Claims
- 1. An apparatus for examining and inspecting at least one sample, in order to determine characteristics of the sample, the apparatus comprising:
a support for receiving a compact disc, the compact disc having deposited on a surface thereof at least one sample; inspection means for effecting a physical change in at least one sample, the inspection means positioned for registration with the surface of the compact disc bearing at least one sample; and a traversal mechanism adapted for reciprocating movement, to move the sample in and out of the path of the inspection means.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the traversal mechanism is a driver having a rotatable drive mechanism that rotates the compact disc.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the traversal mechanism effectuates positional change between the sample and the compact disc in the radial direction.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the traversal mechanism effectuates positional change between the sample and the compact disc in the radial direction.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inspection means is selected from the group consisting of a laser source, an ion source, and a source of visible light, a source of infrared radiation, and a source of ultraviolet radiation.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the traversal mechanism is a driver having a rotatable drive mechanism that rotates the compact disc.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the traversal mechanism effectuates positional change between the sample and the compact disc in the radial direction.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the traversal mechanism effectuates positional change between the sample and the compact disc in the radial direction.
- 9. An analytical device incorporating the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analytical device is selected from the group consisting of a mass spectrometers, UV spectrometers, fluorescence detectors, an infrared spectrometers, visible light spectrometers, RAMAN spectrometers, surface plasma resonators, and atomic force microscopes.
- 10. A mass spectrometer incorporating the apparatus of claim 1 further comprised of an analyzer selected from the group consisting of quadrupole, time of flight (TOF), quadrupole TOF, quadrupole-quadrupole TOF (Qq TOF), triple quadrupole TOF, magnetic sector, and ion trap mass analyzers.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprised of a scanning assembly that includes a plurality of ion guide rods fixed in a positioning guide, the ion guide rods defining an inlet at a first end proximate to the compact disc, an outlet at a second end proximate to an entrance to the analytical device, the positioning guide further having a lens situated within the positioning guide for allowing the passage of laser energy through the positioning guide.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the positioning guide is fixed in place.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the positioning guide is movable in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the positioning guide is movable in the X direction and the Y direction.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the positioning guide, ion guide rods, and analytical device are movable in concert in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the ion guide rods are constructed of a flexible material and the positioning guide and the first end of the ion guide rods are movable in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16 the second end of ion guide rods are fixed in place.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the ion guide rods are constructed of a flexible material and the positioning guide and the first end of the ion guide rods are movable in the X direction and the Y direction.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 16 the second end of ion guide rods are fixed in place.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein digital information associated with the at least one sample is positioned on the disc.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inspection means is further capable of examining and inspecting information stored on the surface of the compact disc.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the information is stored on the surface of the compact disc on which the sample is stored.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprised of a second inspection means for examining and inspecting information stored on a surface of the compact disc that is opposite the surface on which the sample is stored.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the inspection means is selected from the group consisting of a laser source, an ion source, and a source of fluorescent light, a source of infrared radiation, a source of ultraviolet radiation, and a source of surface plasma resonance.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the information stored on the disc relates to sample identity.
- 26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the information stored on the disc relates to movement of the disc.
- 27. An analytical device for determining the properties of at least one sample of material, the analytical device comprising:
a base, a substrate adapted to be rotatably received by said base, said substrate having deposited thereon at least one sample of the material to be analyzed, an inspection means for effecting a physical change in the at least one sample, the inspection means movably associated with said base, a translation system adapted to effect a change in position between the inspection means and the substrate, causing the inspection means to register with the at least one sample on said substrate, at a predetermined location on said substrate.
- 28. The analytical device of claim 27, wherein the analytical device is selected from the group consisting of a mass spectrometer, UV spectrometer, a fluorescence detector, an infrared spectrometer, a UV spectrometer, a UV-visible spectrometer, a RAMAN spectrometer, a surface plasma resonator, and an atomic force microscope.
- 29. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the inspection means is selected from the group consisting of a laser source, an ion source, and a source of fluorescent light, a source of infrared radiation, a source of ultraviolet radiation, and a source of surface plasma resonance.
- 30. The analytical device of claim 27 further comprised of a scanning assembly that includes a plurality of ion guide rods fixed in a positioning guide, the ion guide rods defining an inlet at a first end proximate the compact disc, an outlet at a second end proximate an entrance to the analytical device, the positioning guide further having a lens situated within the positioning guide for allowing the passage of laser energy through the positioning guide.
- 31. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the positioning guide is fixed in place.
- 32. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the positioning guide is movable in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 33. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the positioning guide is movable in the X direction and the Y direction.
- 34. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the positioning guide, ion guide rods, and analytical device are movable in concert in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 35. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the ion guide rods are constructed of a flexible material and the positioning guide and the first end of the ion guide rods are movable in at least one of an X direction and a Y direction.
- 36. The analytical device of claim 35 wherein the second end of the ion guide rods are fixed in place.
- 37. The analytical device of claim 36 wherein the ion guide rods are constructed of a flexible material and the positioning guide and the first end of the ion guide rods are movable in the X direction and the Y direction.
- 38. The analytical device of claim 37 wherein the second end of the ion guide rods are fixed in place.
- 39. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein digital information is associated with the at least one sample is positioned on the disc.
- 40. The analytical device of claim 22 wherein the inspection means is further capable of examining and inspecting the information stored on the compact disc.
- 41. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the information is stored on the surface of the compact disc on which the sample is stored.
- 42. The analytical device of claim 27 further comprised of a second inspection means for examining and inspecting information stored on a surface of the compact disc that is opposite the surface on which the sample is stored.
- 43. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the inspection means is selected from the group consisting of a laser source, an ion source, and a source of fluorescent light, a source of infrared radiation, a source of ultraviolet radiation, and a source of surface plasma resonance.
- 44. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the information stored on the disc relates to sample identity.
- 45. The analytical device of claim 27 wherein the information stored on the disc relates to movement of the disc.
- 46. A method of carrying out an inspection of a sample of a material comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate, depositing at least one sample of a material to be analyzed onto the substrate, inspecting the sample inspection means for effecting a physical change in at least one sample, probing the sample with inspection means to effect a physical change in the sample; creating motion between the inspection means and the at least one sample by moving one of the substrate or inspection means.
- 47. The method of claim 46 wherein the inspection means is selected from the group consisting of a laser source, an ion source, and a source of fluorescent light, a source of infrared radiation, a source of ultraviolet radiation, and a source of surface plasmon resonance.
- 48. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the compact disc is provided with a clear polycarbonate surface, and a coating of a metallization layer over a data layer within the compact disc.
GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT
[0001] The research leading to the present invention was supported, at least in part, by NIH Grant No. RR 00862. Accordingly, the Government may have certain rights in the invention.