Microscope Mounting Assembly for Repeatable Soft Material Cutting Tests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for accurately testing soft materials lack repeatability and fail to establish a quantitative relation between the energy required to cut and tear such materials, often relying on special-purpose systems with vertical blade arrangements and visual observation.
Innovation Solution
A microscope mounting system with a horizontal setup that includes a sample holder, blade holder, load measurement device, and precision adjustment assembly, allowing for precise alignment and measurement of cutting forces under an inverted microscope, enabling Y-shaped cutting tests with minimal friction and controlled failure rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a vertical blade arrangement with upward-pointing edge is used, then cutting force measurement is possible, but the system lacks repeatability and cannot establish quantitative relation between cutting and tearing energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical blade arrangement by using a horizontal blade configuration where the blade edge points in the horizontal direction rather than upward. This inversion allows the sample to be pulled downward into a Y-shape while the blade cuts horizontally, eliminating frictional contributions and enabling repeatable quantitative measurements of cutting and tearing energy relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional vertical cutting arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration where the blade operates in the horizontal plane while the sample is pulled vertically downward. This dimensional change allows simultaneous measurement of cutting force (horizontal blade motion) and tearing energy (vertical sample pull), establishing a quantitative relationship between the two energy types.
2Device complexity
If visual observation is used during testing, then the system is simple, but measurement precision and data collection capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the testing system: the horizontal blade arrangement serves both as the cutting element and as a mounting platform for precision adjustment assemblies and load measurement devices. The system simultaneously performs mechanical cutting, force measurement, and positional control, eliminating the need for separate visual observation while achieving high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces visual observation with instrumented measurement systems including load cells for force measurement and precision adjustment assemblies with encoded positioning. This substitution transitions from qualitative visual assessment to quantitative mechanical-electrical measurement, achieving 1 mN resolution and 20 Hz data collection rates.
3Force
If a custom cutting instrument with vertical blade is used, then cutting force measurement is achieved, but frictional contributions contaminate the measured cutting energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the blade horizontally rather than vertically, with the cutting edge pointing in the direction of sample pull rather than opposite to it. This inversion geometry eliminates friction between the blade and sample surfaces, allowing pure cutting force measurement without frictional contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an asymmetric Y-shaped sample geometry where the two legs are pulled at specific angles (typically 30-60 degrees from the vertical) while the blade cuts horizontally. This asymmetric configuration ensures that the measured force represents pure cutting energy rather than a combination of cutting and friction, as the geometry naturally eliminates contact between the blade and sample surfaces other than at the cutting line.
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope mounting system includes a sample holder shaped and configured to fit a particular horizontal microscope stage and fix one end of a soft material sample. A blade holder configured to position a cutting blade and connect directly or eventually to the particular microscope or a frame of the particular microscope. A load measurement device is configured to determine a load applied to the cutting blade. A precision adjustment assembly sets positioning of the cutting blade in the horizontal x-y plane and the z vertical plane such that a cutting edge of the cutting blade can be positioned at a focal point of the particular microscope. At least two grips are configured to grip a second end of the soft material sample at at least two discrete locations on opposite sides of the cutting blade when the blade contacts the soft material sample at the focal point. A tension mechanism can apply tension in the x-y plane to each of the at least two grips.