Confocal imaging through thick dermal tissue

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide and improve clinical dermatological imaging system.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved confocal imaging system which provides images of dermatological tissues and avoids the need for biopsies to detect the location of such abnormalities as basal cell carcinomas and melanomas.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved confocal dermatological imaging system which does not require ionizing radiation and may use a laser beam.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved confocal imaging system which provides in vivo imaging of dermatological tissue both at and below the skin and which may be handheld and which is capable of operating in various scattering media.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved confocal dermatological imaging system which may use a computer to generate images from data produced by the optics which provides confocal imaging and to display or provide images for further evaluation or computer enhancement.