Tactile force and/or position feedback for cantilever-based force measurement instruments
View Patent ↗An apparatus for simulating a tactile interface with the relative position of the probe of a cantilever-based force measurement instrument, such as an atomic force microscope, molecular force probe or profilometer, or the force between the probe and a sample. The device can be easily incorporated into existing control electronics for such instruments or can be incorporated into a relatively small and simple hand-held device to be used with such instruments.
1. A cantilever-based force measurement instrument, comprising:
a cantilever probe;
a device providing feedback to an operator of the instrument as to the relative position of the cantilever probe, the device comprising:
a rotatable knob;
means by which an operator-induced change in the position of the knob varies a performance parameter of the instrument; and
means by which a torque is applied to the knob that is a function of another performance parameter of the instrument.
2. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument is an atomic force microscope.
3. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument measures a force between the cantilever probe and a single molecule of a sample.
4. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the means by which torque is applied to the knob includes a motor coupled to the knob, and instrument includes a controller coupled to the motor to control the torque applied to the knob by the motor.
5. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the performance parameter of the instrument that is varied by the operator-induced change in the position of the knob is a separation of the sample and cantilever probe in a predefined z direction.
6. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 1 , wherein the other performance parameter of the instrument is deflection of the cantilever probe.
7. A cantilever-based force measurement instrument, comprising:
a cantilever probe;
a device providing feedback to the instrument operator as to the force between the cantilever probe and a sample, the device comprising:
a rotatable knob;
means by which an operator-induced change in the position of the knob varies a performance parameter of the instrument; and
means by which a torque is applied to the knob that is a function of another performance parameter of the instrument.
8. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the instrument is an atomic force microscope.
9. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the instrument measures a force between the cantilever probe and a single molecule of a sample.
10. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the means by which torque is applied to the knob includes a motor coupled to the knob, and instrument includes a controller coupled to the motor to control the torque applied to the knob by the motor.
11. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the performance parameter of the instrument that is varied by the operator-induced change in the position of the knob is a separation of the sample and cantilever probe in a predefined z direction.
12. The cantilever-based force measurement instrument of claim 7 , wherein the other performance parameter of the instrument is deflection of the cantilever probe.