Patent ID: 7113624

Claim:
An imager for imaging a sample, the imager including: an imager stage that supports the sample; a fiber optic bundle having a proximate bundle end of first fiber ends arranged to define an input aperture viewing the sample on the imager stage, and a distal bundle end of second fiber ends arranged to define an output aperture shaped differently from the input aperture and disposed away from the imager stage; a scanning radiation source arranged in fixed relative position to the input aperture, the scanning radiation source scanning a radiation beam on the sample within a viewing area of the input aperture, the radiation beam interacting with the sample to produce a light signal that is received by the input aperture and transmitted via the fiber optic bundle to the output aperture; a photodetector arranged to detect the light signal at the distal bundle end; and a processor that processes the light signal detected by the photodetector.