1. An imaging device comprising: a carrier stage for carrying a sample slide, a light source for illuminating the sample slide, said sample slide including an array of samples, drive means for moving the carrier stage relative to the sample slide such that successive portions of the sample slide are illuminated by the light source; a digital optical camera system disposed such that, in use, it captures substantially only said successive portions of light rays which emerge from the sample slide at an offset angle relative to light rays from light source transmitted through and emerging from the sample slide to generate a series of partial images arranged to be reconstructed into an image of the sample slide or array of samples.