# US 5,886,684 A · Micromanipulator system with multi-direction control joy stick and precision control means

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- Number: US 5,886,684 A
- Document ID: US5886684A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/866,044
- Filed: 1997-05-30
- Granted: 1999-03-23
- Earliest claimed: 1994-02-15
- Assignees: Shimadzu Corporation
- Inventors: Makoto Miura; Kohji Inoue; Mitsuo Yamashita; Takahiro Kaneuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5886684A

## CPC

- G02B 21/32: Micromanipulators structurally combined with microscopes
- B25J 7/00: Micromanipulators {(specimen supports for investigating or analysing materials G01N23/2204; associated with microscopes G02B21/32; means for supporting or positioning the objects or the material in discharge tubes H01J37/20)}
- G05B 19/40: Open loop systems, e.g. using stepping motor
- G05B 2219/35438: Joystick
- G05B 2219/39002: Move tip of arm on straight line
- G05B 2219/42109: Coarse is speed loop, fine is position loop
- G05B 2219/45182: Microscope, micromanipulator for microscope
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

A micromanipulator system has a stepper motor driven at a microstep, and having a stepping angle which is subdivided in units of a predetermined reference subdivision. A micromanipulator moves an instrument by the stepper motor, and an input device inputs either a moving speed of the fine instrument or a moving position thereof. A present position calculating device calculates a present position of the stepper motor in a virtual subdivision unit which is obtained by subdividing the reference subdivision unit to a preselected subdivision number. A speed calculating device calculates a drive speed of the stepper motor based either on the moving speed or the moving position, which are entered from the input device. An output pulse setting device determines a target output pulse, and an energizing signal outputting device energizes the stepper motor in response to the target output pulse. The stepper motor is independently provided on the micromanipulator so as to move the fine instrument in a plurality of axial directions. A moving ratio calculating device calculates a ratio of moving amounts along the axial directions based upon a moving angle of the fine instrument. The input device calculates either the moving speed or the moving position along the respective axial directions based upon the ratio of moving amounts.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A micromanipulator system comprising:
a stepper motor driven at a microstep, whose stepping angle is subdivided in unit of a predetermined reference subdivision;
a micromanipulator for moving a fine instrument by said stepper motor so as to process a fine sample;
input means for inputting either a moving speed of said fine instrument, or a moving position thereof;
present position calculating means for calculating a present position of said stepper motor in a virtual subdivision unit, said virtual subdivision unit being obtained by further subdividing said reference subdivision unit into a preselected subdivision number;
speed calculating means for calculating a drive speed of said stepper motor in the virtual subdivision unit based on either the moving speed or the moving position, which are entered from said input means;
output pulse setting means for determining a target output pulse in the reference subdivision unit based on both the present position calculated by said present position calculating means and the moving speed calculated by said speed calculating means; and
energizing signal outputting means for energizing said stepper motor in response to said target output pulse,
wherein said stepper motor is independently provided on said micromanipulator so as to move said fine instrument along a plurality of axial directions, said micromanipulator system further comprises moving ratio calculating means for calculating a ratio of moving amounts along the respective axial directions based upon a moving angle of said fine instrument, and wherein said input means calculates either the moving speed, or the moving position along the respective axial directions based on said ratio of moving amounts.