Patent ID: 7440114
Filing Date: 2008-10-21
Classification: G01B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for illumination of an object in an interferometric imaging system, comprising: an off axis paraboloid mirror, and one or more optical fiber illumination sources, wherein light from the one or more optical fiber illumination sources diverges from a first point apart from the focus point of the off axis paraboloid mirror and proceeding to a reflecting parabolic surface of the off axis paraboloid mirror, the off axis paraboloid mirror reflecting light from the illumination source into a nearly parallel beam of light onto an object, wherein light from the nearly parallel beam of light which is specularly reflected from a flat surface of the object to the paraboloid mirror is reflected from the paraboloid mirror and focused to a second point, wherein the first and the second points are symmetrically located with respect to the focus; and wherein light from the nearly parallel beam of light which is non-specularly reflected from a flat surface of the object to the paraboloid mirror is reflected from the paraboloid mirror and forms a collimated beam.