Operation of a Cartesian robotic system in a compact microscope imaging system with intelligent controls

US7106502B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventor

• Mark McDowell · Fond du Lac, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 2005
• Grant date: Sep 12, 2006
• Expiry date: May 13, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B21/367
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A Microscope Imaging System (CMIS) with intelligent controls is disclosed that provides techniques for scanning, identifying, detecting and tracking microscopic changes in selected characteristics or features of various surfaces including, but not limited to, cells, spheres, and manufactured products subject to difficult-to-see imperfections. The practice of the present invention provides applications that include colloidal hard spheres experiments, biological cell detection for patch clamping, cell movement and tracking, as well as defect identification in products, such as semiconductor devices, where surface damage can be significant, but difficult to detect. The CMIS system is a machine vision system, which combines intelligent image processing with remote control capabilities and provides the ability to auto-focus on a microscope sample, automatically scan an image, and perform machine vision analysis on multiple samples simultaneously.