Patent ID: 7443508

Claim:
A spectrophotometric scanner for producing spectral reflectance images of the surface of a sample, the spectrophotometric scanner comprising: (a) a scanner for scanning the surface of a sample, the scanner comprising: (i) a spectral energy source for producing spectral energy in different wavelength bands; (ii) an imaging device including a row of sensors for detecting spectral energy; (iii) a first spectral energy director for directing the spectral energy produced by said spectral energy source onto the surface of the sample; (iv) a second spectral energy director for directing spectral energy reflected from the target surface to the row of sensors; (v) a reference detector for detecting changes in the spectral energy of each wavelength band produced by the spectral energy source; and (vi) a U-shaped substrate having a first leg, a second leg, and a cross leg that joins the first and second legs, wherein: (1) the row of sensors is located on the cross leg of the U-shaped substrate; (2) the spectral energy source is located on the first leg of the U-shaped substrate; and (3) the reference detector is located on the second leg of the U-shaped substrate; and (b) a controller coupled to said scanner for: (i) causing the spectral energy source to sequentially produce spectral energy in different wavelength bands; (ii) causing the spectral energy source to make at least one scan of the sample by moving the spectral energy source relative to the sample for each different wavelength band; and (iii) adjusting the spectral energy detected by the row of sensors resulting from the scanning of the sample based on changes detected by the reference detector.