Patent Document ID: 7864379
Application ID: 11644564
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A multi-spectral scanning microscope for imaging an object, comprising: a plurality of discrete microscope objectives arranged in rows in a microscope array, said objectives being configured to image respective sections of the object during a scan of the object; a scanning mechanism for producing said scan as a result of a relative movement between the microscope array and the object, wherein the scan is implemented along a linear direction of scan across the object and said rows of objectives are staggered with respect to the direction of scan, such that during the scan each of the objectives acquires image data corresponding to a respective continuous strip of the object along the direction of scan; a detector optically coupled to the microscope array for capturing image data representative of respective images of said sections of the object imaged by said plurality of objectives; a light source adapted to illuminate the object at multiple distinct wavelengths; a mechanism for placing the object and the detector at respective distances from the microscope array so as to maintain a substantially constant magnification at each of said distinct wavelengths; and a system for combining said image data captured by the detector during a sequence of scans of the scanning mechanism carried out at said multiple distinct wavelengths; wherein said light source includes a multi-sided drum with a corresponding plurality of sites, each site being capable of emitting one of said distinct wavelengths, and the light source further includes a mechanism for rotating the drum to selectively illuminate the object with any one of said distinct wavelengths.