High throughput optical scanner

Patent · Sun Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2000

OSTI ID:873606

Basiji, David A ^[1]; van den Engh, Gerrit J ^[1]

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1. Seattle, WA

A scanning apparatus is provided to obtain automated, rapid and sensitive scanning of substrate fluorescence, optical density or phosphorescence. The scanner uses a constant path length optical train, which enables the combination of a moving beam for high speed scanning with phase-sensitive detection for noise reduction, comprising a light source, a scanning mirror to receive light from the light source and sweep it across a steering mirror, a steering mirror to receive light from the scanning mirror and reflect it to the substrate, whereby it is swept across the substrate along a scan arc, and a photodetector to receive emitted or scattered light from the substrate, wherein the optical path length from the light source to the photodetector is substantially constant throughout the sweep across the substrate. The optical train can further include a waveguide or mirror to collect emitted or scattered light from the substrate and direct it to the photodetector. For phase-sensitive detection the light source is intensity modulated and the detector is connected to phase-sensitive detection electronics. A scanner using a substrate translator is also provided. For two dimensional imaging the substrate is translated in one dimension while the scanning mirror scans the beam in a second dimension. For a high throughput scanner, stacks of substrates are loaded onto a conveyor belt from a tray feeder.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA
• Assignee: University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
• Patent Number(s): US 6201628
• OSTI ID: 873606
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/359/250/356/
apparatus
automated
beam
belt
collect
combination
comprising
connected
constant
conveyor
conveyor belt
density
detection
detector
dimension
dimensional
dimensional imaging
direct
electronics
emitted
enables
feeder
fluorescence
imaging
intensity
intensity modulated
length
light
light source
loaded
mirror
modulated
moving
noise
noise reduction
obtain
optical
optical density
optical path
optical scanner
optical train
path
path length
phase-sensitive
phase-sensitive detection
phosphorescence
photodetector
provided
rapid
receive
receive light
reduction
reflect
scan
scanner
scanning
scanning apparatus
scanning mirror
scans
scattered
scattered light
sensitive
sensitive detection
source
speed
stacks
steering
steering mirror
substantially
substantially constant
substrate
substrates
sweep
swept
throughout
throughput
train
translated
translator
tray
waveguide
whereby