Optical surface scanning apparatus

摘要

The apparatus includes a laser light source from which a light beam is emitted to a movable optical fibre. The beam has an almost point-shaped cross-section and moves over the surface by a mechanical drive. A focussing optical system is spatially fixed in relation to the surface being scanned. The beam from the source is fed to a flexible light conductor, e.g. an optical fibre. One end of the fibre is fixed relative to the source. The other end is mechanically movable in an orthogonal plane relative to the optical axis of the focussing system. The fibre is arranged in a region between the single and double values of the optical system focal length. The distance of the fibre beam aperture from the system is selected depending on its distance to the surface being so small that through movement of the fibre the whole surface can be scanned with the light point.