Patent ID: 8213069

Claim:
A lens stage comprising: a) a support comprising a first rail and a second rail, wherein said first rail and said second rail are mounted to said support in parallel; and b) a linearly moveable lens assembly comprising: i) a voice coil comprising a moving coil that moves in a direction parallel to said rails; ii) a lens; iii) a bracket that is attached to: a) said moving coil and b) said lens, and moveably engaged with said rails via a set of bearing cars; and iv) means to reduce force exerted on said set of bearing cars due to thermal expansion of said moving coil, wherein said means to reduce force is selected from: a flexure in said bracket proximal to said moving coil, wherein said flexure allows said bracket to bend in response to said thermal expansion; and a precision shoulder screw that connects said bracket to said moving coil, wherein thermal expansion of said moving coil moves said shoulder screw through an orifice of said bracket without moving said bracket.