Patent ID: 8305580

Claim:
A method for producing and detecting fluorescence at or below a skin surface of a human or an animal, said method comprising: using a light source, directing fluorescence excitation light along a light path extending over said skin surface; receiving the excitation light along a portion of said light path with a three-dimensionally curved reflector interface configured to a) reflect said light transversely with respect to said light path so as to focus said excitation light on an illumination zone at or below said surface for stimulation of fluorescence at said zone, b) collect fluorescence light emitted at said zone and c) reflect said fluorescent light transversely to pass back along said light path; and using a detector, receiving said light emitted as fluorescence after reflection at said interface; in which the whole of the light path from the light source to the reflector interface and the whole of the light path from the reflector interface to the detector extend over said skin surface.