Patent ID: 8027083

Claim:
A contact microscope, comprising: two point light sources positioned above a specimen, each point light source of said two point light sources create a shadow when projected on said specimen; a glass specimen holder that holds said specimen in contact with a top surface of said a glass specimen holder; a digital imaging device positioned beneath said top surface of said a glass specimen holder and within said a glass specimen holder, said digital imaging device receiving an optical image of said specimen that does not pass through an optical lens, said optical image of said specimen comprises a pair of substantially similar shadows separated by a distance proportional to a height of said specimen above said digital imaging device and created by each of said two point light sources; a processor operatively connected to said digital imaging device, wherein said processor is configured to produce a digital image of said specimen positioned on said specimen holder; and a display operatively connected to said processor, wherein said display is configured to display said digital image, said a glass specimen holder intersects a unidirectional path of light from each point light source of said two point light sources to said digital imaging device.