University of California

Digital Instruments

Other

Bruker Nano Gmbh

Paul K Hansma

Barney Drake

Virgil B Elings

James Massie

David A Grigg

Craig B Prater

Johannes H Kindt

Georg Fantner

Jason Paul Cleveland

Douglas J Rehn

Daniel C Bridges

Galen D Stucky

Daniel E Morse

Paul E Hillner

Connor J Randall

Patricia J Turner

William Ducker

Tilman Sch&auml;ffer

Craig Prater

Timothy J Deming

Michael Wong

Scott A Chalmers

Ami Chand

Arthur Charles Gossard

James F Thompson

John H Harreld

Kenneth Kosik

Mark A Wendman

Hal J Morrett

Albrecht L Weisenhorn

Deron A Walters

Kenneth R Tovar

Tilman E Schaffer

Manfred Radmacher

John M Moreland

Richard Sonnenfeld

Randall Connor

Jonathan Adams

Sam Alexander

Jason Lulejian

Luke S K Theogarajan

David Hale

Mario B Viani

Connor Randall

Daniel Bridges

A Neural Circuit Probe (NCP) combines a multi-electrode array (MEA) with an automated local probe, wherein the probe is positioned to interact with one or more cells, such as neurons of a neural circuit, grown on or about one or more electrodes of the multi-electrode array. The probe may interact with the cells by electrically recording signals from the multi-electrode array that are assigned to a specific one of the cells. The probe may interact with the cells by locally delivering chemicals to the cells, which transiently and reversibly modulate the electrical behavior of the cells. The probe may interact with the cells by harvesting the cells using a pipette, so that the harvested cells can be sequenced.

Neural circuit probe

The field of the invention generally relates to probes, related devices and methods for measuring material properties. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a test probe for use in a reference point indentation device. The test probe has an end proximal to a tip and an end distal to the tip. The distal end of the test probe has a self-centering mate comprising a countersink of about 90 degrees to about 100 degrees to a depth of between 0.010 in. and 0.035 in.

Self-aligning probes and related devices

The device performs reference point indentation without a reference probe. The indentation distance is measured relative to the instrument which remains substantially stationary during the impact process, which occurs on the order of one millisecond. In one embodiment, an impact motion with a peak force of order 28N creates an indentation in bone with a depth of approximately 150 &#x3bc;m during which the instrument case moves less than 1 &#x3bc;m. Thus the error in measuring indentation depth due to the motion of the case is less than 1%, making a reference probe unnecessary. Further, this 'error' is consistent and can be corrected. In one embodiment, the device measures the fracture resistance of hard tissues by actually creating microscopic fractures in the hard tissues in a measured way. It creates these microscopic fractures by impacting the sample with a sharpened probe. The indentation distance in the sample is correlated with fracture resistance.

Method and device for reference point indentation without a reference probe

Methods and instruments for assessing bone, for example fracture risk, in a subject in which a test probe is inserted through the skin of the subject so that the test probe contacts the subject's bone and the resistance of the test bone to microscopic fracture by the test probe is determined. Macroscopic bone fracture risk is assessed by measuring the resistance of the bone to microscopic fractures caused by the test probe. The microscopic fractures are so small that they pose negligible health risks. The instrument may also be useful in characterizing other materials, especially if it is necessary to penetrate a layer to get to the material to be characterized.

Methods and instruments for assessing bone fracture risk

A scanned-stylus atomic force microscope (AFM) employing the optical lever technique, and method of operating the same. The AFM of the invention includes a light source and a scanned optical assembly which guides light emitted from the light source onto a point on a cantilever during scanning thereof. A moving light beam is thus created which will automatically track the movement of the cantilever during scanning. The invention also allows the light beam to be used to measure, calibrate or correct the motion of the scanning mechanism, and further allows viewing of the sample and cantilever using an optical microscope.

Scanning stylus atomic force microscope with cantilever tracking and optical access

Methods and instruments for characterizing a material, such as the properties of bone in a living human subject, using a test probe constructed for insertion into the material and a reference probe aligned with the test probe in a housing. The housing is hand held or placed so that the reference probe contacts the surface of the material under pressure applied either by hand or by the weight of the housing. The test probe is inserted into the material to indent the material while maintaining the reference probe substantially under the hand pressure or weight of the housing allowing evaluation of a property of the material related to indentation of the material by the probe. Force can be generated by a voice coil in a magnet structure to the end of which the test probe is connected and supported in the magnet structure by a flexure, opposing flexures, a linear translation stage, or a linear bearing. Optionally, a measurement unit containing the test probe and reference probe is connected to a base unit with a wireless connection, allowing in the field material testing.

Methods and instruments for materials testing

A scanner for probe microscopy that avoids low resonance frequencies and accounts better for piezo nonlinearities. The x, y and z axes of a linear stack scanner are partially decoupled from each other while maintaining all mechanical joints stiff in the direction of actuation. The scanning probe microscope comprises a probe, a housing, at least two actuators, each coupled to the housing, and a support coupled to the housing and to at least a first of the actuators at a position spaced from the point at which the actuator is coupled to the housing. The support constrains the motion of the first actuator along a first axis while permitting translation along a second axis. The actuators are preferably orthogonally arranged linear stacks of flat piezos, preferably in push-pull configuration. The support can take different forms in different embodiments of the invention. In a particular embodiment, the scanner is a 2D scanner having a support frame with x and y axes, and a member for supporting an object to be moved such as a sample for a probe, the scanner comprising a flexure and flexure coupled cross-conformed piezos arranged along x and y axes. Expansion of the piezos is measured by at least two strain gauges disposed to measure the differential motion of at least two opposed actuators. The strain gauges are preferably arranged to compensate for ambient temperature changes, and preferably two or more strain gauges of identical type are disposed on each actuator to magnify the strain signal.

Scanner for probe microscopy

An improvement for atomic force microscopes, more generally for light beam detecting systems, but also in part applicable to scanning probe microscopes, providing significant novel features and advantages. Particular features include using different objective lens regions for incident and reflected light, a flexure that allows three dimensional motion of the optics block, forming the housing and optics block of a composite material or ceramic, arranging the components so that the beam never hits a flat surface at normal incidence, and providing a resonant frequency of cantilever vibration greater than 850 HZ between the cantilever and sample and the cantilever and focusing lens.

Measurement head for atomic force microscopy and other applications

Self-healing copolymeric materials comprising a plurality of intermediate strength crosslinks are provided. The copolymeric materials comprise a silicon component and a plurality of crosslinking components. The crosslinking components comprise a polymeric structure forming a structure held together by ionic and/or hydrogen bonding with a net intermediate strength. The plurality of intermediate strength crosslinks provide toughness to the material, and allow for rehealing by allowing reforming of the crosslinks after a disruptive stress incidence. The material is also suited for recasting, and can be used as an active matrix by incorporating additional substances. Articles of manufacture incorporating such materials, and methods of recasting such materials are also provided.

Self-healing organosiloxane materials containing reversible and energy-dispersive crosslinking domains

A high sensitivity beam deflection sensing optical device, such as an atomic force microscope, including one or more of the following: specified means in the path of the incident beam for adjusting the size and/or power of the incident beam spot, means for moving the incident beam spot with movement of the object whereby to maintain the position of the spot on the object, and means for increasing the signal to noise ratio of the optical detector in which adjusted gains are applied to different segments of the optical detector.

Summing the output of an array of optical detector segments in an atomic force microscope

High sensitivity deflection sensing device

Modular, energy-dissipating material prevents failure of adhesives, fibers and composite and other structures. The modules comprise folded subunits or domains that unfold in a stepped fashion at forces below that necessary to break the backbone of the material and, with adhesive material, below that necessary to break the bonds that fasten the material to surfaces being glued.

Modular, energy-dissipating material and method for using it

A scanned-stylus atomic force microscope (AFM) employing the optical lever technique, and method of operating the same. The AFM of the invention includes a light source and a scanned optical assembly which guides light emitted from the light source onto point on a cantilever during scanning thereof. A moving light beam is thus created which will automatically track the movement of the cantilever during scanning. The invention also allows the light beam to be used to measure, calibrate or correct the motion of the scanning mechanism, and further allows viewing of the sample and cantilever using an optical microscope.

Scanning stylus atomic force microscope with cantilever tracking and

Growing community of inventors

Isla Vista, CA, United States of America

Paul K Hansma