Method and system for adjusting a reference section of an OCT system

1 . A method for adjusting a reference section of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system, the method comprising:

providing the OCT system;

generating a measuring beam using the OCT system, and conducting the measuring beam to a measurement object along a scanning path;

generating a reference beam using the OCT system, and conducting the reference beam through the reference section;

superimposing the measuring beam reflected from the measurement object and the reference beam, and registering interference signals between the measuring beam and the superimposed reference beam using an interferometer of the OCT system;

dividing the scanning path of the measuring beam into measurement phases and positioning phases; and

adjusting the reference section exclusively in the positioning phases while the measuring beam is being conducted to the measurement object along the scanning path.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

scanning and recording measurement data using the measuring beam in the measurement phases; and

moving or jumping the measuring beam in the positioning phases without recording the measurement data.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the reference section is performed based on correction data in an evaluation unit.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

blocking or delaying the adjusting the reference section of the reference beam in response to a signal of the evaluation unit in the positioning phases if time intervals are too short for the adjusting the reference section.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the adjusting of the reference section is performed by activating and moving or pivoting at least one optical element in an OCT scanner of the OCT system.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

providing actuators for the moving or pivoting the optical element in the OCT system within 2 ms.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the scanning path is continuous from a beginning point to an ending point, and wherein the measurement phases and the positioning phases are within the continuous scanning path between the beginning point and the ending point.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the scanning path includes two or more measurement phases and two or more positioning phases that alternate such that each of the two or more measurement phases is preceded by or followed by a respective one of the two or more positioning phases, or such that each of the two or more positioning phases is preceded by or followed by a respective one of the two or more measurement phases.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein adjusting the reference section in the positioning phases comprises deflecting the measuring beam such that the measuring beam is incident on a first point of the measurement object at a beginning of a respective positioning phase and incident on a second point of the measurement object different from the first point at an end of the respective positioning phase.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring beam is conducted but no measurement data is registered during the positioning phases.

11 . An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for adjusting a reference section thereof, the OCT system being configured to apply a measuring beam to a measurement object along a scanning path, to conduct a reference beam through the reference section, and to superimpose the measuring beam reflected from the measurement object and the reference beam, the OCT system comprising:

an interferometer for registering interference signals between the measuring beam and the superimposed reference beam, wherein the scanning path of the measuring beam is divided into measurement phases and positioning phases, and wherein the OCT system is configured to adjust the reference section exclusively in the positioning phases while the measuring beam is being applied to the measurement object along the scanning path.

12 . The OCT system according to claim 11 , wherein the OCT system is configured to block or delay a following measurement if the positioning phases are too short for the adjusting the reference section.

13 . The OCT system according to claim 11 , further comprising an OCT beam source, a beam splitter, a reference beam mirror, an OCT fibre, an OCT sensor, and an OCT scanner.

14 . The OCT system according to claim 11 , further comprising actuators for moving or pivoting an optical element in the OCT system within 2 ms to adjust the reference section.

15 . The OCT system according to claim 11 , wherein a laser system is assigned to the OCT system, wherein the laser system is suitable for processing the measurement object, and the OCT system is configured to scan the measurement object during and/or after the processing by the laser system.