Patent Document ID: 6160910
Application ID: 09245434
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An optical imaging apparatus having focusing optics, with an optical axis, for sending light emitted from an object under observation placed within the field of view of said optical imaging apparatus along said optical axis from said object under observation to be focused on a focal plane, said optical imaging apparatus comprising: (a) a linear array of detectors, said linear array of detectors being positioned in said focal plane, said linear array of detectors outputting an image of a portion of said object under view; (b) a platform configured and dimensioned to support said object under observation in a known position with respect to said platform; (c) a moveable mounting responsive to horizontal and vertical mechanical drive forces to move said platform to a desired horizontal and vertical position; (d) a vertical motor having a vertical drive member for applying a vertical drive force to said movable mounting; (e) a horizontal motor having a horizontal drive member for applying a horizontal drive force to said movable mounting; (f) a light source emitting light onto said object under observation; (g) a horizontal position transmitting device coupled to said platform and having the ability to transmit positional data on said platform; (h) a vertical position transmitting device coupled to said platform and having the ability to transmit positional data on said platform; (i) a computer receiving horizontal positional data from said horizontal position transmitting device and receiving vertical positional data from said vertical position transmitting device, said computer using said horizontal and said vertical positional data to calculate the position of said object under observation with respect to said linear array of detectors, said computer using image data output by said linear array and positional data output by said horizontal position transmitting device and vertical position transmitting device to generate a three dimensional image.