US Patent 7187450 Interferometric measuring device

An interferometric measuring device for measuring surface characteristics, shapes, distances, and changes in distance, for example vibrations, of measurement objects includes a probe section. A configuration with respect to ease of use and error-free scanning may be provided by the fact that the probe section is subdivided into a fixed probe section and a rotatable probe section mechanically and optically coupled thereto, and that a beam splitter is arranged in the rotatable probe section for creating a reference beam and a measuring beam for the interferometric measurement.