in the following , the invention will be described with the assumption that data to be recovered are stored in data pages in an information carrier such as that depicted in fig4 . since this information carrier contains data arranged in a matrix , the macro - cells also contain elementary data arranged in a matrix . referring to fig5 of the drawings , there is illustrated schematically a rectangular probe array comprising a matrix of light spots 102 . this probe array can be scanned across the data layer of the information carrier ( not shown ) in the direction indicated by the arrow a . it will be appreciated that such scanning may be achieved by movement of the light spots 102 relative to the information carrier or by means of movement of the information carrier relative to the light spots . as shown , the scanning direction a is non - parallel to the matrix defining the probe array . the size of each probe or light spot 102 in the arrangement of fig1 is one third of the pitch p of the probe array and the scanning direction a in the arrangement of fig1 is optimally chosen in such a way that , when the array is scanned over 3 pitches ( 3p ), the displaced array overlaps the original position of the array . when the array is scanned in steps equal to the diameter d of the light spots 102 , over 3 * 3 − 1 = 8 steps , the situation illustrated in fig6 occurs , wherein the light spots denoted 102 a indicate the initial position of the probe array and the light spots denoted 102 b . . . 102 i indicate the respective positions of the probe array for each scanning step . it is clear from this that scanning the array over 3 * 3 − 1 = 8 steps results in having read all the data on the card . it will be clear from fig6 that , in order to read all of the data on the data card using the one - dimensional scanning process of the present invention , the probe array needs to be larger than the area of the data layer to be read ( note that the upper two rows of the probe array illustrated in fig6 are not completely filled ). when the multiplexing factor m is defined as the ratio of array pitch p to probe size d , it can be seen that m − 1 rows are not completely filled during the scanning process , and m 2 − 1 steps are required to fill the whole surface of the data layer , whereas using the two - dimensional scanning process of the prior art , m − 1 steps in both directions would be required . thus , the stroke of the one - dimensional scanning apparatus used in the system of the present invention is : the one - dimensional scanning principle employed in the present invention can also be used in respect of larger data density applications , such as that used in the so - called two - dimensional optical storage ( twodos ) approach , aiming at demonstrating the feasibility of real - time , robust readout of a single layer disc with a capacity of at least 50 gb and at a data rate of more than 360 mbit / s . spacing between tracks on an optical information carrier limits attainable storage capacity , while the serial nature of the data in a one - dimensional optical storage system limits the attainable data throughput . as a result , the concept of twodos has been developed which is based on innovative two - dimensional channel coding and advanced signal processing , in combination with a read - channel consisting of a multi - spot light path realizing a parallel read - out . referring to fig7 of the drawings , in a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention suitable for use in larger data density applications , the probe array has been effectively rotated about a generally central z axis , such that the rows and columns of light spots 102 are effectively at an angle to the x and y axes respectively , and the scanning direction , indicated by the arrow b , is parallel to the y axis . the data area 105 is also shown and it can be seen that , in addition to the main advantage of the present invention whereby a one - dimensional scanner can be used instead of a two - dimensional scanner , because the number of probes 102 has been increased relative to that in the array of fig1 and 2 , the required scanning stroke in this case is much smaller than m − 1 . the effect of cross - talk between two neighbouring data bits can be reduced using the twodos approach ( since inter - symbol interference , which is considered to be noise in the case of one - dimensional storage , is considered to be part of the signal in the 2d case and , as such is used in the respective bit pattern reconstruction ) and by means of a system wherein read data pages can be stored in a buffer memory and subsequently recovered using dedicated data recovering algorithms in the digital processing domain . in this case , an additional advantage of the scanning system of fig7 is that the capacity of the buffer memory required for cross - talk cancellation is reduced , thereby contributing to define a cost - effective system . it will be appreciated that the angle of the rows and columns of light spots relative to the x and y axes in the embodiment illustrated in fig7 can be varied , as can the pitch of the light spots on the lines . in all cases , the probe array can be produced using the known diffraction phenomena referred to as “ talbot effect ”, whereby when a coherent input light beam is applied to an object having a periodic diffractive structure ( thus forming light emitters ), such as an array of apertures , the diffracted lights recombine into identical images of the emitters at a plane located at a predictable distance ( z 0 ), i . e . the talbot distance , from the diffracting structure . thus , the present invention provides a system for reading an information carrier ( or “ data card ”), whereby a one - dimensional scanner can be used to read out the full area of the data card , such that the resultant reader becomes less complex relative to prior art systems in which a two - dimensional scanner is used . as illustrated in fig8 , the system and method according to the invention may advantageously be implemented in a reading apparatus ra ( e . g . home player apparatus . . . ), a portable device pd ( e . g . portable digital assistant , portable computer , a game player unit . . . ), a mobile telephone mt . each of these devices comprises an opening ( op ) intended to receive an information carrier 701 as depicted in fig4 , in view of a data recovery . the scanning system in accordance with the invention may be used in a microscope . microscopes with reasonable resolution are expensive , since an aberration - free objective lens with a reasonably large field of view and high enough numerical aperture is costly . scanning microscopes solve this cost issue partly by having an objective lens with a very small field of view , and scanning the objective lens with respect to the sample to be measured ( or vice - versa ). the disadvantage of this single - spot scanning microscope is the fact that the whole sample has to be scanned , resulting in cumbersome mechanics . multi - spot scanning microscopes solve this mechanical problem , since the sample does not have to be scanned over its full dimensions , the scanning range is limited to the pitch between two spots . in a microscope in accordance with the invention , a sample is illuminated with the spots that are created by the probe array generating means , and a camera takes a picture of the illuminated sample . by scanning the spots over the sample by means of the one - dimensional scanning system of the invention , and taking pictures at several positions , high - resolution data are gathered . a computer may combine all the measured data to a single high - resolution picture of the sample . the focus distance can be controlled manually , by looking at a detail of the picture of the sample . it can also be performed automatically , as is done in a digital camera ( finding the position in which the picture has the maximum contrast ). note that the focusing of the imaging system is not critical , only the position of the sample with respect to the probes is important and should be optimized . a microscope in accordance with the invention consists of an illumination device , a probe array generator , a sample stage , optionally an imaging device ( e . g . lens , fiber optic face plate , mirror ), and a camera ( e . g . cmos , ccd ). this system corresponds to the system of fig1 , wherein the information carrier ( 101 ) is a microscope slide on which a sample to be imaged may be placed , the microscope slide being deposited on a sample stage . light is generated in the illumination device , is focused into an array of foci by means of the probe array generator , it is transmitted ( partly ) through the sample to be measured , and the transmitted light is imaged onto the camera by the imaging system . the sample is positioned in a sample stage , which can reproducibly move the sample in the focal plane of the foci and perpendicular to the sample . a position measurement system can be implemented into the stage , or it can be implemented in the system . in order to image the whole sample , the information carrier is scanned by means of the scanning system in accordance with the invention so that all areas of the sample are imaged by an individual probe . as described above , the number of steps required for the scanning depends on the size of each probe and the pitch between two probes . instead of a transmissive microscope as described above , a reflective microscope may be designed . in a reflective microscope in accordance with the invention , light that has passed through the sample is reflected by a reflecting surface of the microscope slide and then redirected to the camera by means of a beam splitter . it should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention , and that those skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . in the claims , any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims . the word “ comprising ” and “ comprises ”, and the like , does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole . the singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and vice - versa . the invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements , and by means of a suitably programmed computer . in a device claim enumerating several means , several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage .