Patent ID: 6870946

Claim:
A compact apparatus for forming a high contrast, low distortion image of a patterned object including: a light refractor for reflecting and refracting light, the light refractor including; an imaging surface against which a patterned object to be imaged is to be placed; at least one light entrance surface adjacent to the imaging surface and through which light enters the light refractor; and a viewing surface adjacent to the imaging surface and through which an image of the object to be imaged is projected wherein the viewing surface and the imaging surface intersect to form an angle of between 52 and 72 degrees; at least one focusing lens adjacent to the viewing surface and for receiving and focusing an image of the patterned object projected through the viewing surface, the focusing lens having a diameter that is larger than a projection of the patterned object through the light refractor; and at least one light source located adjacent to the light receiving surface and for emitting incident light which enters the light refractor to create an image of the patterned object at the viewing surface, the light source defining a light source plane and positioned such that substantially all light emitted from the light source in a direction substantially perpendicular to the light source plane directly strikes the imaging surface of the light refractor.