Patent ID: 6898487
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: H01L,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A specimen position sensing, edge-gripping device that is adapted for operative coupling to a mechanism and gripping a specimen by its peripheral edge, comprising: a body having a support surface, a proximal end, and a distal end, the distal end including two spaced-apart distal projections; a light source operatively connected to the body and including a source light path opening and a light receiver including a receiver light path opening, the source light path opening and the receiver light path opening positioned at different ones of the two spaced-apart distal projections and dimensioned to form between the light path openings a light transmission pathway along which a light beam of known beam shape propagates from the light source to the light receiver, the light transmission pathway being of sufficient length to detect an interruption of the light beam caused by a specimen positioned in proximity to the body and within a predetermined distance relative to a spatial reference; a distal pad portion operatively connected to the body near the distal end at each of the distal projections to support the peripheral edge of the specimen and a distal backstop portion associated with the distal pad portion at each of the distal projections, the distal pad and distal backstop portions at each of the distal projections having respective distal pad and distal backstop specimen contacting surfaces that form a recess into which the peripheral edge of the specimen can be urged to grip the specimen; and a specimen contact mechanism that is actuatable between a specimen-releasing position and a specimen-securing position, the specimen-releasing position providing sufficient clearance for the specimen to rest on the distal pad specimen contacting surfaces and the specimen-securing position urging the peripheral edge of the specimen into the recess formed by the distal pad and distal backstop specimen contacting surfaces at each of the distal projections.