Patent ID: 7009651

Claim:
For imaging a target object, an imaging system comprising: a first beam splitter configured to substantially transmit part of received light as first transmitted light and to substantially reflect part of received light as first reflected light; a defocus system configured to modify optical power of substantially one of the following: the first transmitted light and the first reflected light, and to transmit the same as first transmitted defocused light; a reflector configured to reflect one of the following: the first reflected light and the first transmitted defocused light; a second beam splitter configured to substantially transmit part of one of the following: the first transmitted light as second transmitted light and the first transmitted defocused light as second transmitted defocused light and configured to substantially reflect part of one of the following: the first transmitted defocused light as second reflected defocused light and the first reflected light as second reflected light; and an imaging sub-system configured to focus one of the following pairs of light: the pair of the second transmitted light as imaged unaltered light and the second reflected defocused light, as imaged defocused light and the pair of the second transmitted defocused light as imaged defocused light and the second reflected light as imaged unaltered light and to focus the imaged defocused light with respect to an imaged defocused image plane and the imaged unaltered light with respect to an imaged unaltered image plane separated from the imaged defocused image plane, the second beam splitter oriented according to a mechanical angle such that the imaged unaltered light and the imaged defocused light have an angular separation other than zero.