Automated Microdissection Instrument

A method for automatically determining the location of a laser beam projection on a worksurface area of a laser microdissection instrument that is operatively coupled to a microprocessing device and a digital image acquisition system containing a digital image sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

• emitting the laser beam at an intensity at a level sufficient to be detected by the digital image sensor;
• detecting the light intensity of the laser beam by the digital image sensor;
• determining the pixel location of the increased light intensity on the digital image sensor;
• converting the pixel location of the increased light intensity on the digital image sensor to a coordinate location corresponding to the worksurface area;
• and
• assigning the coordinate location to the location of the laser beam.

A method for optimizing the focus of a laser beam in a laser microdissection instrument comprising the steps of:

• providing a laser microdissection instrument having a worksurface;
• providing a first laser source and laser focusing lens on a first side of the worksurface;
• providing an objective lens and image acquisition system on a second side of the worksurface;
• providing a sample on the worksurface;
• focusing the objective lens on the sample for a clear image of the sample acquired by the image acquisition system;
• activating the first laser source to emit a laser beam directed at the sample;
• focusing the laser beam from the first laser source by moving the laser focusing lens;
• re-focusing the objective lens at least once on the sample by moving the objective lens a distance;
• keeping the first laser source at the desired focus by moving the focusing lens by substantially the same distance that the objective lens was moved when re-focused.

A method for laser microdissection instrument comprising the steps of:

• providing a first substrate having a transfer film attached;
• providing a second substrate having biological material;
• introducing the second substrate with the biological material into the laser microdissection instrument;
• identifying at least one targeted portion of biological material on the second substrate;
• bringing the first substrate into juxtaposition with the second substrate on the side of the biological material in the location of the at least one targeted portion of biological material;
• providing a first laser source;
• activating the first laser source to activate at least one region of the transfer film to adhere at least one portion of biological material to the transfer film;
• transferring at least one portion of biological material from the second substrate to the transfer film and first substrate;
• and
• recording at least one tracking information associated with the first substrate.