Patent ID: 8593644

Claim:
A measurement head for a profilometer, for connection to a profilometer base unit via a fiber optic bundle that transmits light reflected from a surface of interest from the measurement head to the base unit, comprising: a housing having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end having a transparent window for allowing the light from the surface to enter the housing; wherein the housing is attached only to the fiber optic bundle; wherein the housing encloses the measurement head; a lens at the upper end of the housing for directing the light to an endface of the fiber optic bundle; an objective for producing an image of the surface for relay to the fiber optic bundle; a beam splitter for dividing the light between a first optical path and a second optical path, both optical paths being internal to the measurement head; wherein the first optical path comprises a tilting mirror; wherein the beam splitter passes light along a straight optical axis of the first optical path to the tilting mirror; wherein the tilting mirror is operable to direct light along the first optical path to the surface via the window and to direct light reflected from the surface back to the objective; wherein the second optical path comprises a fold mirror and a reference mirror; wherein the beam splitter directs light orthogonally along the second optical path to the fold mirror; wherein the fold mirror is operable to direct light orthogonally to the reference mirror and to reflect light from the reference mirror back to the beam splitter and the objective; and an actuator for tilting the tilting mirror to a desired angle.