Patent ID: 6967342

Claim:
A method of irradiating at least one surface of a three-dimensional object with a desired ultraviolet light flux produced by an ultraviolet light source comprising: determining a position at which the three-dimensional object will be positioned relative to the ultraviolet light source when the at least one surface is to be irradiated with the desired ultraviolet light flux; determining an unmodified ultraviolet light flux which would irradiate the at least one surface when the ultraviolet light source is activated while the three-dimensional object is at the position relative to the ultraviolet light source; producing an optical element, based upon the unmodified ultraviolet light flux and the desired ultraviolet light flux, which provides a modified wavefront of the ultraviolet light flux produced by the ultraviolet light source and which optical element, if positioned in a path of the wavefront of the ultraviolet flux to the at least one surface, would cause the modified wavefront to irradiate the at least one surface with the desired ultraviolet light flux; positioning the optical element in the path which the wavefront of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source would follow in irradiating the at least one surface; and activating the ultraviolet light source to transmit the ultraviolet light flux from the ultraviolet light source to the optical element to cause irradiation of the at least one surface with the desired ultraviolet light flux.