
Since the image is taken by the camera, the information is decoded, and the information is displayed on the TV monitor, the TV camera dedicated to reading the bar code is not required, so that the system can be downsized and the cost of the system can be reduced. In addition, the sample and the sample information related to the sample are printed on a two-dimensional bar code and attached to a slide glass, so that information management can be integrated and management is simplified.

In the above embodiment, the two-dimensional bar code printing function is explained as a combination, but the two-dimensional bar code printing function may be realized by a device different from the microscope system. Of course. In other words, the present microscope system has a function of optically reading at least the two-dimensional bar code of the microscope sample and displaying the content related to the sample on the TV monitor.

[0028]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
It becomes possible to read barcodes without providing a television camera dedicated to reading barcodes, and it becomes possible to integrally manage the specimen and information about the specimen.
It is possible to provide a microscope system capable of reducing the system cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a block diagram showing a configuration of a microscope system of an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a front view of a microscope sample.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a format of information regarding a pathological examination specimen recorded in a two-dimensional barcode.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an image display example of a TV monitor of sample information decoded by a two-dimensional bar code decoder unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Transmitted illumination biological microscope, 12 ... Stage, 14
… Microscope specimens, 16… Slide glasses, 18… Samples, 2
0 ... Cover glass, 22 ... Transparent two-dimensional barcode label, 24 ... Transparent sticker, 26 ... Objective lens, 28 ... Television (TV) camera, 30 ... TV camera control device,
32 ... Frame memory, 34 ... Two-dimensional bar code decoder section, 36 ... CPU, 38 ... Video memory, 40 ... Video signal switching / superposing circuit, 42 ... TV monitor, 44 ... Keyboard, 46 ... Memory, 48 ... Two-dimensional bar code Encoder part, 50 ... Printing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A microscope system comprising a microscope, a television camera for observing a microscope which projects a microscope sample placed on the stage of the microscope, and a television monitor for displaying a video signal from the television camera. In addition, the sample information about the sample is encoded in the microscope sample.
A two-dimensional bar code label having a three-dimensional bar code is attached, and an observation objective lens of a microscope is used as an imaging lens for reading the two-dimensional bar code, and the two-dimensional bar code transmitted through the objective lens. Is imaged by the television camera, the information is decoded, and displayed on the television monitor.