Observation apparatus, method of operating observation apparatus, and observation control program

Abstract

An observation apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires positional information indicating a position of a bottom surface of a support for supporting an observation target, an imaging optical system that forms an optical image showing the observation target supported by the support on an image plane, a focus adjustment unit that adjusts a focal position of the imaging optical system based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a control unit that performs control for matching an inclination of the image plane on which the optical image is formed to an inclination of an imaging surface of an imaging element based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An observation apparatus comprising:
 an acquisition unit that acquires positional information indicating a position of a bottom surface of a support for supporting an observation target;   an imaging optical system that forms an optical image showing the observation target supported by the support on an image plane;   a focus adjustment unit that adjusts a focal position of the imaging optical system based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit; and   a control unit that performs control for matching an inclination of the image plane on which the optical image is formed to an inclination of an imaging surface of an imaging element based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit.   
     
     
         2 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the acquisition unit includes a displacement sensor that acquires the positional information.   
     
     
         3 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a drive unit that relatively moves at least one of the support or the imaging optical system in a specific intersection plane intersecting with an optical axis of the imaging optical system,   wherein the control unit performs control for causing the displacement sensor to acquire the positional information indicating the position of the bottom surface of the support corresponding to a position prior to the imaging optical system in a direction in which an observation region of the imaging optical system is moved in accordance with relative movement between the support and the imaging optical system.   
     
     
         4 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit performs at least one control of first control for performing control for adjusting an inclination of the support, second control for performing control for adjusting a motion of at least one lens included in the imaging optical system, or third control for performing control for adjusting the inclination of the imaging surface.   
     
     
         5 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the imaging optical system further includes a ray deflection optical system that deflects a ray, and   the control unit performs fourth control for deflecting the ray by the ray deflection optical system.   
     
     
         6 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the imaging optical system further includes a ray deflection optical system that deflects a ray, and   the control unit performs a plurality of types of control among first control for performing control for adjusting an inclination of the support, second control for performing control for adjusting a motion of at least one lens included in the imaging optical system, third control for performing control for adjusting the inclination of the imaging surface, and fourth control for performing control for deflecting the ray by the ray deflection optical system.   
     
     
         7 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the ray deflection optical system includes a plurality of wedge prisms in an optical axis direction of the imaging optical system, and   the fourth control is control for deflecting the ray by controlling a rotation mechanism that independently rotates the plurality of wedge prisms about an optical axis.   
     
     
         8 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the plurality of wedge prisms include a first wedge prism, a second wedge prism, and a third wedge prism, and   the control unit performs first correction control for correcting an overall inclination of the image plane on the first wedge prism and performs second correction control for correcting a partially changing inclination of the image plane on the second wedge prism and the third wedge prism.   
     
     
         9 . The observation apparatus according to  claims 1 , further comprising:
 a reduction unit that reduces an effect of a positional shift between an optical axis of light passing through the imaging optical system and a center of the imaging surface on an image that is formed on the imaging surface based on the optical image showing the observation target.   
     
     
         10 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the positional information is acquired in advance by the acquisition unit.   
     
     
         11 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein in a case where the positional information is acquired by the displacement sensor,   the control unit performs control for prohibiting matching control in a case where a value of the position of the bottom surface based on the positional information is included outside a range in which execution of the matching control for matching the inclination of the image plane to the inclination of the imaging surface is permitted, and/or a case where a displacement amount per prescribed time for the position of the bottom surface based on the positional information exceeds a predetermined threshold value.   
     
     
         12 . The observation apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein in a case where the inclination of the image plane is less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs control for prohibiting matching control for matching the inclination of the image plane to the inclination of the imaging surface.   
     
     
         13 . A method of operating an observation apparatus, the method comprising:
 acquiring positional information indicating a position of a bottom surface of a support for supporting an observation target by an acquisition unit;   forming an optical image showing the observation target supported by the support on an image plane by an imaging optical system;   adjusting a focal position of the imaging optical system by a focus adjustment unit based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit; and   performing control for matching an inclination of the image plane on which the optical image is formed to an inclination of an imaging surface of an imaging element by a control unit based on the positional information acquired by the acquisition unit.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an observation control program causing a computer to function as:
 the acquisition unit, the focus adjustment unit, and the control unit included in the observation apparatus according to  claim 1 .