Patent ID: 8346346

Claim:
An optical system for accessing and analyzing an internal portion of a sample, the system comprising: an optical access arrangement having an embedded end configured to embed in the sample, an exposed end configured to extend at least to an external surface of the sample, sidewalls extending from the embedded end to the exposed end and connecting the embedded end to the exposed end, the sidewalls and the embedded end configured to separate an internal portion of the sample from an external environment located at the exposed end and within the sidewalls, the sidewalls configured to provide a probe-guiding passage for guiding movement of optical probes relative to the sidewalls while the optical access arrangement is embedded in the sample, a lens-type arrangement having at least one lens, the lens-type arrangement being connected to the embedded end of the optical access arrangement and facilitating the passage of light into the sample, and an actuator configured and arranged to actuate the lens to focus light to a selected depth into the sample; a light director that directs light, via the lens-type arrangement, to a target location in the sample and from the target location to a light detector; and a light detector that receives light from the sample, via the light director, and that presents a signal characterizing the detected light.