Television – Camera – system and detail – Optics
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-14
2004-09-14
Vu, Ngoc-Yen (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Optics
C348S073000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a photographing system, and more particularly to an improvement in a photographing time setting method that is carried out by a photographing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of biological chemistry and molecular biology, a fluorescence detecting system using a fluorescent dye as a labeling material is hitherto known. According to this system, the evaluations or the like of the arrangement of a gene, the expression level of a gene, the path and state of the metabolism, absorption, and excretion of applied matter in a laboratory mouse, and the separation, identification, molecular weight, and characteristics of protein can be performed, by reading out image information related to a sample distributing a specific organism-originated matter labeled with a fluorescent dye.
For example, by utilizing electrophoresis which moves a living cell in suspension or a biological compound (protein, etc.) in a solution to a positive or negative electrode through an electric field as a result of electric charge, a plurality of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments are electrophoresed on a gel support body, after a fluorescent dye has been added into a solution containing the plurality of DNA fragments. Or a plurality of DNA fragments are electrophoresed on a gel support body containing a fluorescent dye. Alternatively, after a plurality of DNA fragments have been electrophoresed on a gel support body, this gel support body is immersed into a solution containing a fluorescent dye. In this way, a gel support body (sample) distributing specific DNA fragments (organism-originated matter) labeled with fluorescence is obtained. Within a black box shielded from external light, the obtained gel support body placed on a suitable sample tray is irradiated with exciting light which excites the fluorescent dye employed as a labeling material. The fluorescence emitted from the gel support body is photoelectrically read out by photoelectric read means through a lens. In this way, image information representing a distribution of DNA fragments labeled with fluorescence is acquired, and based on the acquired image information, a visual image is displayed on a display section such as a CRT display, whereby the evaluation of the molecular weight of the DNA fragment and the like can be performed.
In the same field, on the other hand, a chemiluminescence method of photographing the image of chemiluminescence by employing photoelectric read means such as a charged-couple device (CCD) is known as a method of detecting a nucleic acid and protein in a membrane filter or the like after blotching. As an apparatus for photographing such an image of chemiluminescence, a photographing apparatus is known in which, as with the above-mentioned fluorescence detecting apparatus, a membrane filter or the like is placed on a suitable sample tray and housed within a black box shielded from external light. Within this black box, chemiluminescence emitted from the membrane filter or the like is photoelectrically read out by photoelectric read means through a lens, and in this way, image information representing a distribution of specific protein or the like reacting to a predetermined luminescent chemical substance is acquired.
Here, the above-mentioned photographing apparatus with the object of detecting chemiluminescence can also be used as a photographing apparatus for the aforementioned fluorescence detecting system, by further providing an exciting light source for exciting a fluorescent dye and an exciting-light cut filter for permitting only the incidence of fluorescence on the photoelectric read means and preventing the incidence of exciting light. Therefore, a photographing apparatus adding the function of detecting fluorescence to the photographing apparatus for chemiluminescence detection has been developed.
That is, in the case of performing photographing for chemiluminescence detection, exciting light is prevented from being emitted. Also, the exciting-light cut filter is removed from the optical path of chemiluminescence, and chemiluminescence emitted from a sample is detected by the photoelectric read means. In the case of performing photographing for fluorescence detection, on the other hand, a sample is illuminated with exciting light. The exciting-light cut filter is disposed in the optical path of the fluorescent emitted from the sample, and the light source and the exciting-light cut filter are switched separately or integrally such that fluorescence alone is detected by the photoelectric read means. Moreover, in the case where there is a great difference in intensity between fluorescence and chemiluminescence, the quantity of light to be incident on the photoelectric read means is adjusted by providing a variable diaphragm.
Furthermore, the aforementioned photographing apparatus can also be used as a digitizer, in which a translucent manuscript (film, etc.) or a reflecting manuscript (a photograph, etc.) is irradiated with illuminating light and the transmitted image or the reflected image is photoelectrically read out by photoelectric read means through a lens in order to obtain a digital image. In this case, the light to be emitted from the exciting light source employs white light, not exciting light in a band that can excite fluorescence. Also, the quantity of the transmitted light or reflected light to be incident on the photoelectric read means is limited.
Furthermore, some of the aforementioned photographing apparatuses rendering switching of a photographing method possible in accordance with a photographing object are known as being capable of photographing an image suitable for the size of a sample by varying a viewing angle that is incident on photoelectric read means through a lens. That is, in the apparatus capable of photographing an image suitable to the size of a sample, a plurality of sample-tray disposing sections each having a different distance from the lens are formed so as to place a sample tray thereon. The sample tray can be placed selectively on one sample-tray disposing section of the plurality of sample-tray disposing sections. The lens is moved in the optical axis direction in accordance with the selected sample-tray disposing section, whereby focusing on the light-receiving surface of the photoelectric read means is rendered possible.
The exposure of the photoelectric read means employed in the above-mentioned photographing apparatus, incidentally, is controlled by a camera controller. If the operator inputs instructions to start exposure and end exposure, the camera controller will control the start and end of photoelectric reading that is performed by the photoelectric read means. Thus, the camera controller constitutes the photographing system along with the photographing apparatus.
There are cases where the photographing system includes analysis computers (including personal computers) that perform quantitative analysis and the like by applying various kinds of image processing to an image signal read out by the photoelectric read means.
In the above-mentioned photographing system, incidentally, the operator inputs instructions to start exposure and end exposure to the camera controller or the analysis computer. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to suitably set exposure time from the start of exposure to the end of exposure. Particularly, because fluorescence and chemiluminescence are very weak, there is a need to perform exposure for a long time to obtain a certain degree of light quantity when the light is employed in quantitative analysis. In addition, suitable exposure time varies between the case of fluorescence detection and the case of chemiluminescence detection and also varies depending on the kind of labeling fluorescent dye or the kind of labeling chemical substance. Generally, it is possible to set such suitable exposure time by experience. However, in the case where there is a difference in the density of a sample or the case where
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Vu Ngoc-Yen
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