Method and device for carrying out optical pickup

A scanner for scanning an object and obtaining three-dimensional information about the surface of said object, comprising:

• a) at least one two-dimensional electronic image converter;
• b) at least one optical element imaging said object on said electronic image converter;
• c) a first beam source for illuminating said object and a second beam source for illuminating said object,
• d) wherein said first beam source illuminates said object and substantially simultaneously a first image of the object is obtained by said at least one electronic image converter, said first image obtained from incident radiation at a first level of received beam energy;
• e) wherein said second beam source illuminates said object and substantially simultaneously a second image of said object is obtained by said at least one electronic image converter, said second image obtained from incident radiation at a second level of received beam energy different from said first level;
• and
• f) wherein said illumination of said object and the generation of said first and second images are performed in succession such that said electronic image converter thereby obtains two consecutive images of the object at different levels of received beam energy.