Patent ID: 7787197

Claim:
An optical analyzer comprising: (a) a light source adapted to emit an approximately collimated light beam along a light path; (b) a focusing lens positioned in the light path, adapted to focus the light beam onto a focal spot within a sample analysis region, wherein said focusing lens has a focal length f 1 , (c) beam-adjusting optics positioned in the light path between the light source and the focusing lens, wherein said beam-adjusting optics comprises at least one beam-adjusting lens that is mounted in a positioning device that allows movement of the beam-adjusting lens in a plane perpendicular to the light path, wherein said beam-adjusting lens has a focal length f 2 , wherein said beam-adjusting lens and said focusing lens are separated by a distance z along the light path, and wherein |f 2 −z|≧4·f 1 .