Patent Document ID: 5587832
Application ID: 08138067
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A confocal optical imaging system for imaging a specimen comprising: a light source for providing light to the specimen, first optical means to direct light from said light source along an illumination path to said specimen, pattern array means positioned in said illumination path between said light source and said specimen which operates to transform light from said light source into a plurality of simultaneously formed illumination spots arranged in a pattern, said pattern array means including an electronically addressed and gated electrostatic microshutter array operative in response to control signals to provide sequential patterns of illumination spots, and a control means connected to said pattern array means, said control means operating to provide control signals to said pattern array means to cause said pattern array means to provide sequential complimentary patterns of illumination spots, said first optical means operating to separately image each said pattern of illumination spots simultaneously on said specimen.