Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
  • H01J49/00—Particle spectrometers or separator tubes
  • H01J49/02—Details
  • H01J49/04—Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or ion-optical components
  • H01J49/0459—Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or ion-optical components for solid samples

Definitions

• the method of the invention includes the steps carried out by the system of the invention.
• steps include the generating of a signal with the distance-measuring means which corresponds to the actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface and determining the actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface from the signal generated by the distance- generating means.
• the actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface is compared to the target distance, and movement of the surface and the laser sensor toward or away from one another is initiated when the difference between the actual distance between the laser sensor and the surface and the target distance is outside of a predetermined range so that by moving the surface and the laser sensor toward or away from one another, the actual distance approaches the desired target distance.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the system 20 within with features of the present invention are incorporated .
• Fig. 4a is a view illustrating schematically an exemplary positional relationship between the laser sensor, the sample collection instrument and the surface of the Fig. 1 system seen generally from the front.
• Fig. 5c is a view similar to that of Fig. 5a except that the components are positioned in another non- optimal relationship for sample collecting purposes.
• the support plate 27 is, in turn, supportedly mounted upon the movable support arm 36 of an XYZ stage 28 (Fig. 1), for movement of the support plate 27, and the surface 22 supported thereby, along the indicated X, Y and Z coordinate directions.
• the XYZ stage 28 is appropriately wired to a joystick control unit 29 which is, in turn, connected to a first control computer 30 for receiving command signals therefrom so that during a sampling process performed with the system 20, samples can be taken from any desired spot (i.e. any desired X-Y coordinate location) along the surface 22 or along any desired lane (i.e. along an X or Y-coordinate path) across the surface 22 as the surface 22 is moved within the X-Y plane beneath the collection tube tip 26.
• the system 20 automates the formulation of real-time re-optimization of the sample collection instrument-to-surface distance using distance measurements obtained with a laser sensor 42.
• the distance measurement analysis includes the periodic measurement of the actual distance between the laser sensor 42 and the surface 22 followed by a comparison of each of the measured actual laser sensor-to-surface distances to a target laser sensor- to-surface distance.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
• Sampling And Sample Adjustment (AREA)
• Electron Tubes For Measurement (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=41327314

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2008
  • 2008-07-02 US US12/217,225 patent/US8117929B2/en active Active
• 2009
  • 2009-06-02 JP JP2011516271A patent/JP5710473B2/ja active Active
  • 2009-06-02 CA CA2729701A patent/CA2729701C/en active Active
  • 2009-06-02 WO PCT/US2009/003347 patent/WO2010002427A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-06-02 EP EP09773880.1A patent/EP2304766B1/en active Active

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