Patent ID: 6580504
Filing Date: 2003-06-17
Classification: G01J,G01N,G02B,G06K

Abstract:
An illumination system adapted to increase an amount of light incident upon an object that is moving relative to the illumination system, comprising:(a) a light source producing a beam of light; (b) a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface disposed opposite each other and maintained in a facing relationship so as to define a reflection cavity, the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface being separated by a defined distance, said reflection cavity having a field of view through which the object passes between the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface, said beam of light being incident upon the first reflecting surface at an acute angle relative to a normal to the first reflecting surface, the angle and the distance being selected such that said beam of light is reflected back and forth between the first and second reflecting surfaces so as to cross the field of view a predefined number of times, said beam of light thus being incident on the object a plurality of times as the object traverses the field of view; and (c) a detector disposed such that light from the object is incident upon the detector, while said beam of light is not incident upon the detector.