Patent ID: 11921130
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC G  B  C  E  Y | IPC B  C  E  G

Claim 18:
19. Apparatus configured:
to oscillate a scanning microscopy ultramicroelectrode probe tip in height relative to a surface of interest using a piezoelectric positioner fitted with a strain gauge sensor;
to detect damping of an amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip by detecting by the strain gauge sensor a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip as compared to an amplitude of oscillation of the probe tip in a bulk solution, the decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip indicating intermittent contact with the surface of interest;
to use the detected damping to detect the surface of interest; and
to use the probe tip to measure or modify activity of the surface of interest simultaneously with detecting damping.