# US 10,863,905 B2 · OCT system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,863,905 B2 - Document ID: US10863905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/089,047 - Filed: 2017-03-30 - Published: 2020-04-30 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: OptoMedical Technologies GmbH - Applicants: OptoMedical Technologies GmbH - Inventors: Marc Krug; Eva Lankenau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863905B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging} - G01B 9/02016: {contacting two or more objects} - G01B 9/02019: {contacting different points on same face of object} - G01B 9/02021: {contacting different faces of object, e.g. opposite faces} - G01B 9/02091: Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract The invention relates to an OCT system comprising an OCT light source, an OCT evaluation unit, a first OCT light guide, a second OCT light guide and a changeover module. The light from the OCT light source passes through the changeover module. In a first state of the changeover module, the OCT light is passed to an entry end of the first OCT light guide. In a second state of the changeover module, the OCT light is passed to an entry end of the second OCT light guide. A scanning device assigned to the first OCT light guide is arranged between the changeover module and the object plane. The OCT system according to the invention can be used in a flexible manner. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An OCT system comprising: a surgical microscope (21) having an observation beam path (23) and an object plane (24); an OCT light source (15) generating OCT light; a changeover module (18) operatively coupled to receive said OCT light from said OCT light source; a first OCT light guide (19) having an entry end operatively coupled to said changeover module and defining a first OCT beam path coupled into said observation beam path (23); a scanning device (29) assigned to the first OCT light guide (19); a second OCT light guide (20) having an entry end operatively coupled to said changeover module and defining a second OCT beam path coupled into a beam path of an optical device, a surgical instrument (22), or an OCT handpiece; and an OCT evaluation unit, wherein OCT light from the OCT light source (15) passes through the changeover module (18), said OCT light is passed to the entry end of the first OCT light guide (19) in a first state of the changeover module (18), said OCT light is passed to the entry end of the second OCT light guide (20) in a second state of the changeover module (18), and wherein said scanning device (29) is arranged between the changeover module (18) and said object plane. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, wherein the changeover module (18) comprises a mechanical changeover switch (36) and a flexible light guide section (35), and the changeover switch (36) is designed to move one end of the flexible light guide section (35). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, wherein a changeover between the first state of said changeover module (18) and the second state of said changeover module (18) is triggered by a control signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The OCT system of claim 3, wherein the control signal is generated by a control unit (30) of the OCT system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, comprising a scanning device (44) assigned to the second OCT light guide (20) is arranged between the changeover module (18) and the object plane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The OCT system of claim 5, wherein a scanning device (29, 44) is activated with the changeover between the first OCT light guide (19) and the second OCT light guide (20). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, comprising a compensation unit (38, 39, 40, 41) for compensating for path length differences, polarization differences and/or dispersion differences is assigned to the first OCT light guide (19) and/or the second OCT light guide (20). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, wherein the system is designed to carry out a distance measurement between an exit end of the OCT light guide (19, 20) and an object using the first OCT light guide (19) and/or the second OCT light guide (20). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, wherein the changeover module (18) is designed to change over between more than two OCT light guides. ### Claim 10 A method for carrying out an OCT measurement comprising the steps of: generating OCT light from an OCT light source (15); passing said OCT light to an object via a changeover module (18), a first OCT light guide (19), a scanning device (29), and an observation beam path (23) of a surgical microscope (21); and evaluating the light reflected by the object in an OCT evaluation unit (16); or actuating the changeover module (18) to pass said OCT light from the OCT light source (15) to an object via a second OCT light guide (20) and a beam path of an optical device, a surgical instrument (22), or an OCT handpiece; and evaluating the light reflected by the object in the OCT evaluation unit (16). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said step of actuating comprises passing said OCT light from the OCT light source (15) to a beam path of an optical device, wherein said optical device is a second surgical microscope (21) or an endoscope (43). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The OCT system of claim 1, wherein said optical device is a second surgical microscope (21) or an endoscope (43).