Patent ID: 11971352
Assignee: THERMO ELECTRON SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A measurement system for examining a sample, the measurement system comprising:
an internally reflective element having a contact surface configured to support the sample;
a contact member positioned adjacent to the internally reflective element, wherein at least one of the contact member and the internally reflective element are configured to apply a force to the sample when the sample is positioned on the contact surface and the contact member is in contact with the sample;
an actuator configured to adjust the force applied to the sample by the contact member and the internally reflective element;
an optical assembly comprising a light source and a light detector, wherein the optical assembly is configured to scan the sample by directing source light from the light source towards the contact surface and detecting source light optically interacting with the contact surface by the light detector, wherein prior to the scan, an initial force is applied to the sample by the at least one of the contact member and the internally reflective element, and wherein after the scan, a resulting force is applied to the sample by the at least one of the contact member and the internally reflective element;
a sensor configured to detect the resulting force applied to the sample by the contact member and the internally reflective element; and
a controller configured to receive a signal from the sensor indicative of the detected resulting force, wherein the controller is further configured to:
compare the initial force to the resulting force;
determine that the initial force and the resulting force are different; and
control the actuator to adjust the force applied to the sample by the at least one of the contact member and the internally reflective element from the resulting force to the initial force based on the determination that the initial force and the resulting force are different;

wherein the measurement system is further configured such that after the force applied to the sample is adjusted to the initial force, the sample is re-scanned by the optical assembly.