Method and apparatus for detecting defects in lenses

PCT No. PCT/US94/07483 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 18, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 18, 1995 PCT Filed Jul. 1, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO95/01558 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 12, 1995There is provided a method and an apparatus for testing an optical component for cosmetic defects, the component having optical surfaces, a peripheral surface and a bulk defined by the optical and peripheral surfaces, a range of inspection of the component including at least one optical surface and the bulk of the component at least in the vicinity of the one optical surface. The method includes producing at least one beam of inspection radiation and directing rays of the at least one beam onto the peripheral surface at such angles as to enable the rays to travel in the bulk of the component by multiple total internal reflections from the at least one optical surface, providing illumination of each point in the inspection range by set of rays at different angles, and to emerge from the component through the peripheral surface, and monitoring a radiation scattered by the defects and emerging from the component through the at least one optical surface, thereby identifying the defects.