Patent ID: 6867931

Claim:
An optical imaging system configured to form an image of an object, the optical imaging system comprising: a catadioptric optical system having an optical axis and a refractive optical system situated downstream of the catadioptric optical system along the optical axis; the catadioptric optical system being configured to form an intermediate image of a predetermined area of the object, wherein the predetermined area of the object and the intermediate image are displaced from the optical axis on first and second sides, respectively, of the optical axis in a manner by which light flux propagating to the catadioptric optical system from the object is separated from light flux propagating downstream of the catadioptric optical system to the refractive optical system; the refractive optical system being configured to form an image of the intermediate image, wherein the image formed by the refractive optical system is displaced from the optical axis; and at least one of the catadioptric optical system and the refractive optical system includes an aspheric optical surface.