Device for moving a selected station of a holding plate to a predetermined location for interaction with a probe
First Claim
1. A device for manipulating samples at respective stations of a holding plate, said stations having a station entrance on a first planar surface of said holding plate, said device comprising:
- a base;
a probe mounted on said base, said probe having a probe tip for reciprocative movement along a z-axis to interact with said station entrances on said first planar surface of said holding plate;
a stage mounted on said base for supporting said holding plate;
a motor for moving said stage in a first coordinate plane (mxy) orthogonal to said z-axis;
a detection means for locating said z-axis and said station entrances on said first planar surface of said holding plate in a second coordinate plane (pxy); and
a computer means for corresponding said first coordinate plane with said second coordinate plane, said computer means being coupled with said motor to align said stage with said probe for movement of said probe to a selected station entrance of said holding plate for manipulating a sample at said selected station.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for positioning the tip of an elongated probe at a selected station of a holding plate includes motors to move the holding plate and a supporting stage within a coordinate plane (mxy). The elongated probe is also moveable along a probe axis that is oriented normal to the coordinate plane (mxy). A camera creates a pixel image of an optical marker placed on the stage. The image defines a coordinate plane (pxy). To relate the coordinate plane (pxy) to the coordinate plane (mxy), the optical marker is moved to successive locations in the mxy plane and a pixel image is obtained at each location. Using the pixel images, a computer calculates the relationship between coordinate planes and uses the relationship to signal the motors to move the holding plate in the mxy plane and position the selected station on the probe axis for interaction with the probe.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for manipulating samples at respective stations of a holding plate, said stations having a station entrance on a first planar surface of said holding plate, said device comprising:
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a base;
a probe mounted on said base, said probe having a probe tip for reciprocative movement along a z-axis to interact with said station entrances on said first planar surface of said holding plate;
a stage mounted on said base for supporting said holding plate;
a motor for moving said stage in a first coordinate plane (mxy) orthogonal to said z-axis;
a detection means for locating said z-axis and said station entrances on said first planar surface of said holding plate in a second coordinate plane (pxy); and
a computer means for corresponding said first coordinate plane with said second coordinate plane, said computer means being coupled with said motor to align said stage with said probe for movement of said probe to a selected station entrance of said holding plate for manipulating a sample at said selected station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A device for manipulating samples at respective stations of a holding plate, said device comprising:
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a motorized means for moving said holding plate in a first coordinate plane (mxy);
a probe having a probe tip;
means for reciprocating said probe tip along a z-axis orthogonal to said first coordinate plane (mxy) to interact with a first surface of said holding plate;
a detection means for imaging said first surface of said holding plate and said z-axis in a second coordinate plane (pxy); and
a computer means for corresponding said first coordinate plane with said second coordinate plane to control the movement of said holding plate by said motorized moving means to position a selected said sample along said z-axis for manipulation of said selected sample by said probe. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for manipulating a sample at a selected station of a holding plate, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a probe having a probe tip;
positioning said holding plate for movement in a first coordinate plane (mxy);
imaging a first surface of said holding plate in a second coordinate plane (pxy);
establishing a relationship between said first coordinate plane (mxy) and said second coordinate plane (pxy);
using said relationship to move said holding plate in said first coordinate plane (mxy) to position said selected sample at a predetermined location in said first coordinate plane;
reciprocating said probe tip along an axis orthogonal to said first coordinate plane (mxy) to interact with said selected sample from said first surface of said holding plate; and
manipulating said sample using said probe. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification