Patent ID: 7573570

Claim:
A system comprising: an illumination source for providing a plurality of illuminating photons in a first direction of propagation; a microprism optically coupled to said illumination source to directly receive therefrom said plurality of illuminating photons in said first direction and to direct said received illuminating photons in a second direction of propagation; a focusing lens physically proximate to said microprism and optically coupled thereto, wherein said focusing lens is configured to directly receive said plurality of illuminating photons from said microprism in said second direction and to focus said illuminating photons onto a focusing location; wherein said microprism is a right angle (90°) microprism; and wherein said focusing lens is configured to have a lens surface that is physically closest to said right-angle microprism, and wherein said right-angle microprism is placed in close proximity of an edge of said lens surface and within a numerical aperture of said focusing lens.