Patent ID: 7365856

Claim:
In an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for obtaining longitudinal optical scattering profiles within a sample at a plurality of transverse locations by scanning a beam of radiation across a sample, and wherein that sample moves with respect to the OCT system, a method for correcting for inaccuracies in the coordinates associated with the collected data caused by the relative movement between the OCT system and the sample, said method comprising: acquiring a first set of longitudinal scans at a first plurality of transverse locations across the sample, said first set of scans all being taken during a first time period; acquiring a second set of longitudinal scans at a second plurality of transverse locations across the sample, said second plurality of scans being larger than the first plurality and said second set of scans all being taken during a second time period longer than said first time period and wherein at least some of the second plurality of transverse locations on the sample correspond substantially to at least some of the first plurality of transverse locations on the sample; matching certain ones of said second plurality of scans to certain ones of said first plurality of scans to define pairs of scans, said matching being based on an evaluation of whether the associated optical scattering profiles of the scans are substantially similar; and determining a displacement between the OCT system and the sample associated with each of the matching pairs and using the displacements to adjust the coordinates associated with at least some of the scans of the second set thereby correcting for inaccuracies created by said relative movement during the acquisition of the second set of scans.