| 主权项 |
1. A method for determining selected properties of a microplate comprising a plurality of sample wells, each sample well being open at a top portion of the microplate and including a well surface and a well bottom, the well surface being disposed on the top portion opposite a bottom portion of the microplate, the method comprising:
moving the microplate to position an initial x-y position on the microplate in an optical path generated by a laser; positioning an objective lens substantially centered in the optical path in a z-direction to an initial z-position; performing a focusing function to determine a well surface z-position for a current x-y position based on an intensity indicative of a best focus of the well surface; performing the focusing function to determine a plate bottom z-position for the current x-y position based on an intensity indicative of a best focus of the plate bottom; moving the microplate to position a plurality of x-y positions within a selected area of the microplate in the optical path where the selected area encompasses the well bottom of one of the wells on the microplate; at each of the plurality of x-y positions, determining the well surface z-position and the plate bottom z-position corresponding to each of the plurality of x-y positions by repeating the steps of positioning the objective lens, performing the focusing function to determine the well surface z-position, and performing the focusing function for the plate bottom z-position; and using the well surface z-positions and the plate bottom z-positions at the plurality of x-y positions to generate data to determine the selected properties of the microplate. |
