Patent ID: 7078676

Claim:
An optical displacement sensor, comprising: (a) a first optical line, said first optical line being positionable to be in optical communication with an illumination source; (b) a sensor emitter, said sensor emitter having at least one emitting surface, (b1) wherein said sensor emitter is in optical communication with said first optical line, (b2) wherein said sensor emitter is non-diffracting and optically conductive, and, (b3) wherein at least a portion of any light originating from said illumination source is emitted from said at least one emitting surfaces; (c) a sensor receiver, said sensor receiver having at least one receiving surface, said sensor receiver being positioned to be proximate to said sensor emitter and in optical communication therewith, (c1) wherein said sensor receiver is non-diffracting and optically conductive, (c2) wherein at least one of said receiving surfaces is in optical communication with at least one of said emitting surfaces, (c3) wherein at least a portion of any light emitted from said emitting surface is received by said receiving surface, and, (c4) wherein said sensor receiver and said sensor emitter are movable with respect to each other, wherein an amount of light received by said receiving surface varies with any such movement, and wherein said amount of light received by said receiving surface is representative of an amount of displacement between said emitting surface and said receiving surface; and, (d) a second optical line, said second optical line being in optical communication with said sensor receiver, said second optical line being at least for transmitting at least a portion of any light received by said receiving surface.