Patent ID: 9675430
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A61C,G01B,G02B

Claim:
1. A confocal imaging apparatus comprising: an illumination module to generate an array of light beams; focusing optics comprising a plurality of lenses disposed along an optical path of the array of light beams, the focusing optics to perform confocal focusing of the array of light beams onto a non-flat focal surface and to direct the array of light beams toward a three dimensional object to be imaged; a translation mechanism to adjust a location of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses to displace the non-flat focal surface along an imaging axis defined by the optical path; and a detector to measure intensities of an array of returning light beams that are reflected off of the three dimensional object and directed back through the focusing optics, wherein the intensities of the array of returning light beams are to be measured for a plurality of locations of the at least one lens for determination of positions on the imaging axis of a plurality of points of the three dimensional object, wherein detected positions of one or more of the plurality of points are to be adjusted to compensate for the non-flat focal surface.