# US 12,179,219 B2 · Method and apparatus for controlling a focus point of a stationary beam focusing on a sample in a rotating cartridge placed in a rotating disc > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,219 B2 - Document ID: US12179219B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/313,639 - Filed: 2023-05-08 - Published: 2023-08-31 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-09 - Assignees: SpinChip Diagnostics AS - Applicants: SpinChip Diagnostics AS - Inventors: Ole Christian Tronrud; Rolf Jahren; Sebastian Stenmark; Stig Morten Borch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179219B2 ## CPC - B04B 13/00: Control arrangements specially designed for centrifuges; Program control of centrifuges (control arrangements for feed, charge or discharge B04B11/00) - B01L 3/502715: {characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces} - B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids} - B04B 5/02: Centrifuges consisting of a plurality of separate bowls rotating round an axis situated between the bowls - G01N 21/07: Centrifugal type cuvettes (G01N21/09 takes precedence) - G01N 35/00069: {whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk} - G01N 35/04: Details of the conveyor system {(G01N35/021 - G01N35/028 take precedence)} - B01L 2200/0647: Handling flowable solids, e.g. microscopic beads, cells, particles - B01L 2200/143: Quality control, feedback systems - B01L 2300/0803: Disc shape - B01L 2400/0409: centrifugal forces - G01N 2035/0491: {Position sensing, encoding; closed-loop control} - G01N 2201/06113: Coherent sources; lasers - G01N 2201/1087: Focussed scan beam, e.g. laser - B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Provided are methods and apparatuses for controlling a position of a target point on a processing result relative to a focus point of a focusing sensor system for determining properties of the processing result. The method includes the steps of determining an initial focus point of the focusing sensor system, controlling rotation of the cartridge and disc, checking whether the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the target point on the processing result, comparing (x, y) target positions in captured images with the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system, adjusting rotation of the cartridge and disc such that the focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the target point on the processing result, and detecting and examining signals received from the focusing sensor system for determining properties of the processing result. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling a position of a target point on a processing result relative to a focus point of a focusing sensor system for determining properties of the processing result, the method comprising the steps of: defining a point within a cartridge as an initial focus point of a focusing sensor system, wherein the initial focus point is a point (r, θ), where r is a fraction of the radii of the cartridge and θ is the angle between a first reference point on the cartridge and the initial focus point; controlling rotation of the cartridge and a disc such that the focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the initial focus point by determining angular positions φ and Θ to be set for the cartridge and the disc such that the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the point (r, θ) within the cartridge, wherein angle Θ of the cartridge is determined relative to the first reference point on the cartridge and angle q of the disc is determined relative to a second reference point on the disc; checking whether the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the target point on the processing result by capturing images of the processing result in the cartridge and the initial focus point within the cartridge, and comparing (x, y) target positions in captured images with the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system, and adjusting rotation of the cartridge and disc such that the focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the target point on the processing result; and iteratively detecting properties of the processing result by turning the disk and cartridge in equispaced steps from the target point such that an area of the processing result is scanned by the focus point of the focusing sensor system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein capturing images of the processing result comprises capturing images with a camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, comprising illuminating the cartridge by spread light from a spread light source for improving exposure of images captured by the camera. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, comprising positioning the spread light source below the cartridge and positioning the camera above the cartridge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the spread light source comprises an LED. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising, if the initial focus point of the focusing sensor system does not correspond to the target point of the processing result, performing incremental rotation of the cartridge and the disc until a focus point of the focusing sensor system corresponds to the target point of a processing result. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising averaging or integrating the iteratively detected properties of the processing result from the area of the processing result scanned by the focus point of the focusing sensor system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the focusing sensor system comprises a beam light source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the beam light source comprises a laser.