Operating system for uniplanar translation of micromanipulator instruments

Abstract

In micromanipulator apparatus having fine instrument mechanism translation drivers movable along three axes within a defined space, an operating system directing uniplanar movement of the translation drivers. The system is realized in operating apparatus including a mouse as an operational data input device which, via an analogue movement thereof generating drive data, directs a correspondingly mapped uniplanar movement of the fine instrument translation drivers concerning two of the three axes, in an actual selection from a repeating sequence of dual combinations via a click button of the mouse. A controller, accordingly responsive to the drive and axes selection data input from the mouse, commands, via output to the translation drivers, movement in a plane through the two axes actually in selection. Thus operational movement and data input via the mouse effect constantly uniplanar translation of the fine instrument mechanisms, the plane of translation being continuously switchable among three planes of movement. Stable operative control of complicated micromanipulator movements, especially in micrometer increments, is furthermore enabled to be single-handed, such that two micromanipulating fine instrument mechanisms can be operated by an operator using both hands to handle the pair of corresponding mouse devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.