1. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
an electrically conductive element at least partially supported in the housing and extending therefrom, the electrically conductive element adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy;
a motion sensor disposed within the housing and adapted to electrically connect to the source of electrosurgical energy, the motion sensor operable to detect a movement of the electrosurgical instrument in a plurality of directions; and
wherein the motion sensor is operable to transmit a signal to the source of electrosurgical energy for de-activation of a transmission of energy from the source of electrosurgical energy when the motion sensor does not detect movement of the electrosurgical instrument for a period of time at least equal to a predetermined period of time,
wherein the electrically conductive element includes a longitudinal axis defined therethrough and the motion sensor is operable to detect at least one of an axial movement of the electrosurgical instrument relative to the longitudinal axis, a transverse movement of the electrosurgical instrument relative to the longitudinal axis, and a rotational movement of the electrosurgical instrument about the longitudinal axis,
wherein the motion sensor includes:
a first accelerometer operable to detect the axial movement and transmit a first signal to the source of electrosurgical energy corresponding to the axial movement; and
a second accelerometer operable to detect the transverse movement transmit a second signal to the source of electrosurgical energy corresponding to the transverse movement.
2. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, an optical positioning system, a radiofrequency positioning system, an ultrasonic positioning system, a differential parallel plate accelerometer, a balanced interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, an offset interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, and a film-type accelerometer.
3. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second accelerometers is at least one of a differential parallel plate accelerometer, a balanced interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, an offset interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, a film-type accelerometer, and at least one piezoelectric film motion detector.
4. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
a housing;
an electrically conductive element at least partially supported in the housing and extending therefrom, the electrically conductive element adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy; and
a sensor disposed within the housing and adapted to electrically connect with the source of electrosurgical energy, the sensor operable to detect a movement of the electrosurgical instrument as the electrosurgical instrument is moved in free space, wherein the sensor is operable to transmit a signal to the source of electrosurgical energy for controlling a transmission of energy from the source of electrosurgical energy based on the movement,
wherein the electrically conductive element includes a longitudinal axis defined therethrough and the motion sensor is operable to detect at least one of an axial movement of the electrosurgical instrument relative to the longitudinal axis, a transverse movement of the electrosurgical instrument relative to the longitudinal axis, and a rotational movement of the electrosurgical instrument about the longitudinal axis,
wherein the motion sensor includes:
a first accelerometer operable to detect the axial movement and transmit a first signal to the source of electrosurgical energy corresponding to the axial movement; and
a second accelerometer operable to detect the transverse movement transmit a second signal to the source of electrosurgical energy corresponding to the transverse movement.
5. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, an optical positioning system, a radiofrequency positioning system, an ultrasonic positioning system, a differential parallel plate accelerometer, a balanced interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, an offset interdigitated comb-finger accelerometer, and a film-type accelerometer.
6. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the signal is operable to cause the source of electrosurgical energy to transmit a dissecting RF energy output in response to the detection of the axial movement.
7. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the signal is operable to cause the source of electrosurgical energy to transmit a hemostatic RF energy output in response to the detection of the transverse movement.
8. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the signal is operable to cause the source of electrosurgical energy to reduce the supply of electrosurgical energy when the sensor fails to detect at least one of:
movement of the electrosurgical instrument for a predetermined period of time; and
movement of the electrosurgical instrument above a predetermined threshold level of movement.
9. The electrosurgical instrument according to claim 7, wherein the signal is operable to cause the source of electrosurgical energy to increase the supply of electrosurgical energy when the sensor detects at least one of:
movement of the electrosurgical instrument following the predetermined period of time; and
movement of the electrosurgical instrument above the predetermined threshold level of movement.
10. An electrosurgical system, comprising:
a source of electrosurgical energy;
an electrosurgical instrument coupled to the source of electrosurgical energy, the electrosurgical instrument including:
an elongated housing;
an electrically conductive element at least partially supported in the housing and extending therefrom, the electrically conductive element connectable to the source of electrosurgical energy and having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough; and
a motion sensor disposed within the housing and in electrical connection with the source of electrosurgical energy, the motion sensor operable to detect a movement of the electrosurgical instrument in a plurality of directions, wherein the motion sensor is operable to transmit a signal to the source of electrosurgical energy for de-activation of a transmission of energy from the source of electrosurgical energy when the motion sensor does not detect movement of the electrosurgical instrument for a period of time at least equal to a predetermined period of time,
wherein the source of electrosurgical energy is operable to transmit a dissecting RF energy output in response to the detection of an axial movement of the electrosurgical instrument along the longitudinal axis,
wherein the source of electrosurgical energy is operable to transmit a hemostatic RF energy output in response to the detection of a transverse movement of the electrosurgical instrument across the longitudinal axis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of inspecting pattern defects, comprising:
emitting a laser beam from an ultraviolet laser light source or a deep ultraviolet laser light source;
illuminating said emitted laser beam on the surface of a sample after reducing coherence of said laser beam;
acquiring an image of the illuminated sample by detecting light with a time delay integration sensor and said light is reflected from said sample by said illuminating and passed through a filter; and
processing the acquired image to find pattern defects on the surface of the sample,
wherein said laser beam illuminating said surface of said sample is so controlled that said light reflected from said sample is uniform in intensity, and,
wherein the laser beam emitted from said ultraviolet laser light source or said deep ultraviolet laser light source is scanned in two dimensions on a pupil plane of an objective lens.
2. The method of inspecting pattern defects according to claim 1, comprising:
holding the sample on a table that is moved along at least one direction; and
acquiring an image of the sample illuminated by the laser beam by said time delay integration sensor synchronized with movement of the table.
3. The method of inspecting pattern defects according to claim 1, comprising changing the irradiance of the laser beam being illuminated on the surface of the sample, according to an incident angle thereof relative to the normal line direction on the surface of the sample.
4. A method of inspecting pattern defects, comprising:
emitting a light beam from a light source;
illuminating said light beam on the surface of a sample through an object lens and said sample is held on a table that is continuously moving along at least one axis direction, while repeatedly changing a condition of illuminating;
acquiring an image of the illuminated sample by a time delay integration sensor in synchronous with movement of said table; and
processing the acquired image to find pattern defects on the surface of the sample,
wherein said condition of said illuminating is so controlled that an output from said time delay integration sensor is average image signal to reduce an influence of a film thickness distribution of said optically transparent thin film formed on said sample; and,
wherein said condition of said illuminating is controlled to change an incident angle of said light beam to a normal line direction to said surface while scanning said light beam on a pupil plane of said object lens.
5. The method of inspecting pattern defects according to claim 4, wherein the light source is an ultraviolet laser light source or a deep ultraviolet laser light source.
6. A method of inspecting pattern defects, comprising:
illuminating a light beam emitted from a light source on the surface of a sample held on a table that is moving continuously, while chancing a condition of said illuminating;
acquiring an image of the illuminated sample by detecting light from said illuminated sample with a time delay integration sensor, in synchronization with the continuous movement of the table; and
processing the acquired image to find pattern defects on the surface of the sample,
wherein said condition of said illumination is so controlled that an output from said time delay integration sensor is average image signal to reduce an influence of a film thickness distribution of an optically transparent thin film formed on said sample, and,
wherein said condition of said illuminating is controlled to change an incident angle of said light beam to a normal line direction to said surface while scanning said light beam on a pupil plane of said object lens.
7. The method of inspecting pattern defects according to claim 6, wherein said light beam illuminating said surface of said sample is so controlled that said light reflected from said sample is uniform in intensity.
8. The method of inspecting pattern defects according to claim 6, wherein the light source is an ultraviolet laser light source or deep ultraviolet laser light source.
9. An apparatus for inspecting pattern defects, comprising:
a light source;
a table on which a sample is placed, said table being capable of moving along at least one plane;
an objective lens that condenses and irradiates a beam emitted from the light source onto a sample placed on the table;
a scanning device that scans the laser beam in two dimensions on the pupil plane of the objective lens and also irradiates the laser beam, while scanning it in two dimensions, onto the surface of the sample, while changing the incident angle thereof relative to the normal line direction on the surface of the sample;
an imaging device that acquires an image of the sample with a time delay integration sensor in synchronous with the movement of said table;
a pattern defect detector that finds pattern defects of the sample by processing an image of the sample acquired with the imaging device when the sample is illuminated with the beam; and
a controller which controls a condition of said irradiating a laser beam onto said sample so as to an output from said time delay integration sensor be average image single which reduces an influence of a film thickness distribution of said optically transparent thin film.
10. The apparatus for inspecting pattern defects according to claim 9, wherein the light source emits an ultraviolet laser beam or a deep ultraviolet laser beam.
11. The apparatus for inspecting pattern defects according to claim 9, comprising a beam forming means that transforms a beam emitted from the light source into a number of light spots.
12. The apparatus for inspecting pattern defects according to claim 9, comprising an irradiance adjustment device that changes the irradiance of the light beam illuminating the surface of the sample according to an incident angle thereof relative to the normal line direction on the surface of the sample.