Vibration control in scanners

1. A scanning apparatus, comprising:

a chassis;

an actuator arranged to move along a first axis with respect to the chassis; and

a scanning head, mechanically coupled to the actuator and arranged to move along a second axis that is the same as or substantially parallel to the first axis;

wherein the scanning head and the actuator move along the first and second axes such that the moving actuator functions as a counterbalance weight for the moving scanning head, thereby reducing vibration in the scanning apparatus by decoupling translation of the actuator from the chassis.

2. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator and scanning head move at different speeds.

3. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a mass at least about ten times greater than a mass of the scanning head.

4. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a voice coil actuator; a piezoelectric actuator; a motor coupled to a crankshaft or cam; a pneumatic actuator; a motor with a lead screw; a motor with a capstan belt drive; or a motor with a chain-drive.

5. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is coupled to the chassis with a coupling element.

6. The scanning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the coupling element comprises a spring, an elastic bumper, a magnetic field, or a shock absorber.

7. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scanning head is an optical scanning head.

8. The scanning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the optical scanning head comprises a mirror and a lens.

9. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a displacement encoder configured to sense displacement of the scanning head along the second axis.

10. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled to the actuator, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the actuator to move the scanning head along the second axis.

11. The scanning apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a controller coupled to the actuator and the displacement encoder, wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the actuator to move the scanning head along the second axis according to displacement sensed at the displacement encoder.

12. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a translation stage configured to move the actuator and the scanning head together along a third axis, whereby movement of the scanning head along the second and third axes defines a scanning plane.

13. The scanning apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a sample stage configured to present a sample to the scanning plane, whereby the scanning head scans the sample.

14. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scanning apparatus is a microarray scanner.

15. A method of controlling vibration in a scanning operation, the method comprising:

obtaining a scanning apparatus of claim 1 ;

moving the actuator along the first axis at a first speed; and

moving the scanning head along the second axis at a second speed such that the moving actuator functions as a counterbalance weight for the moving scanning head, thereby reducing vibration in the scanning apparatus by decoupling translation of the actuator from the chassis.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second speeds are different.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the actuator has a mass at least about ten times greater than a mass of the scanning head.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the actuator comprise a voice coil actuator; a piezoelectric actuator; a motor coupled to a crankshaft or cam; a pneumatic actuator; a motor with a lead screw; a motor with a capstan belt drive; or a motor with a chain-drive.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising automatically sensing displacement of the scanning head along the second axis.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising automatically actuating the actuator to move the scanning head along the second axis.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising moving the actuator and the scanning head together along a third axis, whereby movement of the scanning head along the second and third axes defines a scanning plane.

22. A scanning apparatus, comprising:

a chassis;

an actuator that moves along a first axis with respect to a chassis, that comprises a moving coil actuator, and that is optionally coupled to the chassis with a restoring or damping element;

an optical scanning head that is mechanically coupled to the actuator stage, that moves along a second axis that is the same as or substantially parallel to the first axis, that has a mass less than about one tenth that of the actuator, and that comprises a lens and a mirror; a sample stage arranged to present a sample to the scanning plane, whereby the optical scanning head scans the sample;

a displacement encoder configured to sense displacement of the optical scanning head along the second axis; and

a controller that is electronically linked to the actuator, the translation stage, the displacement encoder, and the optical scanning head, and that is programmed to: actuate the actuator to move the optical scanning head in relation to displacement of the optical scanning head sensed by the displacement encoder along the second axis; and operate the optical scanning head to scan the sample;

wherein the optical scanning head and the actuator move along the first and second axes such that the moving actuator functions as a counterbalance weight for the moving scanning head, thereby reducing vibration in the scanning apparatus by decoupling translation of the actuator from the chassis.