System and auto-alignment method for determining position using a discrete contact probe

1. An automated alignment system consisting of:

one or more target wells held at a first potential;

a probe having a tip held at a second potential;

one or more motors for moving the probe relative to the target wells; and

a controller configured to:

detect changes in potential at the probe,

direct the motors to move the probe to an estimated position in which the probe tip extends within a given target well and move the probe along first and second axes to determine dimensions of the given target well by determining first and second end points of the first and second axes as the locations at which the potential at the probe tip changes along the first and second axes,

direct the motor to move the probe along a third axis into electrical contact with a floor of the given target well based on a change in potential at the probe tip, and

calculate a center location of the given target well as the coincidence of mid-points of the first, second, and third axes that are calculated based on the endpoints of the first and second axes, and a mid-point of the third axis calculated based on a location of the floor of the given target well and a known depth of the given target well.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe along the first axis until a first change in potential of the probe tip is detected, the controller using the position of the probe as a first end point of the first axis,

direct the motors to move the probe in a reverse direction over the first axis until a second change in potential is detected, the controller using the position of the probe as a second end point of the first axis, the controller calculating the center of the first axis as the mid-point between the first end point and the second end point of the first axis,

direct the motors to move the probe to the calculated center of the first axis and move the probe along the second axis until a first change in potential of the probe tip is detected, the controller using the position of the probe as a first end point of the second axis,

direct the motors to move the probe in the reverse direction over the second axis until a second change in potential of the probe tip is detected, the controller using the position of the probe as a second end point of the second axis, and

calculate a two-dimensional center of the given target well as the mid-point between the two ends points of the second axis.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller further verifies the location of the center by moving the probe from the center location along the first axis until the change in potential is detected and checking if the probe has moved a distance that corresponds to the calculated mid-point of the first axis.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the motors are stepper motors that move along associated slides in axial directions.

5. The system of claim 4 further including

a plurality of sensors, each of which is placed to detect the position of a given one of the stepper motors proximate to an end of an associated slide, and

the controller further configured to:

direct the stepper motors to move in axial directions until the sensors detect the positions of the stepper motors at the ends of the slides to determine maximum positions along the slides,

calculate zero positions along each axis by subtracting predetermined maximum lengths from the maximum points, and

set a home position of the probe as the coincidence of the zero positions of the axes, and

determine the distance of the centers of the target wells relative to the home position.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

additional wells that are spaced by predetermined distances from the target wells, and

the controller further configured to direct the motors to move the probe to a given additional well based on the calculated center locations of one or more target wells and the predetermined distances.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein

the additional wells and the target wells are arranged in a grid, and

the controller determines skew across rows and columns of the grid based on differences in axial coordinates of the centers of the target wells.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the dimensions are along linear axes, angular axes or a combination of linear and angular axes.

9. An automated alignment system for a differential scanning calorimetry system consisting of:

a plurality of wells held at a first potential;

a probe having a tip held at a second potential;

one or more motors for moving the probe relative to the wells; and

a controller configured to:

detect changes in potential at the probe,

direct the motors to move the probe to an estimated position in which the probe tip extends within a given well and move the probe along first and second axes to determine dimensions of the given well by determining first and second end points of the first and second axes as the locations at which the potential at the probe tip changes along the first and second axes,

direct the motors to move the probe along a third axis into electrical contact with a floor of the given well based on a change in potential at the probe tip, and

calculate a center location of the given well as the coincidence of mid-points of the first, second and third axes that are calculated based on the endpoints of the first and second axes, and a mid-point of the third axis calculated based on a location of the floor of the given well and a known depth of the given well.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein

the wells are furnace wells that are within furnaces and sample wells that are arranged in a sample tray that is held at a low DC potential, and the controller further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe to a position above a flat section of a top surface of the sample tray adjacent to a given sample well and lower the probe to contact the top surface,

determine a relative height of the top surface based on the position of the probe at contact and determines a minimum position for lowering the probe into the given sample well during alignment as a predetermined distance below the relative height.

11. The system of claim 10 further including

lid wells in the sample tray, and

the controller further configured to determines a minimum distance to lower the probe into a given lid well during alignment based on a relative height determined at a flat surface adjacent to the given lid well.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the controller is further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe into an estimated position above a given furnace well and lower the probe down into the furnace well along the third axis until the change in potential at the probe is detected to indicate the floor of the well,

determine a center position along the third axis based on the position of the probe, and

calculate the center location of the furnace well at the mid-points of the first and second axes and the center of the third axis.

13. The system 12 wherein the controller further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe into one or more selected sample wells and move the probe within the respective sample wells along x and y axial dimensions until changes in the potential at the probe are detected to indicate the first and second axes of the sample wells,

calculate center locations of the respective sample wells at the mid-points of the first and second axes, and

use the calculated center locations of the sample wells and the furnaces to direct the motors to move the probe between the center of a given sample well to the center of a given furnace.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the controller uses the calculated center locations of the lid wells to direct the probe between the lid wells and the furnaces.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein

the probe includes a vacuum outlet,

the sample wells contain sample pans,

the lid wells contain lids, and

the controller further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe to the calculated center location of a given sample well and lower the probe a predetermined distance into the well,

control a vacuum that provides suction through the vacuum outlet to pick up and carry the sample pan contained in the given sample well,

direct the motors to move the probe carrying the sample pan to the calculated center location of a selected furnace well,

control the vacuum to release the sample pan, and

move the probe out of the furnace that includes the selected furnace well.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the controller configured to:

direct the motors and vacuum to move the probe to a given lid well to pick up a lid contained therein, transport the lid to the furnace that includes the selected furnace well, and

release the lid to cover the sample pan contained therein.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the controller further configured to:

direct the motors to move the probe to the center of the selected furnace well and controls the vacuum to provide suction to pick up the lid,

direct the motors to move the probe to the center of the given lid well and controls the vacuum to release the lid,

direct the motors to move the probe to the furnace that includes the selected furnace well and controls the vacuum to provide suction to pick up the sample pan, directs the motors to move the probe to the center of the given sample well and controls the vacuum to release the sample pan.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to determines that the probe has encountered an obstacle if back-pressure at the vacuum outlet indicates that the probe has picked up something before the probe has moved to a position in which the probe is expected to pick up one of the sample pan and the lid.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the probe has dropped the sample pan or the lid if the back-pressure at the vacuum outlet decreases before the vacuum is controlled to release the sample pan or the lid.

20. A method of aligning a probe to wells comprising:

holding the probe at one potential and holding the wells at a different potential;

moving the probe to an estimated center position above a selected well;

lowering the probe into the selected well;

moving the probe in positive and negative directions along first and second axial dimensions until changes in potential are detected at the probe to indicate electrical contact between the probe and end points along the first and second axial dimensions of the selected well;

moving the probe along a third axial dimension into electrical contact with a floor of the selected well based on a change in potential at the probe; and

calculating center location of the selected well as the coincidence of mid-points of the first, second and third axial dimensions that are calculated based on end points of the first and second axial dimensions, and a mid-point of the third axial dimension based on a location of the floor of the selected well and a known depth of the selected well.

21. The method of claim 20 further including determining center locations for other wells based on known spacing between wells and the calculated center locations of the selected well.