Wide field of view and high speed scanning microscopy

1. A wide field of view scanner, comprising:

a scanning assembly constructed to receive a light excitation beam emitted from a light source and provide said excitation beam in a scanning motion to an examined surface;

an objective lens associated with and displaced by said scanning assembly arranged to provide an optical path from said light source to the examined surface and from the examined surface fluorescent light, excited in response to said excitation beam, to a light detector; said displaced objective lens and said scanning assembly providing said optical path having substantially constant length defined by at least two mirrors and extending partially over an axis of the scanning motion after emission from said light source prior to reaching said objective lens;

a focusing mechanism constructed to focus light provided by said objective lens with respect to the surface being scanned;

a translation system constructed to produce movement of the examined surface; and

a data collection control and processing unit arranged to collect data during the scanning motion and process the collected data.

2. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said scanning assembly includes oscillating support structure comprising a scan arm constructed to support said objective lens.

3. The scanner of claim 2 wherein said support structure includes a periscope assembly arranged to provide said optical path including said objective lens.

4. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said focusing mechanism includes a tilting mechanism constructed to tilt said examined surface for focusing light passing through said objective lens.

5. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said data collection control and processing unit is constructed to collect optical data over an arcuate scan motion of said objective lens and arranged to time the data collection during the arcuate scan motion.

6. The scanner of claim 5 including a data conversion system arranged to convert said collected data to a raster grid by averaging, for each raster point, the value of data points near the raster point, the values being weighted by their respective distances from the raster point.

7. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said objective lens has a numerical aperture larger than 0.5.

8. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said surface is part of a microscope slide comprising biological material.

9. The scanner of claim 8 wherein said microscope slide is located in a slide holder.

10. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said surface is part of a DNA chip arranged for hybridization of a biological material prior to scanning.

11. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said surface is part of a DNA chip comprising biological material arranged for DNA sequencing.

12. The scanner of claim 1 including a position transducer associated with said scanning assembly and constructed to provide a position signal corresponding to a position of said objective lens during said scanning motion.

13. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said processing unit is constructed to generate an image from said detected fluorescent light.

14. The scanner of claim 1 wherein said objective lens includes a micro-objective lens.

15. A wide field of view scanner, comprising:

a scanning assembly including an oscillating support structure constructed to support and displace a micro-objective lens in a scanning motion, said oscillating support structure providing a constant optical path defined by several mirrors supported by said scanning assembly;

a driver constructed to displace said support structure in an oscillating motion;

a position transducer associated with said scanning assembly and constructed to provide a position signal corresponding to a position of said micro-objective lens during said scanning motion;

a light source constructed to emit excitation light directed to an object including biological material;

an optical detector constructed to detect fluorescent light excited in response to said excitation light from said object;

a translation system constructed to produce movement of the object; and

a data collection control and processing unit constructed and arranged to receive position signal from said position transducer and optical data from said optical detector.

16. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said micro-objective lens is an aspheric lens.

17. The scanner of claim 15 arranged for confocal detection of said fluorescent light.

18. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said scanning assembly includes a periscope assembly arranged to provide said optical path including said micro-objective lens.

19. The scanner of claim 18 wherein said micro-objective lens receives said fluorescent light stimulated by a spot of said excitation light passing through said micro-objective lens.

20. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said processing unit is constructed to generate an image from said detected fluorescent light.

21. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said driver and said translation system are constructed and arranged to scan said object in form of a microscope slide.

22. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said driver and said translation system are constructed and arranged to scan said object in form of a DNA chip.

23. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said driver and said translation system are constructed and arranged to scan said object in form of a hybridization array.

24. The scanner of claim 15 including an optical merging system constructed to merge at least two light beams into a single beam directed over said optical path extending over said support structure to said micro-objective lens.

25. The scanner of claim 15 including a focusing mechanism constructed to focus said objective lens with respect to the surface being scanned.

26. The scanner of claim 15 wherein said driver and said translation system are constructed and arranged to scan said object in form of a microscope slide including a hybridized array.

27. The scanner of claim 26 wherein said microscope slide is located in a slide holder.