Patent ID: 7072500

Claim:
An image locking system for use in DNA micro-array synthesis, the system comprising: a reaction cell with an active surface on which a micro-array may be formed; a micromirror device, the micromirror device formed of an array of electronically addressable micromirrors wherein each micromirror can be selectively tilted between one of at least two positions whereby a first light beam directed towards the micromirror device forms a micro-array image on the active surface of the reaction cell; an alignment mark located at the reaction cell; a second light beam that is directed towards the micromirror device thereby forming an alignment pattern on the reaction cell; a camera capturing an alignment image, the alignment image comprising the alignment mark and the alignment pattern reflected onto the reaction cell; a computer identifying a change in the alignment image and calculating a correction signal to remove the change from the alignment image; and at least one actuator provided to adjust the alignment image in response to the correction signal calculated by the computer.