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US 6,407,858 B1Granted
Focusing of microscopes and reading of microarrays
AssigneeGenetic Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJean I. Montagu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeGenetic Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJean I. Montagu
Estimating the term…
Microscopes, including viewing and other microscopic systems, employ a hinged, tiltable plate to adjust focus on a flat object such as a microscope slide or biochip by motion, achieved by tilting, which is substantially normal to the focus point on the plane of the object. By employing two such tiltable arrangements, relatively long scan lines of e.g., flying objective, single pixel on-axis scanning can be accommodated. The tilting support plate is specifically constructed to provide tailored locations for different objects in series along the Y axis of the plate. The plate can accommodate heaters and cooled plates and/or the flat object being examined. In a fluorescence scanning microscope, locations are specifically adapted to receive microscope slides and biochip cartridges such as Affymetrix's “Gene Chip®”. A scanning microscope under computer control, employing such a focusing action, enables unattended scanning of biochips with a simple and economical instrument. Also shown are flexure-mounting of a support plate to define the hinge axis, techniques for automatically determining position and focus, and a rotatably oscillating flying micro-objective scanner combined with the tilting plane focus system. Construction and control techniques are shown that realize simple and accurate focusing. Methods of examination of biological materials are disclosed. Simple and efficient focused scanning with a flying micro-objective of ordered arrays of nucleotides and nucleic acid fragments carried upon a microscope slide or other substrate is disclosed. Quantified fluorescence imaging is economically achieved by combined use of the described scanning and focusing arrangement and use of simple and accurate calibration modules respectively for example for Affymetrix's “Gene Chip” microarray modules and for microscope slides.
A microscope having an objective lens with a restricted field of view about an optical axis for examination or treatment of a portion of an object lying at the optical axis, including a tiltable focusing member defining a support plane for the object, the focusing member being mounted to rotate about a pre-established hinge axis to position said portion of the object at the focal plane of the microscope, the hinge axis lying in a plane substantially normal to the optical axis at a distance spaced therefrom sufficient that rotation of the portion of the object at the optical axis sufficiently approximates translation along the optical axis to enable focusing, a drive mechanism for rotating the focusing member about the hinge axis effective to bring into focus said portion of the object, a mechanism for rotating the plane about an axis orthogonal to the optical axis and the hinge axis so that the object can be scanned on a line substantially in a direction parallel to the hinge axis, and a laterally movable carrier mounted on the tiltable focusing member, the carrier being arranged to advance the object relative to the optical axis.
A scanning microscope having an objective lens with a restricted field of view about an optical axis for examination of a portion of an object lying at the optical axis, including
A method of microscopic examination comprising providing a microscope having an objective lens with a restricted field of view about an optical axis for examination of a portion of an object lying at the optical axis, the microscope including a tiltable focusing member defining a support plane for the object, the focusing member being mounted to rotate about a preestablished hinge axis to position said portion of the object at the focal plane of the microscope, the hinge axis lying in a plane substantially normal to the optical axis at a distance spaced therefrom sufficient that rotation of the portion of the object sufficiently approximates translation along the optical axis to enable focusing, a drive mechanism for rotating the member about the hinge axis effective to bring into focus said portion of the object, and a mechanism for rotating the plane about an axis orthogonal to the optical axis and the hinge axis, enabling the object to be scanned substantially in a direction parallel to the hinge axis, advancing the scanned object by a laterally movable carrier located above said tiltable focusing member, and under control of an automated control system, moving the movable member to bring the portion of the object into the plane of focus of the microscope.
A scanning microscope system including a translation and focusing device, comprising:
A scanning microscope system including a translation and focusing device, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.