Patent ID: 9651419
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G01J,G02B,G03H

Claim:
1. An apparatus for confocal imaging of a non-flat specimen, the apparatus having an optical axis and being couplable to a light source for producing a light beam comprising coherent light, the apparatus comprising: an imaging optics system adapted to focus the light beam into at least one spot on the non-flat specimen; and a detector having an integration time and adapted to receive and detect light reflected from the non-flat specimen so as to generate a signal, the imaging optics system comprising an optical component, the optical component being movable so as to effect a periodic movement of the at least one spot to a plurality of distinct locations on the non-flat specimen along a predetermined path, the periodic movement of the at least one spot along the predetermined path synchronized to the integration time of the detector, wherein the detector is adapted to average light reflected from the plurality of distinct locations so as to reduce noise in the signal, and wherein the optical component is arranged along the optical axis between the light source and the non-flat specimen such that the light beam from the light source passes through the optical component to reach the non-flat specimen and the light reflected from the non-flat specimen passes through the optical component to reach the detector.