US Patent 7477775 Microscope system

A CPU executes a process for building an image, which is projected on three planes such as XY, YZ, and XZ planes mutually intersecting in three-dimensional space, of a three-dimensional image obtained by stacking in a direction of an optical axis a plurality of two-dimensional confocal images, which are obtained by changing the focal position of an objective lens against a sample in the direction of the optical axis of the objective lens. Then, a target region implemented by integrating pixels, whose points projected on the three planes are included in regions respectively specified for the three planes, among pixels configuring each of the two-dimensional confocal image.