Detecting a substrate
This disclosure is directed to a system and method for detecting a surface of a substrate within a scanner.
1. A system, comprising
a picker comprising a picker tip;
a slide holder configured to hold a substrate; and
a position detector comprising
a sensor fixed at a set distance in at least one axis relative to the slide holder, and
a target plate fixed at a set distance in at least one axis relative to the picker tip.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate comprising a target analyte, the substrate being located within the slide holder; and
a controller configured to:
drive the picker towards the substrate and the target plate towards the sensor;
contact the substrate with the picker tip; and
overtravel the substrate with the picker tip.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the target analyte is a cell, an ova, a circulating tumor cell, a fetal cell, a trophoblast, a nucleated red blood cell, a fetal white blood cell, a fetal red blood cell, a circulating endothelial cell, an immune cell, a naïve B cell, a memory B cell, a naïve T cell, a memory T cell, a liposome, a protein, a nucleic acid, a biological molecule, a naturally occurring microscopic unit having an enclosed membrane, an artificially prepared microscopic unit having an enclosed membrane, a parasite, a microorganism, or an inflammatory cell.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is inductive, mechanical, capacitive, optical, or acoustic.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an encoder.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is fixed the set distance along a z-axis relative to the slide holder, and wherein the target plate is fixed the set distance along the z-axis relative to the picker tip.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a motor configured to at least drive the picker along a z-axis.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the motor is piezoelectric.
9. The system of claim 1 , the system further comprising a deflection detector on a side of the substrate opposite the picker tip.
10. The system of claim 1 , the system further comprising at least one motor to configured to drive the picker along at least one axis.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the motor is piezoelectric.