Focusing of microscopes and reading of microarrays
US6407858B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 9, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 18, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 9, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2035/1037
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Microscopes, including viewing and other microscopic systems, employ a hinged, tiltable plate to adjust focus on a flat object such as a microscope slide or biochip by motion, achieved by tilting, which is substantially normal to the focus point on the plane of the object. By employing two such tiltable arrangements, relatively long scan lines of e.g., flying objective, single pixel on-axis scanning can be accommodated. The tilting support plate is specifically constructed to provide tailored locations for different objects in series along the Y axis of the plate. The plate can accommodate heaters and cooled plates and/or the flat object being examined. In a fluorescence scanning microscope, locations are specifically adapted to receive microscope slides and biochip cartridges such as Affymetrix's “Gene Chip®”. A scanning microscope under computer control, employing such a focusing action, enables unattended scanning of biochips with a simple and economical instrument. Also shown are flexure-mounting of a support plate to define the hinge axis, techniques for automatically determining position and focus, and a rotatably oscillating flying micro-objective scanner com…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.