SYSTEM FOR DARK-FIELD IMAGING OF TARGET AREAS BELOW AN OBJECT SURFACE

摘要

A monitoring system for dark-field imaging of a target area (72) below a surface (70) of an object, e.g., capillary vessel under the surface of the skin of a patient, comprises an illumination optical system (31), an imaging system (35), and a selective optical interception system for suppressing illumination light returning from the region between the surface of the object and the target area. The interception system may comprise crossed polarizers (32, 37) in the illumination and imagining paths, respectively, and/or an aperture stop (51) arranged to intercept a central portion of the returning imaging beam. Alternatively, the illumination and imaging paths subtend an angle and the illumination focus and the imaging focus are displaced relative to each other. The monitoring system may be comprised in an analysis apparatus further comprising a spectroscopy system having an excitation system and a detection system.