Patent ID: 7800750

Claim:
An optical trap device for trapping a particle, the device comprising: at least one laser light source for generating first and second light beams; first and second lenses for focusing the first and second light beams respectively to a trap region in a counter-propagating manner for trapping the particle in the trap region; a first detector for measuring changes in a power deflection and in a power concentration of the first light beam leaving the trap region; a second detector for measuring changes in a power deflection and in a power concentration of the second light beam leaving the trap region; a light source for illuminating the trap region with a third beam of light; and a camera positioned for capturing a portion of each of the first, second and third light beams; a first optical element for directing the first light beam to the first lens, wherein at least some of the second light beam leaving the trap region passes through the first optical element, and wherein the third light beam portion passes through the first optical element; a second optical element for directing the second light beam to the second lens, wherein the first and third light beam portions pass through the second optical element; wherein some of the second light beam leaks through the second optical element and is reflected back toward the second optical element by a reflective optical element, and wherein the reflected light is directed by the second optical element toward the camera as the second light beam portion.