Patent ID: 8248613

Claim:
An apparatus for capturing a hemispherical field of reflected rays from a sample surface, comprising: at least a first and second lens, respective lenses configured such that a beam of light, passing through a lens and collimated parallel to a lens center axis from a first side, is converged toward the lens center axis on a second side, respective lenses aligned along an optical center axis, where a first side of the first lens faces a first side of the second lens; a first light beam source disposed between the first and second lenses, configured to direct a first light beam toward the first lens parallel to the optical center axis; one or more second light beam sources disposed on a second side of the first lens, respectively configured to direct a second light beam toward a focal plane of the first lens at a desired angle from the focal plane; and an image capturing component disposed on a second side of the second lens, having an image capture surface directed toward the second lens, and configured to capture images comprised of light reflected from a sample capture surface at the focal plane of the first lens.