1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system;
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element; and
a synthesizer that synthesizes an image at a specific image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
4. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system;
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element; and
a memory that memorizes the shift amounts together with the light receiving signal relevant thereto.
5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
7. An image synthesis method comprising:
detecting shift amounts of an image plane by an optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system;
determining a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image at a specific image plane by the optical system is enabled to be synthesized;
generating a light receiving signal by receiving a light beam from the optical system at the focus adjusting position with a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements which is provided for a micro lens array having a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, the light beam passing through the micro lens array; and
synthesizing an image at the specific image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
8. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system;
a recognition device that recognizes an image of a specific subject from an image by the optical system; and
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected for a focus detecting position corresponding to the image recognized by the recognition device out of the plurality of the focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element.
9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
11. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system; and
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position after removing a part of a distribution of the shift amounts.
12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
13. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
14. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system; and
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element, wherein
the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced is determined based on an effective diameter of each of the micro lenses and a size of each of the photoelectric conversion elements.
15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
17. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system; and
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image based on the light receiving signal is enabled to be produced, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position after removing a certain shift amount with low reliability out of the shift amounts.
18. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a light receiving element having a micro lens array provided with a plurality of micro lenses arranged two-dimensionally, and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements provided for the plurality of micro lenses, and outputting a light receiving signal obtained by receiving a light beam from an optical system via the micro lens array;
a detector that detects shift amounts of an image plane by the optical system respectively for a plurality of focus detecting positions set at a plurality of positions in the image plane by the optical system; and
a controller that determines a focus adjusting position for the optical system based on a plurality of the shift amounts detected respectively for the plurality of focus detecting positions and a range of the image plane where an image at a specific image plane by the optical system is enabled to be synthesized based on the light receiving signal, and obtains the light receiving signal at the focus adjusting position with the light receiving element.
19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein
the controller determines the focus adjusting position such that the range of the image plane where the image is enabled to be produced includes the shift amounts.
20. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein
the detector detects the shift amounts of the image plane by the optical system based on the light receiving signal.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process for coating solid particles comprising the steps of
a) contacting a gas with a fluid composition comprising i) from 0.01 to 30 weight percent of a polymer, ii) from 99.99 to 70 percent of a liquid diluent, based on the total weight of the polymer i) and the liquid diluent ii), to produce a foam, and
b) contacting the produced foam with solid particles and agitating the particles to provide a coating on the solid particles,
wherein the solid particles comprise a drug or the fluid composition comprises a drug or the solid particles and the fluid composition comprise a drug,
wherein the polymer i) has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000 and is one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, polyalkylene oxides, homo- and copolymers of vinyl alcohol, and homo- and copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone,
wherein the liquid diluent is a monofunctional alcohol, alkene, alkane, halogenated alkene, halogenated alkane, ether, ester, a paraffin oil, an animal oil, a vegetable oil, or water, and
wherein the amount of other additives, if present, is up to 25 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the fluid composition.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the solid particles have an average diameter of from 1 to 25 mm.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein tablets, granules, pellets, caplets, capsules, lozenges, suppositories, pessaries or implantable dosage forms are coated.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein the fluid composition comprises from 0.1 to 20 weight percent of the polymer i) and from 99.9 to 80 percent of the liquid diluent ii), based on the total weight of the polymer i) and the liquid diluent ii).
5. The process of claim 3 wherein the polymer i) is a C1\u2013C3-alkyl cellulose, a C1\u2013C3-alkyl hydroxy-C1-3alkyl cellulose or a hydroxy-C1-3-alkyl cellulose or a homo- or copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone or polyethylene oxide.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluid composition comprises from 0.01 to 20 weight percent of the polymer i) and from 99.9 to 80 percent of the liquid diluent ii), based on the polymer i) and the liquid diluent ii).
7. The process of claim 6 wherein the polymer i) is a C1\u2013C3-alkyl cellulose, a C1\u2013C3-alkyl hydroxy C1-3-alkyl cellulose or a hydroxy-C1-3-alkyl cellulose or a homo- or copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone or polyethylene oxide.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the polymer i) is a methyl cellulose with a methyl molar substitution DSmethoxyl of from 0.05 to 3.0 or a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with a DSmethoxyl of from 0.5 to 3.0 or a MDhydroxypropyxyl of from 0.05 to 2.0.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein the foam is a water-based air foam.
10. The process of claim 7 wherein the foam is a water-based air foam.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein the polymer i) is a C1\u2013C3-alkyl cellulose, a C1\u2013C3-alkyl hydroxy-C1-3-alkyl cellulose or a hydroxy-C1-3-alkyl cellulose or a homo- or copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone or polyethylene oxide.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein the polymer i) is methyl cellulose with a methyl molar substitution DSmethoxyl of from 0.5 to 3.0 and a MShydroxpropyxyl of from 0.05 to 2.0.
13. The process of claim 1 wherein the fluid composition and the foam do not comprise a surfactant other than the polymer i).
14. The process of claim 1 wherein the foam is a water-based air foam.
15. The process of claim 1 wherein agitation of the particles in step b) is started before the foam is added to the particles and is continued during the foam addition.
16. The process of claim 1 wherein in step b) foam is added to continuously agitated solid particles.
17. A process for coating solid particles comprising the steps of
a) contacting a gas with a fluid composition comprising i) from 0.01 to 30 weight percent of a polymer, ii) from 99.9 to 70 percent of a liquid diluent, based on the total weight of the polymer i) and the liquid diluent ii), to produce a foam, and
b) contacting the produced foam with solid particles and agitating the particles to provide a coating on the solid particles,
wherein the solid particles comprise a drug or the fluid composition comprises a drug or the solid particles and the fluid composition comprise a drug,
wherein the polymer i) has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000 and is a cellulose ether or a cellulose ester and
wherein the amount of other additives, if present, is up to 25 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the fluid composition.