Patent ID: 7813529

Claim:
A method for reconstructing a three-dimensional image of an object comprising: (a) capturing an image at each of a plurality of predetermined locations along a linear path by way of a single camera and creating a sequence of images, wherein at least adjacent captured images in the sequence partially overlap; (b) collecting the plurality of captured images; (c) selecting a depth and determining a scale of the captured images; (d) selecting a single image corresponding to the selected depth and determined scale; (e) shifting the selected single image by a predetermined distance; (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) for each of the predetermined locations in which an image was captured to create a single layer of the sequence of images; (g) repeating steps (c)-(f) at a new depth; (h) repeating step (g) to create a plurality of layers of the sequence of images; (i) subdividing the plurality of layers into a plurality of columns; (j) determining the depth at which at least a portion of the sequence of images is in focus in each of the plurality of columns; and (k) reconstructing the three-dimensional image.