Patent ID: 8526001

Claim:
A dual mode optical resonance analysis system comprising: a light source operable at a first current to produce collimated, polarized light and a second current to produce laser light; an optical system for transmitting light from said light source to a sensor surface along an illumination optical path, first and second beam splitters alternatively positionable in said illumination optical path to direct said light upon said sensor surface, said first beam splitter having a first angular orientation selected to direct said light onto said sensor surface at a first range of incident angles so that a majority of light reflected from the sensor surface is incident upon and passes through said first beam splitter, said second beam splitter having a second angular orientation selected to direct light onto said sensor surface at a second range of incident angles so that a majority of light reflected from said sensor surface is not incident upon said second beam splitter, an imaging detector to form an image of said sensor surface; first and second reflecting surfaces alternatively positionable in a detector optical path from the sensor surface to said imaging detector, said first reflecting surface having a third angular orientation selected to direct light reflected from said sensor surface and passing through said first beam splitter onto said imaging detector, said second reflecting surface having a fourth angular orientation selected to direct light emanating from said sensor surface and passing through said second beam splitter onto said imaging detector, wherein in a first mode of operation, said light source is operated at said first current, said first beam splitter and first reflecting surface are positioned in the illumination optical path and detector optical path, respectively, and in a second mode of operation, said light sources is operated at said second current, said second beam splitter and said second reflecting surface are positioned in said illumination optical path and detector optical path, respectively.