Patent ID: 7639365

Claim:
A confocal scanning holography microscope for use with a suitably selected coherent wavelength source, for the production of a coherent beam, and a suitably selected detector for providing three dimensional information on an object, said microscope comprising: scanning means for moving said coherent beam in a suitably selected pattern; means for producing and focusing at a suitably selected convergence angle, an object beam and a reference beam to an object focal point and a reference focal point, respectively, at a suitably selected position said object beam having a transmission path of essentially the same length of a transmission path of said reference beam, said object beam intercepting an object at the object focal point and said reference beam passing by the object; means for defining the object beam and the reference beam based on the geometry of said convergence angle and said position of said object focal point and said reference focal point; and means for producing an interference pattern between said object focal point and said reference focal point, such that in use, information is collected about an object by a detector.