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

Claim 12:
13. An attenuated total reflectance measurement system for examining a sample, the measurement system comprising:
a stage configured to support the sample;
an internally reflective element coupled to the stage such that axial movement between the stage and the internally reflective element is substantially fixed, the 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 pressure 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 a height of the stage to affect the pressure 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 light towards the contact surface and detecting a source light optically interacting with the contact surface, wherein prior to the scan, an initial pressure is applied to the sample by the contact member and the internally reflective element, and wherein after the scan, a resulting pressure is applied to the sample by the contact member and the internally reflective element;
a sensor configured to detect the resulting pressure 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 pressure, wherein the controller is further configured to:
compare the initial pressure to the resulting pressure;
determine that the initial pressure and the resulting pressure are different; and
control the actuator to adjust the height of the stage to change the pressure applied to the sample by the contact member and the internally reflective element from the resulting pressure to the initial pressure;

wherein the attenuated total reflectance measurement system is configured such that after the pressure applied to the sample is adjusted to the initial pressure, the sample is rescanned by the optical assembly.