Simultaneous pattern-scan placement during sample processing
AssigneeElectro Scientific Industries, Inc.
InventorsCiaran O'Connor, Erik Larsen, Leif Summerfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser ablation system, and method, facilitates the execution of user-defined scans (i.e., in which a laser beam is scanned across a sample along a beam trajectory to ablate or dissociate a portion of the sample) and enables the user define additional scans while a scan is being executed.
Claims20
A method for use with a laser ablation system having a sample chamber accommodating a sample within an interior thereof, a laser configured to generate a laser beam having parameters suitable for ablating or otherwise dissociating a portion of the sample within the sample chamber, and at least one scanning component configured to impart relative movement between the sample and the laser beam, the method comprising:
- processing image data, representative of obtained imagery of the sample, to generate location data, the location data associating at least one location within the obtained imagery with at least one corresponding spatial location within the interior of the sample chamber;
- controlling an operation of at least one selected from the group consisting of the laser and the at least one scanning component to execute a first scan in a first region-of-interest of the sample where the sample is to be ablated or otherwise dissociated by the laser beam;
- and
- while controlling an operation of at least one of the laser and the motion stage to execute the first scan, generating and storing scan data defining a second scan to be executed in a second region-of-interest of the sample where the sample is to be ablated or otherwise dissociated by the laser beam.
A laser ablation system, comprising:
- a sample chamber having an interior within which a sample can be accommodated;
- a laser configured to generate a laser beam, wherein the laser beam has parameters suitable for ablating or otherwise dissociating a portion of the sample accommodated within the interior of the sample chamber;
- at least one scanning component configured to impart relative movement between the sample and the laser beam;
- a user interface configured to display imagery of the sample and enable a user to indicate, based on the displayed imagery, a first region-of-interest of the of the sample where the sample is to be ablated or otherwise dissociated by the laser beam;
- a processor configured to execute instructions to control an operation of at least one of the laser and the at least one scanning component to execute a first scan in the first region-of-interest of the sample and, while executing the first scan, enable a user to indicate, based on the displayed imagery, a second region-of-interest of the of the sample where the sample is to be ablated or otherwise dissociated by the laser beam;
- and
- memory communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store the instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.