ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MICROSCOPE, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illumination device and method for a microscope and a computer program by which luminance of illumination light can be controlled and a high-quality image can be photographed by an imaging means. SOLUTION: The illumination device includes a DMD (digital micromirror device) 8 having a plurality of two-dimensionally arranged micromirrors 201 and disposed in an illumination optical system to guide illumination light to a fluorescent sample S. The micromirros 201 are segmented into units of N×N micromirros (wherein N is an integer), and controlled to obtain luminance in a plurality of tones by increasing or decreasing the number of off-state (or on-state) mirrors by a predetermined number unit in the micromirrors 201 constituting the N×N unit. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI