Patent ID: 7280261

Claim:
An imager for imaging a sample, the imager comprising: an imager stage having a planar surface for supporting a sample; a bifurcated light path having two fiber optic bundles, each bundle having a first end arranged to define an input aperture for viewing the sample on the imager stage, and a distal bundle end arranged to define an output aperture disposed away from the imager stage; a scanning source arranged to scan a beam along a path that is perpendicular to the sample on the imager stage and closely adjacent to both bundles of the bifurcated light path such that a substantially circular spot of illumination provided by the scanning source on the imager stage sample provides a light signal at least a portion of which is received by the input aperture of each bundle and transmitted via the bifurcated light path to the output aperture; a photodetector arranged to detect the light signal at the distal end; and a processor that processes the light signal detected by the photodetector.