Patent ID: 8708685

Claim:
A solid imaging system for producing physical objects from sinterable powder based upon 3D designs, the solid imaging system comprising: an aperture system comprising: a light source; at least one aperture comprising a first aperture, said first aperture interposed between the light source and a layer of sinterable powder; and an optical system comprising one or more lenses, wherein said optical system is configured to focus light from said aperture onto said layer of sinterable powder; and a sinterable powder applicator for applying the layer of sinterable powder within the solid imaging system; wherein said optical system comprises an object plane, and said first aperture coincides with said object plane such that an image of said first aperture is projected onto said layer of sinterable powder, said image being characterized by an outer diameter, and wherein said light focused on the layer of sinterable powder is characterized by a point spread function, and a variance of the point spread function in proximity to the outer diameter of said image is less than a variance of the point spread function in proximity to the center of the image.