Methods and apparatus for optical coherence tomography scanning

A method of acquiring optical coherence tomographic data from a sample, the method comprising the steps of

• collecting optical coherence tomographic survey data from a first location on the sample;
• defining a first position relative to the first location using the optical coherence tomographic survey data;
• and
• performing an optical coherence tomographic scan to obtain optical coherence tomographic measurement data from the sample in response to the first position.

A method of processing optical coherence tomography (OCT) data obtained for a sample, the method comprising the steps of:

• performing a survey scan to obtain survey scan data;
• performing an optical coherence tomography scan to obtain sample data;
• analyzing the survey scan data to identify landmark region data;
• and
• processing the sample data in response to the landmark region data.

A method of monitoring disease progression in a human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

• performing a survey scan to obtain survey scan data;
• analyzing the survey scan data to identify a landmark region in the eye;
• registering a portion of a region of affected tissue in the eye relative to the landmark region;
• and
• monitoring changes to the region of affected tissue at different points in time.

An optical coherence tomographic device for obtaining optical coherence tomographic data of a sample location, the device comprising:

• means for performing a first optical coherence tomographic scan of a first sample location to obtain first optical coherence tomographic data;
• means for defining a fiducial position relative to the first sample location in response to the first optical coherence tomographic data obtained from the first optical coherence tomographic scan;
• and
• automated means for performing a second optical coherence tomographic scan to obtain second optical coherence tomographic data from the first sample location in response to the fiducial position from the first sample location.

An optical coherence tomographic device, the device comprising:

• an opto-mechanical system adapted for beam steering and OCT scanning, and
• a controller in communication with the opto-mechanical system,
• wherein the controller causes the opto-mechanical system to perform a first optical coherence tomographic scan of a first sample location to obtain first optical coherence tomographic data;
• wherein the controller defines a fiducial position with respect to the first sample location in response to the first optical coherence tomographic data obtained from the survey optical coherence tomographic scan;
• and
• wherein the controller causes the OCT interferometer to perform a second optical coherence tomographic scan to obtain second optical coherence tomographic in response to the fiducial position in the first sample location.