JPH04337455A - Interlock device for lens scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a danger that hands or material trespasses into a scanning range by providing a material detecting means for detecting the access of the material into the scanning range of the lens scanner and a scanner control means for controlling the lens moving speed to the fine speed. CONSTITUTION:When the drawing operation is started, a motor 12 is driven to move an acoustic lens 4 in the X direction at a high speed, and the sample is scanned in the X direction at the high speed by one line. When the acoustic lens 4 exceeds the preset scanning range, the excess is detected on the basis of the encoder signal from a X encoder 13 to stop the drive of the motor 12, and the scanning range is dislocated in the Y direction by a Y stage 21 by one scanning line, and the high speed scanning in the X direction is performed again. When hand or material trespasses into the scanning range, the trespass detection 23 is performed to input the detection signal to a control unit 24. When the detection signal 24 is input from the trespass detecting sensor 23 to the control unit 24, the drive control 25 is performed to reduce the speed of the acoustic lens 4 during the moving at high speed is reduced to the fine speed. When exhaust of the material from the scanning range to the outside is detected, the scanning is reset to the high speed scanning.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interlock device for a lens scanner installed in an ultrasonic microscope or the like.

0002

[Prior Art] Transmitted signals are converted into ultrasonic waves by a transducer, the ultrasonic waves are made incident on a sample as a focused spherical wave by an acoustic lens, and the waves reflected from the sample are captured and converted into information at a single point. Ultrasonic microscopes that form ultrasound images by relatively two-dimensional scanning are known. An example of the configuration of such an ultrasonic microscope is shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, a water tank 2 is installed on an XY stage 1 that is movable in the Y direction (horizontal direction in the figure) and the X direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper).
An acoustic lens 4 held by a scanner 3 is arranged. Furthermore, the X scanner 3 is attached to a Z stage 4 that is movable in the Z direction (vertical direction). The water tank 2 contains a coupler liquid 5 for propagating ultrasonic waves, and the sample S is submerged therein.

As shown in FIG. 6, the X scanner 3 has the following features:
The longitudinal direction of the X stage 10 supported by the Z stage 6 (
A feed screw 11 is provided along the x direction. A motor 12 fixed to the X stage 10 is attached to one end of the feed screw 11, and an encoder 13 is attached to the other end. A lens holding member 14 is screwed onto the feed screw 11 . This lens holding member 14 is a linear ball guide (as shown) provided on the back surface of the X stage 10.
The ball guide is fixed to the stator of the ball guide, and is configured to move along the linear ball guide by rotating the motor 12.

In the ultrasonic microscope configured in this way, the sample S is adjusted so that it is located at a position where the ultrasonic waves from the acoustic lens 4 are focused, and the XY stage 1 moves the acoustic lens 4 and the sample S in the XY direction. The relative positions of are adjusted. During measurement, the acoustic lens 4 is moved at high speed in the X direction by the X scanner 3 to scan the sample S at high speed. and,
Every time one line scan in the X direction is completed, two-dimensional scanning is performed by moving one line in the Y direction.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned ultrasound microscope, the area around the X scanner 3 that moves the acoustic lens 4 at high speed is open, so that the observer's hand or other object may come within the scanning range of the X scanner 3. You can freely put things in it. Therefore, while moving the acoustic lens 4 at high speed, there is a risk that a hand or an object may be inserted into the scanning range.

[0007] Furthermore, if a hand or object is accidentally inserted into the scanning range during drawing and collides with the acoustic lens 4, it is necessary to stop the X scanner 3 and stop drawing. Therefore, there was an inconvenience that the drawing data up to that point was wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it can greatly reduce the danger when a hand or an object enters the scanning range of a lens scanner, and furthermore, it is possible to continue drawing. An object of the present invention is to provide an interlock device for a lens scanner that prevents data from being wasted.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lens scanner that automatically moves a lens placed opposite to the sample in the scanning direction in order to scan the sample to be observed in a predetermined direction. an object detection means for detecting an object entering or exiting the scanning range of the lens scanner; and scanner control means for controlling the lens scanner so that the moving speed of the lens becomes a fine movement speed until the lens moves out of the scanning range again.

0010

[Operation] According to the present invention, when an object enters the scanning range of the lens scanner, the object detection means detects the entry, and the lens scanner is controlled by the control means that receives notification of the detection of the intrusion from the object detection means. As a result, the moving speed of the lens is limited to a fine movement speed. When the object detection means detects that the object has left the scanning range, the control means controls the lens scanner.
The lens movement speed returns to its original speed.

[0011]

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an interlock device for a lens scanner provided in an ultrasonic microscope. Note that parts having the same functions as those of the X scanner 3 shown in FIG. 6 are given the same reference numerals.

In this embodiment, the lens scanner that supports the acoustic lens 4 is composed of a Y stage 21 having a rectangular frame shape and an X stage 22 fixed on the Y stage 21. The Y stage 21 is provided with photoelectric sensors 23a and 23b of separate transmission and reception types on both inner walls intersecting the movement line of the acoustic lens 4. The photoelectric sensors 23a and 23b function as intrusion detection sensors, with one being a light emitting part and the other being a light receiving part that receives the light. This intrusion detection sensor 23 includes photoelectric sensors 23a, 23
The intrusion of an object is detected when the light between B is blocked, and the exit of the object from the scanning range is detected when the light enters the light receiving section again. FIG. 2 shows an electrical functional block of this lens scanner.

That is, the detection signal output from the intrusion detection sensor 23 is input to the control section 24, and the control section 24
controls the drive control section 25 of the motor 12 based on the flowchart shown in FIG. Note that an encoder signal from the X encoder 13 that detects position information of the acoustic lens 4 is input to the control unit 24 . The control unit 24 uses this encoder signal to determine the moving distance of the acoustic lens 4 in the X direction. The operation of this embodiment configured as above will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the drawing operation is started, the motor 12 is driven and the acoustic lens 4 moves at high speed in the X direction to move the sample in the X direction.
Scan one line at high speed in the direction. When the acoustic lens 4 exceeds a preset scanning range, it is detected by the encoder signal from the X encoder 13 and the drive of the motor 12 is stopped, and the Y stage 21
After shifting one scanning line in the X direction, high-speed scanning is performed again in the X direction.

On the other hand, if a hand or an object enters the scanning range while scanning the sample as described above, the intrusion detection sensor 23 detects it and outputs a detection signal to the control section 24. When a detection signal is input from the intrusion detection sensor 23 to the control unit 24, the drive control unit 25 is controlled and the acoustic lens 4, which is moving at high speed, is immediately decelerated to a fine movement speed. When the intrusion detection sensor 23 detects that the intruding object has moved out of the scan range, high-speed scanning is resumed several seconds later.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the intrusion detection sensor 23 detects the entry or exit of an object into the scan range, and when the object enters the scan range, the moving speed of the acoustic lens 4 is reduced to a fine movement speed. Since the speed is decelerated and the object is removed from the scan range, the speed is returned to the original speed, which greatly reduces the risk of accidentally inserting an object into the scan range. Also,
When an object enters the scan range, the drawing operation is not completely stopped, but the movement of the acoustic lens is kept at a minute speed, so the continuity of the screen during drawing is maintained, and data during drawing is not wasted. This eliminates the conventional inconveniences, and also significantly reduces the time loss required to return to the original high-speed scan.

In the above embodiment, separate transmitting and receiving photoelectric sensors 23a and 23b are used as intrusion detection sensors, but other sensors may be used as long as they have the function of detecting objects entering and exiting the scanning range. reflective photoelectric sensors,
Sensors using infrared rays or ultrasonic waves can also be used. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modification of the above embodiment.

This modification is an example in which an intrusion detection means is constructed by combining a cover 30 that covers the scanning range from above the X stage 22 and a limit switch 31 that turns on and off as the cover 30 opens and closes. be. The interlock operation is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

The cover 30 is attached to one side of the inner periphery of the Y stage 21 with a hinge so that it can be opened and closed freely, and the limit switch 31 is attached to a portion of the Y stage 21 where the edges of the cover 30 overlap.

In this modification, the opening/closing of the cover 30 is detected by the limit switch 31 and a signal is input to the control section 24, so that when the cover 30 is opened, the moving speed of the acoustic lens 4 is decelerated to a fine movement speed and scolded. When the cover 30 is closed later, the robot is controlled to return to high-speed movement.

According to this modification, if the cover 30 cannot be opened, objects cannot enter the scan range, and if the cover 30 is opened, the above-mentioned interlock will surely work, thereby further improving safety. can be done.

[0023]

Effects of the Invention As detailed above, according to the present invention, it is possible to significantly reduce the danger when a hand or an object enters the scanning range of the lens scanner, and moreover, it is possible to continue drawing, and the data being drawn can be saved. It is possible to provide an interlock device for a lens scanner that does not waste time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an XY scanner portion of an ultrasound microscope to which an interlock device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an electrical functional block configuration of an XY scanner in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing interlock operation in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a modification of one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a movement mechanism of an ultrasound microscope.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the X scanner portion of the ultrasound microscope shown in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

4... Acoustic lens, 21... Y stage, 22... X stage, 23... Intrusion detection sensor, 24... Control section, 25... Drive control section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lens scanner that automatically moves a lens placed opposite to the sample in a predetermined direction in order to scan the sample to be observed in a predetermined direction, the lens scanner being equipped with a lens scanner that automatically moves a lens facing the sample in the scanning direction, the lens scanner being equipped with a lens scanner that automatically moves a lens facing the sample in a predetermined direction; an object detection means for detecting the object detection means; and a movement of the lens from when the intrusion of an object into the scan range is detected until the object leaves the scan range again based on the detection result of the object detection means. 1. An interlock device for a lens scanner, comprising scanner control means for controlling the lens scanner so that the speed becomes a fine movement speed.