Patent ID: 7247842
Filing Date: 2007-07-24
Classification: B82Y,G01N,G01Q

Abstract:
1. A method for measuring a characteristic of biological or chemical objects using detection of photons associated with biological or chemical objects, the method comprising: providing a liquid environment; providing a tip of a probe to be movable toward a feature of a biological or chemical sample in the liquid or gas environment to influence an emission of electromagnetic energy associated with the feature of the sample, the feature and the sample being maintained on a stage; illuminating the tip of the probe using electromagnetic energy comprising a first intensity level as the tip of the probe moves toward the feature of the sample; capturing a first signal associated with the feature during a first portion of movement of the tip during a portion of time associated with illuminating the tip of the probe with the electromagnetic energy comprising the first intensity level; moving the tip of the probe using a tapping mode operation toward a vicinity of the feature of the sample during a second portion of movement of the tip; providing electromagnetic energy comprising a second intensity level associated with the feature of the sample as the tip of the probe moves toward the vicinity of the feature of the sample during the second portion of movement of the tip to cause enhancement of the tip of the probe to the second intensity level; determining a spatial coordinate of the stage on which the sample has maintained; determining a distance of the tip of the probe relative to the feature of the sample; and capturing a second signal associated with the feature to create an image of the feature of the sample.