Illuminator optical assembly for an analytical instrument and methods of alignment and manufacture

An illuminator optical assembly for providing a shaped, filtered beam in an analytical instrument, the assembly having a laser source having a laser beam output, a lens and a masking aperture, the assembly further comprising:

• a component mounting plate having an oversized mounting hole and having a central bore in alignment with said beam;
• a housing having a plate mounting surface and a receptacle shaped to receive removably a micrometer adjuster to contact an edge of said component mounting plate and position said plate on said mounting surface;
• and
• a locking screw operable to lock said oversized mounting hole to said mounting surface;
• wherein one of said laser source, said lens and said masking aperture is said component mounted in said central bore of said mounting plate.

A method of assembling an illuminator optical assembly having a plurality of optical components and a laser beam path for an analytical instrument comprising the steps of:

• a) mounting at least one of said plurality of components of the illuminator optical assembly on a first mounting plate, the first mounting plate having an aperture for receiving the component;
• b) coupling the first mounting plate to a plate mounting surface at a first location for relative movement therewith with the first mounting plate aperture in said laser beam path;
• c) inserting a micrometer adjuster into a hole on the first mounting plate;
• d) operating the micrometer adjuster to adjust the one component to a second location, the second location corresponding to an aligned orientation relative to the beam path;
• e) securing the first mounting plate to the plate mounting surface to fix the component at the aligned orientation;
• f) removing the micrometer adjuster from the first mounting plate;
• wherein the laser beam path is in a z axis, the method further comprising performing steps (a)-(f) to align the one optical component in an x direction;
• and
• performing steps (a)-(f) to align the one optical component in a y direction using a second hole in which a second micrometer adjuster is removably inserted and operated to shift said component in the y direction.

An illuminator optical assembly for providing a shaped, filtered beam in an analytical instrument, the assembly having a laser source having a laser beam output, a lens and a masking aperture, the assembly further comprising:

• a housing having a plate mounting surface;
• a component mounting plate having at least three oversized mounting holes and having a central bore in alignment with said beam;
• at least three locking screws respectively installed through said oversized mounting holes into at least three threaded holes in said mounting surface;
• a first micrometer adjuster removably mounted in said housing in contact with an edge of said component mounting plate for positioning said plate on said mounting surface before tightening said mounting screws;
• a first spring plunger assembly removably mounted on the housing diametrically opposite the first micrometer adjuster to provide a bias force upon the mounting plate to urge the mounting plate in contact with the micrometer adjuster to adjust the mounting plate in a first direction;
• a second micrometer adjuster and a second spring plunger mounted to the housing in diametric opposite and perpendicular to the first micrometer adjuster and first spring plunger to adjust the mounting plate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
• a plurality of spring and flat washers interposed between the locking screws and the mounting plate to ensure that the mounting plate remains in sliding contact with the plate mounting surface for alignment, the locking screws having a slightly loosened state prior to adjustment so that the spring washers maintain contact between the mounting plate and mounting surface but do not impede alignment, the screws also having a tightened state to flatten the spring washers and lock the assembly in place;
• and
• wherein one of said laser source, said lens and said masking aperture is said component mounted in said central bore of said mounting plate.