Patent ID: 6449042
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: G01N,G02B

Abstract:
An apparatus for optical scanning along an essentially circular path, the apparatus having a mechanical base and comprising:a plurality of optical sources and an optical systems arranged on the mechanical base to form a plurality of individual collimated illumination beams parallel to a mechanical axis of the apparatus; a scanning optics rotationally mounted on the mechanical base to focus each of the collimated illumination beams into one common scanning spot, wherein the axis of rotation is coaxial with the mechanical axis and the scanning optics have an optical axis parallel to but not coaxial with the mechanical axis such that the common scanning spot sweeps a circular scanning path on a scanning plane perpendicular to the mechanical axis when the scanning optics is rotated; and a plurality of receiving optical systems arranged on the mechanical base to receive light backscattered from an object located at the scanning spot through the scanning optics, each receiving optical system having an optical axis parallel to the mechanical axis of the apparatus and operatively coupled to a detector arranged to receive the backscattered light and generate a signal proportional to the properties of the received light.