Coherence biometry and coherence tomography with dynamic coherent

Claim 2

In a method for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects by means of a measurement light path of a short-coherence interferometer, in which, for the purpose of achieving interference, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length of the measurement light path and/or reference light path which are required for these positions to balance the path lengths, wherein the measurement light path is focussed in or on the object to be measured and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path in such a way that it remains coherent with respect to the reference light during the scanning movement, the improvement comprising the step of: providing the movement of the measurement focus and the wavelength equilibrium required for ensuring its coherence with respect to the reference light by means of the movement of an individual optical component.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting by a photodetector the measurement light reflected from a measurement focus point on or in the object.

Claim 4

In an arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects by means of a measurement light path of a short-coherence interferometer, in which, for the purpose of achieving interference, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length of the measurement light path and/or reference light path which are required for these positions to balance the path lengths, wherein the measurement light path is focussed in or on the object to be measured and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path in such a way that it remains coherent with respect to the reference light during the scanning movement, the improvement comprising: means for providing the movement of the measurement focus and the wavelength equilibrium required for ensuring coherence with respect to the reference light by the movement of an individual optical component.

Claim 5

In an arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects by means of a measurement light path of a short-coherence interferometer, in which, for the purpose of achieving interference, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length of the measurement light path and/or reference light path which are required for these positions to balance the path lengths, wherein the measurement light path is focussed in or on the object to be measured and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path in such a way that it remains coherent with respect to the reference light during the scanning movement, the improvement comprising: means for providing the movement of the measurement focus and the wavelength equilibrium required for ensuring coherence with respect to the reference light by the movement of an individual optical component.

Claim 6

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 2, wherein a real focus which is produced by a moving concave mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement light beam of a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer in a transverse imaging scale of 1:1/√2.

Claim 7

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 2, wherein a real focus which is produced by a moving concave mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement light beam of a fiber-optics interferometer in a transverse imaging scale of 1:1.

Claim 8

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 2, wherein a virtual focus which is produced by a moving convex mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement arm of an interferometer.

Claim 9

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 2, wherein a real or virtual focus produced by moving optics comprising a combination of lens and plane mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement arm of an interferometer.

Claim 10

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 2, wherein a real focus which is produced by a moving concave mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement light beam of a Michelson interferometer in a transverse imaging scale of 1:1.

Claim 11

The arrangement of claim 3, further comprising a photodetector for detecting measurement light reflected from a measurement focus point on or in the object.

Claim 12

In a method for coherence biometry and coherence tomography according to the dual-beam method with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects based on short-coherence interferometry, in which the object to be measured is illuminated by a dual beam formed of a measurement light beam and a reference light beam exiting from a two-beam interferometer and in which, for the purpose of achieving interference in the light returning from the object to be measured, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm of said two-beam interferometer are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length in the measurement arm and/or reference arm which are required for these positions for equilibrium, wherein the reference beam is reflected at a stationary light-reflecting location of the object, while the measurement beam is focussed in or on the measurement object, and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path during the measurement, the improvement comprising the step of: providing the movement of the measurement focus and the interferometric path length equilibrium by means of the movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 13

In a method for coherence biometry and coherence tomography according to the dual-beam method with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects based on short-coherence interferometry, in which the object to be measured is illuminated by a dual beam formed of a measurement light beam and a reference light beam exiting from a two-beam interferometer and in which, for the purpose of achieving interference in the light returning from the object to be measured, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm of said two-beam interferometer are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length in the measurement arm and/or reference arm which are required for these positions for equilibrium, wherein the reference beam is reflected at a stationary light-reflecting location of the object, while the measurement beam is focussed in or on the measurement object, and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path during the measurement, the improvement comprising the step of: providing the movement of the measurement focus and the interferometric path length equilibrium by means of the movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 14

In an arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography according to the dual-beam method with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects based on short-coherence interferometry, in which the object to be measured is illuminated by a dual beam formed of a measurement light beam and a reference light beam exiting from a two-beam interferometer and in which, for the purpose of achieving interference in the light returning from the object to be measured, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm of said two-beam interferometer are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length in the measurement arm and/or reference arm which are required for these positions for equilibrium, wherein the reference beam is reflected at a stationary light-reflecting location of the object, while the measurement beam is focussed in or on the measurement object, and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path during the measurement, the improvement comprising: means for providing the movement of the measurement focus and the interferometric path length equilibrium by the movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 15

In an arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography according to the dual-beam method with increased transverse resolution for measuring the position of light-reflecting locations along a measurement path at the surface of and in the interior of objects based on short-coherence interferometry, in which the object to be measured is illuminated by a dual beam formed of a measurement light beam and a reference light beam exiting from a two-beam interferometer and in which, for the purpose of achieving interference in the light returning from the object to be measured, the path lengths of the measurement arm and the reference arm of said two-beam interferometer are balanced to the same optical length and the positions of the light-reflecting locations in the object along the measurement path are determined from the changes in length in the measurement arm and/or reference arm which are required for these positions for equilibrium, wherein the reference beam is reflected at a stationary light-reflecting location of the object, while the measurement beam is focussed in or on the measurement object, and the measurement focus produced in this way is moved along the measurement path during the measurement, the improvement comprising: means for providing the movement of the measurement focus and the interferometric path length equilibrium by the movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 16

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 11, wherein a virtual focus which is produced by a moving convex mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement arm of an interferometer.

Claim 17

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 11, wherein a real or virtual focus produced by moving optics comprising a combination of lens and plane mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement arm of an interferometer.

Claim 18

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 11, wherein the dual beam is generated by a modified Michelson interferometer and a real focus which is produced by a moving concave mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement light beam in the imaging scale of 1:1.

Claim 19

The arrangement for coherence biometry and coherence tomography with increased transverse resolution according to claim 11, wherein the dual beam is generated by a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer and a real focus which is produced by a moving concave mirror is imaged in the object to be measured in the measurement light beam in the transverse imaging scale of 1:1/√2.

Claim 20

An arrangement for scanning an object, comprising: a light source for emitting light of short coherence length; means for dividing the light into reference light and measurement light; optical means for optically focusing the measurement light on or in an object being scanned, a location on or in the object at which the measurement light is focused defining a measurement focus; means for supplying the reference light onto a detector and for supplying light reflected from the object onto the detector; and movement means for providing movement of the measurement focus and for providing a wavelength equilibrium between a measurement path and a reference path, said measurement and reference paths representing respective paths on which said measurement and reference light travel, said movement means being carried out by means of movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 21

An arrangement for scanning an object, comprising: a light source for emitting light of short coherence length; means for dividing the light into reference light and measurement light; optical means for optically focusing the measurement light on or in an object being scanned, a location on or in the object at which the measurement light is focused defining a measurement focus; means for supplying the reference light onto a detector and for supplying light reflected from the object onto the detector; and movement means for providing movement of the measurement focus and for providing a wavelength equilibrium between a measurement path and a reference path, said measurement and reference paths representing respective paths on which said measurement and reference light travel, said movement means being carried out by means of movement of an individual optical element.

Claim 22

The arrangement of claim 16, wherein said movement means is located within said measurement path.

Claim 23

The arrangement of claim 16, further comprising a detector for detecting the combined reference light and light reflected from the object, and wherein the detector is a photodetector.