Sample manipulation device and method

1 . A sample manipulation device, comprising

a manipulation light source configured to emit manipulation light;

an objective configured to focus the manipulating light onto a sample to form a manipulation light beam and to image the sample;

a scanning unit configured to move the manipulation light beam within a field of view of the objective;

a sample positioning unit configured to move the sample relative to an optical axis of the objective;

a detector configured to capture an image of the sample formed by the objective; and

a controller configured to:

receive information of a predetermined area of the field of view of the objective;

receive manipulation data comprising at least one manipulation path, wherein the manipulation path is a path on the sample;

receive the image of the sample captured by the detector;

determine, based on the predetermined area and the manipulation path in relation to the image of the sample, whether at least a part of the manipulation path is within or outside the predetermined area;

upon determining that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area, control the manipulation light source and the scanning unit such that the sample is manipulated along the manipulation path; and

upon determining that at least a part of the manipulation path is inside the predetermined area, control the sample positioning unit to move the sample away from the current position such that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area.

2 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulation data comprises at least two manipulation paths, and

wherein the controller is configured to:

determine for each respective manipulation path of the manipulation paths whether at least a part of the respective manipulation path is within the predetermined area,

determine a first set of manipulation paths comprising one or more manipulation paths that are entirely outside the predetermined area,

determine a second set of manipulation paths comprising one or more manipulation paths that are at least partially inside the predetermined area,

control the manipulation light source and the scanning unit such that the sample is manipulated along the one or more manipulation paths of the first set of manipulation paths, and

control the sample positioning unit to move the sample such that at least one manipulation path of the second set of manipulation paths is entirely outside the predetermined area.

3 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the manipulation path is entirely within the field of view of the objective;

based upon a determination that the manipulation path is entirely within the field of view of the objective and outside the predetermined area, control the manipulation light source and the scanning unit such that the sample is manipulated along the manipulation path; and

based upon a determination that the manipulation path is not entirely within the field of view of the objective or at least a part of the manipulation path is inside the predetermined area, control sample positioning unit to move the sample such that the manipulation path is inside the field of view of the objective and outside the predetermined area.

4 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning unit comprises two prisms arranged rotatably around the optical axis of the objective between the manipulation light source and the objective.

5 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined area comprises the optical axis of the objective.

6 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined area comprises at least 5% of the field of view of the objective, and at most 25% of the field of view of the objective.

7 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the predetermined area based on at least one of an optical parameter of the objective, or an optical parameter of the scanning unit.

8 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , further comprising an input unit configured to receive a user input, wherein the controller is configured to generate the manipulation data based on the user input.

9 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the sample manipulation device is configured to receive the manipulation data via a data storage device and/or a computer network.

10 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the manipulation data using machine learning.

11 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulation light beam is configured to cut the sample, and wherein the manipulation path is a path on the sample along which the sample is to be cut.

12 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the manipulation light source comprises a laser light source.

13 . The sample manipulation device according to claim 1 , wherein the sample manipulation device comprises a microscope.

14 . A method for manipulating a sample using a sample manipulation device, the method comprising:

receiving information of a predetermined area of a field of view of an objective of the sample manipulation device;

receiving manipulation data comprising at least one manipulation path, wherein the manipulation path is a path on the sample;

receiving an image of the sample captured by a detector of the sample manipulation device;

determining, based on the predetermined area and the manipulation path in relation to the image of the sample, whether at least a part of the manipulation path is within or outside the predetermined area;

upon determining that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area, manipulating the sample along the manipulation path using a manipulation light beam emitted by a manipulation light source and a scanning unit configured to move the manipulation light beam within the field of view; and

based upon a determination determining that at least a part of the manipulation path is inside the predetermined area, moving the sample using a sample positioning unit such that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program steps stored thereon, the program steps, when executed by a computer processor, causing performance of a method for manipulating a sample using a sample manipulation device, the method comprising:

receiving information of a predetermined area of a field of view of an objective of the sample manipulation device;

receiving manipulation data comprising at least one manipulation path, wherein the manipulation path is a path on the sample;

receiving an image of the sample captured by a detector of the sample manipulation device;

determining, based on the predetermined area and the manipulation path in relation to the image of the sample, whether at least a part of the manipulation path is within or outside the predetermined area;

upon determining that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area, manipulating the sample along the manipulation path using a manipulation light beam emitted by a manipulation light source and a scanning unit configured to move the manipulation light beam within the field of view; and

upon determining that at least a part of the manipulation path is inside the predetermined area, moving the sample using a sample positioning unit such that the manipulation path is entirely outside the predetermined area.