Patent · US Active

Beam alignment in spectroscopic microscopes

US7460229B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 13, 2006
Grant dateDec 2, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02B7/003
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A spectroscopic microscope includes a laser or other light source which emits light from the entrance aperture of its spectrograph, and also includes a light sensor situated on the microscope sample stage upon which a specimen is to be situated for microscopic/spectrometric analysis. The sample stage is positioned such that the signal from the light sensor is maximized, thereby indicating good alignment between the sample stage and spectrograph. Additionally, the microscope sample stage bears a light source which can emit light to be detected by a light sensor situated at the vantage point of a user/viewer utilizing the microscope, and such a light sensor can simply take the form of a video camera or other image recordation unit associated with the microscope. The sample stage can also be positioned to optimize the signal at the light sensor to signify good alignment between the sample stage and the microscope.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.