METHOD FOR PREPARING AN OBJECT TO BE TESTED AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE UNIFORMITY AND INTENSITY OF AN ELECTRIC FIELD INDUCED IN SAID OBJECT ILLUMINATED BY AN INCIDENT ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE

Abstract

A method for preparing an object to be tested, having a given relative permittivity, intended to be illuminated by an incident electromagnetic wave. The method includes: providing a part including a cavity for housing the object and at least one extension element made from a material having a relative permittivity that is preferably equal to that of the object, the extension element at least partially delimiting the cavity and extending to either side of the cavity in a passage direction of the cavity, over a length at least equal, on either side of the cavity, to one third of the length of the cavity in the passage direction, and placing the object in the cavity, such that the object is in contact with the extension element in the passage direction.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A method for preparing an object to be tested that will be illuminated by an incident electromagnetic field, the object having a given relative permittivity, the method comprising: supplying a part having a cavity to house the object and at least one extension element made of a material with a relative permittivity equal to the relative permittivity of the object within +/50%, the at least one extension element partly delimiting the cavity and extending on each side of the cavity along a passage direction of the cavity, over a length which is, on each side of the cavity, equal to at least one third of the length of the cavity along the passage direction; and placing the object in the cavity such that the object is in contact with the at least one extension element along the passage direction.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the extension element has a relative permittivity equal to the relative permittivity of the object within +/40%.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the relative permittivity of the extension element is equal to the relative permittivity of the object.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the object to be tested has a given electrical conductivity and the electrical conductivity of the at least one extension element is equal to that of the object within +/30%.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the part comprises a support device and the at least one extension element is a layer deposited on a surface of the support element, a well being made in the layer to form the cavity in which the object is to be housed.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one extension element is a layer, a non-through well being made in the layer to form the cavity in which the object is to be housed.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one extension element is a block comprising a closed cavity that forms the cavity in which the object is to be housed.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the part comprises a hollow support device with two opposite ends connected by a wall and the at least one extension element is a first layer closing off one of the two ends of the hollow support device and a second layer closing off the other of the two ends of the hollow support device, the space delimited by the wall and the first and second layers forming the cavity in which the object is to be housed.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the length of an extension element on each side of the cavity is equal to at least half the length of the cavity along the passage direction.

23. A method for improving the uniformity and intensity of the electric field induced in an object to be tested illuminated by an electromagnetic wave, the method comprising: preparing the object to be tested according to claim 14; and applying an incident electric field on the object to be tested by illumination of the object with an incident electromagnetic wave, a direction of the incident electric field of the incident electromagnetic wave being chosen to be identical to the passage direction of the cavity.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the preparing the object to be tested further comprises placing the part in an exposure system having a hollow electrically conducting element made of an electrically conducting material extending along a longitudinal direction and having two electrically conducting portions facing each other in a section plane along a longitudinal direction, the part being placed in the hollow element between the two electrically conducting portions of the hollow element.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the preparing the object to be tested further comprises placing the part in an exposure system having at least two electrically conducting elements made of an electrically conducting material and placed approximately parallel to and facing each other, such that the part is placed between the two electrical conducting elements.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the at least one extension element of the part is in contact with at least one of the two electrically conducting portions or with at least one of the two electrically conducting elements.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the at least one extension clement of the part is in contact with at least one of the two electrically conducting portions or with at least one of the two electrically conducting elements.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] This description will be made with reference to the appended drawings among which:

[0034] FIGS. 1a and 1b represent a perspective side view and top view respectively, of a first embodiment of the invention, in which the part comprises a Petri box that acts as a support device;

[0035] FIGS. 2a and 2b represent a perspective side view and a longitudinal sectional view respectively, of a second possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part comprises a microscope slide that acts as a support device;

[0036] FIG. 3 represents a perspective side view of a third possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part comprises a well plate that acts as a support device;

[0037] FIG. 4 represents a longitudinal sectional view of a fourth possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part does not comprise a support device and the extension element is a layer in which a non-through well is made;

[0038] FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of a fifth possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part does not comprise a support device and the extension element is a block in which a closed well is made;

[0039] FIG. 6 represents a sixth possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part comprises an Eppendorf type tube that acts as a support device;

[0040] FIG. 7 represents a seventh possible embodiment of the invention, in which the part comprises an Eppendorf type tube with a conical shaped end that acts as a support device;

[0041] FIGS. 8a and 8b represent the map of peak electric fields (in absolute value) in a horizontal cut plane passing through the centre of the object under test, for the object under test in a particular extension element (FIG. 8a) and for the object under test alone (FIG. 8b) respectively;

[0042] FIGS. 9a and 9b represent the associated profile read on the x axis (direction of the incident electrical field) in the object under test, for the object under test in an extension element (FIG. 9a) and for the object under test alone (FIG. 9b) respectively;

[0043] FIGS. 10a and 10b represent the variations with time of component Ex (where Ex is the component parallel to the incident electrical field) at the centre of the object under test in an extension element (FIG. 10a) and for the object under test alone (FIG. 10b), respectively;

DETAILED PRESENTATION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

[0044] The principle on which this invention is based consists of artificially modifying the geometry of the object to be tested so as to artificially prolong the dimensions of the object to be tested by using an extension material with electrical characteristics similar to those of the object.

[0045] The material with which the extension of the volume of the OUT is made must have a relative permittivity and preferably an electrical conductivity as close as possible to those of the object to be tested, so as to form the globally most uniform possible volume. The material from which the extension element(s) is (are) made may be a composite material, a ceramic or a gel, etc.

[0046] The assembly formed by the object to be tested and its 3d extension 10 then behave like a single object. Thus, the level of the electric field induced in the object under test depends on the global dimensions of the object to be tested+extension assembly, and more particularly its dimensions along the direction of the electric field. Indeed, the distribution of the electric field depends on the global geometry, independently of the geometry of the object to be tested. Provided that the dimension of the object to be tested is relatively small compared with the global dimension of the object to be tested+extension assembly along the direction of the incident electric field (this is why the length of the extension element is, on both sides of the cavity in which the object to be tested is placed, equal to at least one third of the cavity along the passage direction), the uniformity and intensity of the field in the object to be tested is significantly improved compared with an object to be tested alone configuration.

[0047] In fact, the total length of the extension material along the passage direction of the cavity (lengths of the extension element(s) on each side of the cavity) can both compensate for the resulting edge non-uniformity caused, in prior art, by the walls of the container in which the object to be tested is placed and the surrounding vacuum, and also increase the coupling length with the incident electric field.

[0048] Finally, the total length of the extension material shall be chosen as a function of the required degree of improvement.

[0049] For example, in the case illustrated below for an Eppendorf tube, since the dimension of the cavity along the passage direction is a few centimetres, coupling between the incident electric field and the induced electric field is already significant. The extension material is then useful principally for making the induced electric field uniform and the total length of the extension material may be as low as of the length of the cavity.

[0050] On the contrary, in the case illustrated below of a cylindrical cavity with a radius of 4 mm made in a layer deposited in a Petri box, the extension material, in addition to its role of increasing uniformity, also has the effect of increasing the coupling length. Therefore the total length of the extension material must be much longer than in the previous case. For example, in the example illustrated below there is a ratio of more than 10 between the length of the object under test+extension material assembly along the passage direction and the length of the cavity.

[0051] In all cases, the optimal coupling length (the object under test+extension material being considered like an antenna in reception) is a fraction of the incident wave length. If this length is too short, coupling will not be improved much; but if this length is too long, there is a risk of stationary waves developing within the object under test+extension material assembly. Therefore the one skilled in the art will have to adjust the length of the extension material depending on the required results.

[0052] Depending on the configuration of the extension element(s), it is possible to obtain an extension of the volume of the object to be tested along one direction (1D extension) (see the example of the Eppendorf tube below), along two directions (2D extension) (see the two examples below of a plate and a Petri box) and along three dimensions (3D extension).

[0053] The part may include a support device. This support device may be in various forms (Petri box, well plate, microscope slide, Eppendorf tube, etc.) and must be adapted to the specific features of experiments and the nature of objects under test, that will define the composition of the extension material (ceramic, gel, etc.). Note that the choice of the support device and the extension material must take account of various constraints on the geometry, electrical properties, mechanical and chemical properties (for example such as the resistance to sterilisation, if the support device and the extension element(s) is (are) to be reused).

[0054] In the following examples, the object to be tested is a 12.5 L suspension containing Giant Unilammelar cells (GUV) in a solution of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). The relative permittivity of the object is 73.75 and its electrical conductivity is 1.73 S/m at the frequency of 1.5 GHz. The extension element(s) is (are) made of agar agar, that has a relative permittivity of 76 and an electrical conductivity of 0.37 S/m at this frequency.

[0055] According to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the part 1 comprises a support device 6 that is a Petri box and the extension element 4 is a layer of agar-agar deposited in the Petri box, in which a well is made that will form the cavity 2 inside which the object to be tested 3 will be located. Preferably, the well is made in the layer at the centre of the Petri box so as to maximise the length of the extension element on each side of the cavity. Thus in this representation, the layer delimits the cavity along the passage direction 5 over the entire lateral cylindrical wall of the cavity (in the plane of the layer). The circular wall forming the bottom of the cavity is formed by the support device (the Petri box). Therefore the incident electric field may be directed indifferently in the plane of the layer. The constraint on the direction of the electric field is then eliminated.

[0056] This geometry becomes compatible with the use of an incident electromagnetic wave with circular polarisation or an incident wave with elliptical polarisation, for which the direction of the electric field rotates in a plane parallel to the surface of the bottom of the Petri box.

[0057] Finally, if a Petri box is used, the volume of the object to be tested can be reduced to the volume of a disk a few millimetres thick located at the centre of a hollowed out disk formed by a layer made of a material with dielectric characteristics similar to those of the object to be tested.

[0058] According to a second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the part 1 comprises a support device 6 that is a standard glass microscope slide (2480 mm), on which a 1 mm (thickness not critical) layer of agar agar is deposited. The layer also includes at its centre a cylindrical well that forms the cavity 2 for the object to be tested 3.

[0059] A glass slide can be added above the agar agar layer to make sure that the well is leak tight and to allow vertical positioning of the part during illumination by a wave with horizontal incidence, or top-down positioning during observations under a microscope.

[0060] Several wells can be made in this layer as shown in FIG. 3 that shows a third embodiment of the invention. This embodiment can be used to test several objects to be tested simultaneously.

[0061] Note that the well(s) can be made in all or some of the thickness of the layer of extension material. If the layer made of an extension material is located on a support device, the well(s) can be through wells and can pass through the thickness of the layer. FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment that is the case for a non-through well made in a thick layer made of extension material. This configuration eliminates the need to use a support device, since the extension volume performs the twofold function of cavity and support. According to a fifth embodiment, a closed cavity can also be made inside a block made of extension material, as shown in FIG. 5. The result is that the volume of the object is extended in the three dimensions.

[0062] According to a sixth embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the part 1 includes a hollow support device that is a cylindrical tube such as an Eppendorf type tube, and the extension element is composed of two plugs 41, 42 made of agar agar, placed at the ends of the tube, the object to be tested 3 being placed in the tube between these two plugs. If a conical Eppendorf type tube is used (FIG. 7), this solution has the advantage that it avoids the additional non-uniformity added inside the tube by this particular geometry.

[0063] We made two digital simulations using the CST Microwave studio software to illustrate the efficiency of this method according to the invention, using an object to be tested alone as the reference sample, and the same object deposited in a well made in a layer of agar agar on a microscope slide, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0064] The dimension of the extension material in the direction of incidence of the electric field regulates the amplitude of the electric field induced in the object to be tested.

[0065] For example, for an object to be tested in the form of a 4 mm diameter 1 mm thick disk, a relative permittivity (.sub.r) of 80, an electrical conductivity () of 1.5 S/m at a frequency of 1.5 GHz, and a 24 mm80 mm1 mm virtual extension material (but that could be a low loss ceramic) with a relative permittivity of 60 and zero electrical conductivity at this frequency.

[0066] A comparison between the results obtained for these two digital simulations shows the efficiency of the method according to the invention in improving the uniformity and intensity of the field.

[0067] It can be seen that the ratio between the maximum intensity of the electric field induced at the centre of the object under test and the intensity of the incident electric field varies from 10% (without extension material) to 100% (with extension material). The non-uniformity ratio varies from 800% (without extension material) to 14% (with extension material).

[0068] For illustration purposes, FIGS. 8a and 8b, 9a and 9b, 10a and 10b contain the results obtained using a plane electromagnetic wave with normal incidence, for the configuration with extension material (FIGS. 8a, 9a and 10a) and for the configuration without extension material (FIGS. 8b, 9b and 10b) respectively.

[0069] It can be seen that gains due to the use of an extension are more than an order of magnitude, both in terms of the intensity of the induced electric field and the uniformity of the electric field in the volume of the object under test, despite significant differences in permittivity and conductivity of the object under test and the extension material.

[0070] An additional digital simulation was made using the characteristics of 2% agar agar for the extension material (relative permittivity equal to 76 and electrical conductivity 0.37 S/m at a frequency of 1.5 GHz). The results obtained show a non-uniformity ratio of 5% instead of the 14% obtained with the virtual extension material considered during the previous simulation. Thus, it can be seen that the uniformity and intensity of the field induced in the object under test are further improved when using an extension material for which the relative permittivity and electrical conductivity are similar to those of the object under test.