Patent ID: 6924897

Claim:
A point source module comprising: (a) a Shack cube comprising a beam splitter cube having four optically functional faces, with an optical element having a spherical reference surface secured to one of said four faces and defining a reference arm; (b) a test arm that is associated with transmission of optical radiation from a source to a sample and through one of the following: (i) said reference surface, or (ii) a face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said reference surface and on the opposite side of the beam splitting surface from said reference surface; (c) a phase shifter situated between said beam splitter cube and said sample; (d) a point source of optical radiation whose emissions are incident on a face of said beam splitter cube such that light from said source traverses both said reference arm and said test arm; and (e) a detector associated with a face of said beam splitter cube adjacent said source and on the opposite side of the beam splitting surface from said source comprising a detector arm, an objective lens associated with said test arm, or both.