1. A sample tube array system comprising:
a plurality of sample tubes;
a panel;
a plurality of protrusions extending downward from the panel, each protrusion comprising:
an upper tapered conical wall dimensioned to rest against an inner edge of an upper lip of a respective sample tube, and
a generally vertical lower wall extending below the upper wall and spaced from an adjacent portion of an inner wall of the respective sample tube by a gap sized to create a capillary seal in the presence of a liquid contained in the respective sample tube.
2. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the upper wall is tapered at an angle of approximately 15\xb0.
3. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the lower wall is parallel with the adjacent portion of the inner wall of the respective sample tube.
4. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the lower wall tapers at an angle of approximately 1\xb0.
5. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the gap is approximately 0.2 millimeters to approximately 0.3 millimeters.
6. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the lower wall extends in a downward direction approximately 2.5 millimeters to approximately 3.0 millimeters.
7. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions do not comprise supplemental sealing devices.
8. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein each protrusion is surrounded by a respective downwardly-extending outer ring, each outer ring being spaced from the respective protrusion by a distance to receive the upper lip of the respective sample tube between the outer ring and the protrusion.
9. The sample tube array system of claim 1, further comprising a lower section extending below the lower wall, the lower section displacing a volume of air from the respective sample tube.
10. The sample tube array system of claim 9, wherein the lower section comprises a conical protrusion.
11. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are hollow.
12. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are heated.
13. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are molded with the panel.
14. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions comprise a hydrophobic material.
15. The sample tube array system of claim 14, wherein the protrusions comprise polystyrene.
16. The sample tube array system of claim 1, further comprising one or more skirts extending downward from an outer perimeter of the panel.
17. The sample tube array system of claim 1, wherein the protrusions and the respective sample tubes have a circular profile as viewed in a vertical direction.
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 defect inspection apparatus for inspecting defects on an inspecting object, comprising:
illumination means for irradiating a beam of light on said inspecting object;
photo-detection means for detecting rays of light given off from said inspecting object under the irradiation of the light beam by said illumination means;
defect detection means for detecting a defect by processing a signal obtained through detection by said photo-detection means;
characteristic quantity calculation means for calculating a characteristic quantity related to a size of the defect; and
defect size correction means for correcting the size of the detected defect by using a ratio between the calculated characteristic quantity of the characteristic quantity calculation means and a corresponding characteristic quantity of a standard particle measured and calculated in advance.
2. A defect inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculated characteristic quantity is the sum total of intensities of said signal.
3. A defect inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said calculated characteristic quantity is the maximum value of intensities of said signal.
4. A defect inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said photo-detection means has a sampling pitch which is half or less the optical resolution.
5. A defect inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a process for determining the size of a defect, parameters inherent of the inspection apparatus are used.
6. A defect inspection method for detecting defects on an inspecting object comprising:
illumination step of irradiating a beam of light on said inspecting object;
photo-detection step of detecting rays of light given off from said inspecting object under the irradiation of the light beam in the illumination step;
defect detection step of detecting a defect by processing a signal obtained through detection in the photo-detection step;
characteristic quantity calculation step of calculating a characteristic quantity related to a sizes of the defect; and
defect size correction step of correcting the size of the detected defect by using a ratio between the calculated characteristic quantity of the characteristic quantity calculation step and a corresponding characteristic quantity of a standard particle measured and calculated in advance.
7. A defect inspection method according to claim 6, wherein as said calculated characteristic quantity, the sum total of intensities of said signal is used.
8. A defect inspection method according to claim 6, wherein as said calculated characteristic quantity, the maximum value of intensities of said signal is used.
9. A defect inspection method according to claim 6, wherein said photo-detection step is executed at a sampling pitch which is half or less the optical resolution.
10. A defect inspection method according to claim 6, wherein in a process for determining the size of a defect, parameters inherent of an inspection apparatus are used.