METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A REPRESENTATION OF AN OCT DATA SET

1 . A method of generating a representation of an OCT data set, the method comprising:

obtaining the OCT data set, representing a plurality of tuples, each of which comprises values of three spatial coordinates and a value of a scattering intensity;

obtaining a color image data set representing a plurality of tuples, each of which comprises values of two spatial coordinates and a color value; and

generating an image data set, representing a plurality of tuples, each of which comprises values of three spatial coordinates and a color value;

wherein the generating of the image data set is performed depending on an analysis of the OCT data set and an analysis of the color image data set.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the analysis of the OCT data set comprises analyzing values of the scattering intensity of a first group of tuples of the plurality of tuples represented by the OCT data set.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the analysis of the OCT data set further comprises selecting a second group of tuples from the first group such that the second group represents at least one scattering structure within a volume of the OCT data set.

4 . The method of claim 2 wherein each of the tuples of the first group is located along a line that is oriented parallel to a projection direction.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the analysis of the OCT data set further comprises determining a representative depth of the second group of tuples, which is measured along the line from a surface of the volume of the OCT data set.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the generating of the image data set comprises:

assigning a color value obtained from an analysis of the tuples represented by the color image data set to a location on the surface of the volume, wherein the location on the surface is an intersection of the line with the surface, and

projecting the assigned color value from the location on the surface of the volume along the line onto the determined representative depth.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the three spatial coordinates of the tuples represented by the image data set comprise a first coordinate oriented in a first lateral direction, a second coordinate oriented in a second lateral direction and a third coordinate oriented in a transversal direction,

wherein the method comprises for at least one image data tuple of the plurality of tuples represented by the image data set:

determining a value of the third coordinate of the image data tuple from the analysis of the OCT data set; and

determining a color value of the image data tuple from the analysis of the color image data set.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the three coordinates of the tuples of the OCT data set comprise a first coordinate oriented in the first lateral direction, a second coordinate oriented in the second lateral direction, and a third coordinate oriented in the transversal direction,

wherein determining the value of the third coordinate of the image data tuple comprises selecting a first group of tuples of the OCT data set such that the values of the first coordinate and the second coordinate of each tuple of the first group correspond to the values of the first coordinate and the second coordinate of the image data tuple.

9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:

selecting a second group of tuples of the OCT data set from the first group; and

determining the value of the third coordinate of the image data tuple depends on values of the third coordinate of the tuples of the second group.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein each of the tuples of the second group comprises higher values of scattering intensity than tuples of the first group, wherein the tuples of the first group are not tuples of the second group.

11 . The method of claim 9 further comprising determining a change of the values of the scattering intensity of the tuples of the first group depending on the values of the third coordinate of the tuples of the first group, wherein the tuples of the second group are selected depending on the determined change.

12 . The method of claim 7 wherein the two coordinates of the tuples represented by the color image data set comprise a first coordinate oriented in the first lateral direction and a second coordinate oriented in the second lateral direction, wherein determining the color value of the image data tuple comprises:

selecting a third group of tuples represented by the color image data set such that the values of the first coordinate and the second coordinate of the tuples of the third group correspond to the values of the first and the second coordinates of the image data tuple.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising determining the color value of the image data tuple in dependence of the color values of the tuples of the third group.

14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a representation of the image data set.

15 . The method of claim 1 wherein each of the tuples represented by the OCT data set and the tuples represented by the image data set are configured such that at least more than 125 different values are storable for the value the third coordinate.

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein the color value of the tuples represented by the color image data set and the color value of the tuples represented by the image data set are configured such that at least more than 125 different color values are storable.

17 . A method of generating a representation of an OCT data set, the method comprising:

obtaining the OCT data set, wherein the OCT data set represents scattering intensities of a limited volume, wherein the scattering intensities are assigned to voxels and wherein the volume is limited by at least a surface;

obtaining a color image data set representing pixels of color values that are assigned to an area;

determining at least one depth value that is assigned to a location on the surface and wherein the depth value corresponds to a distance measured along a projection direction from the surface, wherein the depth value is determined depending on values of a scattering intensity of voxels that are located along a line, wherein the line intersects the location on the surface to which the depth value is assigned and is directed along the projection direction;

determining at least one group of pixels of the color image data set, wherein the group is assigned to the depth value and wherein a location of the group on the area corresponds to the location on the surface to which the depth value is assigned;

determining a color value for the group depending on the color values of the pixels of the group; and

displaying the determined color value at a location of display, which is determined depending on the depth value to which the group is assigned and also depending on the location on the surface to which the depth value is assigned.

18 . An OCT system comprising:

an OCT recording device for obtaining an OCT data set;

a camera for obtaining a color image data set;

a computation device configured to calculate a data set for a three-dimensional color image from the OCT data set and the color image data set; and

a display device operable to display the data set as the three-dimensional color image.

19 . The OCT system of claim 19 wherein the data set represents a plurality of tuples, each of which comprises coordinate values taken along three different spatial directions and a color value;

wherein the plurality of tuples includes more than 125 different values for each of the three coordinate values.

20 . The OCT system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of tuples includes more than 125 color values.

21 . The OCT system of claim 19 wherein the OCT recording device and the camera are oriented in relation to each other such that the color image data set and the OCT data set represent the same structures of an object.