Method for safe control of gas delivery to an electron microscope sample holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10503127-B2
Application number	US-201815919575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2014
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

System and method for safely controlling the containment of gas within a manifold system and the delivery of gas to a sample holder for an electron microscope for imaging and analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an electron microscope sample holder having a cell; and
a gas delivery system comprising:
a gas source device configured for fluid communication with the cell;
a gas destination device configured for fluid communication with the cell;
a pressure sensor configured for fluid communication with at least one of the cell, the gas source device, and the gas destination device;
at least one valve;
an intermediary valve between the at least one valve and an inlet port; and
a controller configured for monitoring the pressure sensor and signaling control of the valve.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mass flow controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas source device comprises a tank.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas destination device comprises at least one of a tank and a pump.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the at least one valve closes when not electrically activated.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is between the gas source device and the at least one valve.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a second valve and a second pressure sensor, wherein a second pressure sensor is between the gas destination device and the second valve.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein upon a decrease in pressure at the at least one pressure sensor, the controller signals closure of the at least one valve.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein upon a decrease in pressure at the at least one pressure sensor or a second pressure sensor, the controller signals closure of the at least one valve or the intermediary valve to prevent leakage from the system into an atmosphere environment.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication and switching bus by which the controller commands the at least one valve to be opened or closed.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein: the at least one valve closes when not electrically-activated by the controller; and a second valve closes when not electrically-activated by the controller.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an emergency stop device, wherein: the at least one valve closes when not activated by electrical power; the second valve closes when not activated by electrical power; and electrical power is removed from the at least one valve and second valve when the emergency stop device is activated.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein upon an increase in pressure of at least one of the at least one pressure sensor, and a second pressure sensor, the controller signals closure of the at least one valve and a second valve to prevent leakage from an atmosphere into the system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein upon a decrease in pressure of at least one of the at least one pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor, the controller signals closure of the at least one valve and the second valve to prevent leakage from the system into an electron microscope.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas destination device comprises a pump.

Assignees

• Protochips Inc

Inventors

• Gardiner Daniel S
• Damiano Jr John
• Nackashi David P
• Carpenter William Bradford
• Rivenbark James
• Uebel Mark
• Zapata Iii Michael
• Thomas Rebecca
• Walden Ii Franklin Stampley

Classifications

• H01J2237/182

  Obtaining or maintaining desired pressure · CPC title

• G05D7/0635

  by action on throttling means (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01J2237/2007

  Holding mechanisms · CPC title

• H01J37/18

  Vacuum locks {; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel} · CPC title

• H01J2237/2002

  Controlling environment of sample · CPC title