Combined hardware and software instrument simulator for use as a teaching aid

• US 7,917,349 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FEI Company (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sanford, Colin August, Berger, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHAMBHAVI K
• Application Number:
  US11/454,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20070020605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,746 Days
• Field of Search: 703/22, 703/6, 703/11, 702/84, 709/220, 382/100, 382/128, 382/133
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/00 Models for purposes not provided for in G09B23/00, e.g. full-sized devices for demonstration purposes model vehicles, tracks therefor, models in the nature of toys A63H
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/2813 characterised by the application

Abstract

An improved simulator for an analytical instrument that provides the student with an experience similar to that of operating the actual instrument. In one preferred embodiment, the invention combines real functionality and simulated functionality where at least one function of the analytical instrument is real. In another preferred embodiment, the invention combines a functional first instrument along with a simulation of a second instrument, the simulation including both hardware with limited functionality and software that simulates the output of a functional instrument to create a teaching aid for use in classrooms and teaching laboratories.

Claims

1. An analytical instrument simulator comprising:

a functional first instrument of a first analytical instrument type capable of producing images of a specimen physically loaded into the first instrument, the images being displayed for viewing by an operator

a simulated instrument including hardware simulating an analytical instrument of a second analytical instrument type into which the specimen can also be physically loaded, the simulated instrument including user controls which correspond to those of a functional instrument of the second instrument type which is being simulated, and the simulated instrument being less than fully function and not capable of analyzing a specimen to produce the data output that would be produced by a functional instrument of the second analytical instrument type; and

a computer operably connected to both the first instrument and the simulated instrument and programmed to;

display images of the specimen generated by the first instrument,

display simulated data output corresponding to output from a functional instrument of the second instrument type for a sample of the same type as the specimen imaged by the first instrument, and

manipulate the simulated data output in accordance with input from the user controls for the simulated instrument in substantially the same manner that data output produced by a fully functional instrument of the second instrument type would be manipulated by corresponding input from the user controls for the functional instrument of the second instrument type.

2. The simulator of claim 1 in which the first instrument type comprises an optical microscope and the second instrument type comprises an electron microscope.

3. The simulator of claim 1 in which the simulated data output comprises simulated images of a sample of the same type as the specimen.

4. The simulator of claim 3 in which the simulated images comprise stored images of a sample of the same type as the specimen previously produced by a functional instrument of the type being simulated.

5. The simulator of claim 1 in which the simulated data output comprises output created entirely by the computer.

6. The simulator of claim 4 wherein manipulating the simulated images comprises changing the images to simulate a change in stage position, magnification, focus, or stigmation.

7. The simulator of claim 4 wherein manipulating the simulated images comprises changing the brightness or contrast of the displayed simulated images.

8. The simulator of claim 7 wherein manipulating the simulated images comprises a series of image processing steps which change the appearance of the displayed image, said image processing steps being reversible, independent of the sequence in which they are applied, so that the original simulated image can be restored after said image processing steps are applied.

9. The simulator of claim 1 further comprising metrology software for determining at least one dimension of a feature of a sample of the same type as the specimen from the simulated data output.

10. The simulator of claim 1 in which the first instrument and the simulated instrument are contained within a common housing.

25. The simulator of claim 1 in which a specimen is loaded into the first instrument by loading the specimen into a specimen container and moving the specimen container to a position where the specimen can be imaged by the first instrument and in which specimen container can then be moved to a position relative to the simulated instrument corresponding to the position where the specimen could be analyzed by a functional instrument of the second instrument type.

11. An education aid for teaching student about the operation of an instrument, the aid comprising:

a first instrument functional to form an image of a specimen physically loaded into the first instrument, the first instrument being of a first instrument type, the images being displayed for viewing by an operator;

a second instrument of a second instrument type into which the same specimen can also by physically loaded, the second instrument including hardware simulating an analytical instrument of a second analytical instrument type and including user controls which correspond to those of a functional instrument of the second instrument type which is being simulated, wherein the second instrument is not fully functional and is not capable of analyzing a specimen to produce the data output that would be produced by a functional instrument of the second analytical instrument type;

a computer-accessible memory storing images from a functional instrument of the second type;

a computer operably connected to both the first instrument and the simulated instrument and programmed to;

display images generated by the first instrument,

display at least some of the stored images from the functional instrument of the second type, and

manipulate the images from the fully functional instrument of the second instrument type in accordance with input from the user controls on the second instrument to provide the user with a simulation of a fully functional instrument of the second type.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the first type of instrument comprises an optical microscope and the second type of instrument comprises an electron microscope.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which:

instruments of the second type are characterized by multiple operating parameters that affect the image produced;

input from user controls on instruments of the second type alters the operating parameters; and

the computer program alters the image in accordance with the changes in the user controls on the second instrument, the image alteration simulating the manner in which user controls would alter an image on a functional instrument of the second type.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which a user adjustment of a user control controlling a first operating parameter causes the computer program to alter the image to simulate a change in the first and in a second operating parameter, requiring the user to adjust a second user control to achieve a clear simulation image.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the first type of instrument comprises an electron microscope and the second type of instrument performs X-ray analyses.

16. A method of teaching students to operate an instrument, comprising:

providing a functional first instrument of a first analytical instrument type capable of producing images of a specimen physically loaded into the first instrument, the images being displayed for viewing by an operator;

providing a second instrument including hardware simulating an analytical instrument of a second analytical instrument type into which the same specimen can also be physically loaded, the second instrument including user controls which correspond to those of a functional instrument of the second instrument type which is being simulated, wherein the second instrument is not fully functional and is not capable of analyzing a specimen to produce the data output that would be produced by a functional instrument of the second analytical instrument type;

loading a physical specimen into the first instrument and obtaining an image of the specimen;

loading a the physical specimen into the hardware simulating an analytical instrument;

generating computer simulated data output for the simulated analytical instrument for a sample of the same type as the specimen, the simulated data output corresponding to data output that would be produced by a fully functional instrument of the second analytical instrument type for a sample of the same type as the specimen, and displaying the simulated output on a computer display screen, the simulated output being responsive to operation of the user controls for the hardware.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a functional instrument of a different type than the analytical instrument being simulated;

and

displaying an image of the specimen produced by the functional instrument on a computer display screen.

18. The method of claim 17 in which the functional instrument is an optical microscope and the simulated instrument is an electron microscope.

19. The method of claim 17 in which the output of the simulated instrument and the image produced by the functional instrument are magnified images and in which the magnification capability of the functional instrument and the magnification of the simulated output of the simulated instrument overlap.

20. A system for simulating the operation of a sample imaging instrument, the system comprising:

a simulator comprising hardware into which a sample can be physically loaded, the simulator being incapable of imaging the sample, said simulator having user-operated controls which correspond to those of the sample imaging instrument being simulated;

a computer-accessible memory storing data output from a fully functional sample imaging instrument of the type being simulated;

a computer programmed to;

once a sample has been physically loaded into the simulator, display at least some of the stored data output on a computer display screen, the displayed output corresponding to output from a fully functional sample imaging instrument of the type being simulated for a sample of the same type as the loaded sample

alter the displayed data output from the fully functional sample imaging instrument in accordance with input from the user-operated controls for the simulator in substantially the same manner that displayed data output produced by a fully functional sample imaging instrument of the type being simulated would be altered by corresponding input from the user-operated controls for the fully functional instrument.

21. The system of claim 20 in which the simulator has at least one functional feature in common with the functional sample imaging instrument of the type being simulated.

22. The system of claim 21 in which the at least one functional feature in common with the functional sample imaging instrument comprises a sample loader for holding a sample and loading it into the simulator in the same manner that a sample is loaded into the functional sample imaging instrument.

23. The system of claim 20 in which the sample imaging instrument being simulated is an electron microscope.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising a fully functional sample imaging instrument of a different type than the sample imaging instrument being simulated, said fully functional sample imaging instrument being capable of imaging the loaded sample and said image being displayed on a computer display screen.