Patent ID: 7108402

Claim:
A precise, rapid shutter system comprising: a) a first pixelated spatial light modulator (SLM) configured to accept light from a light source, the first pixelated SLM configured to shutter the light and pass substantially only desired light impinging on the first pixelated SLM as a partially shuttered light beam, b) a second pixelated SLM configured to accept the partially shuttered light beam from the first pixelated SLM and to pass substantially only desired light impinging on the second pixelated SLM as a post-shutter light beam, wherein the first and second pixelated SLMs are operably connected to at least one controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls an on/off pattern of pixels in the first and second pixelated SLMs to display substantially the same shutter configuration and thus to simultaneously reject a same pattern of non-desired light from the light source or first pixelated SLM, respectively, and to pass desired light as the post-shutter light beam consisting substantially only of a desired selected light output.