Apparatus for dental confocal imaging

A method for confocal imaging, the method comprising:

• providing an illumination module for generating an array of light beams;
• and
• providing an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams and a probe head with a light-guiding part having an optical axis and an entrance face and an exit face,
• wherein the optics system is configured such that, after having passed through the optics system and before entering the probe head, outermost marginal rays of outermost light beams with respect to the optical axis are parallel or divergent with respect to the optical axis and a chief ray of the outermost light beams with respect to the optical axis is divergent.

An apparatus for confocal imaging, the apparatus comprising:

• an illumination module for generating an array of light beams;
• an optics system for confocal focusing of the array of light beams;
• and
• a probe head with a light-guiding part having an entrance face and an exit face,
• wherein the illumination module, the optics system and the probe head are arranged such that chief rays of the array of light beams before entering the probe head are divergent to each other, and
• wherein an off-axis chief ray of an outer beam of the array of light beams diverges at a divergence angle with respect to an optical axis and an outer marginal ray of the outer light beam converges at an angle with respect to the off-axis chief ray that is complementary to the divergence angle.