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.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus for optical coherence tomography has a broadband light source with a short coherence length, an optical fiber that guides the light from the light source to a focusing optics, and a graded-index optics arranged between the optical fiber and the focusing optics with two opposite parallel flat sides, that is contacted on its first flat side by the optical fiber forming an irradiation point guiding light to the graded-index optics and having a pitch of N/8, N being a natural number that cannot be divided by 4. A first structure for light reflection is arranged on the first flat side of the graded-index optics adjacent to the irradiation point, and a second structure for beam splitting is arranged on the second flat side of the graded-index optics. The focusing optics are designed for focusing the light transmitted by the second structure essentially at right angles to the flat sides of the graded-index optics.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for reading, while using optical interference, a barcode that extends into the depth of a substrate. The barcode is represented by an area with marks in the substrate that is partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation. The inventive method comprises the steps of irradiating the substrate with short coherence length light from a broad-band light source, dividing the light up into reference light and measuring light, returning the reference light and the measuring light back-scattered or reflected in the marked area to an analytical unit, determining the reflectance or the reflectivity of the substrate for all layer depths in the marked area from the interference of the reference light and the measuring light and interpreting the result as a barcode.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for reading, while using optical interference, a barcode that extends into the depth of a substrate. The barcode is represented by an area with marks in the substrate that is partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation. The inventive method comprises the steps of irradiating the substrate with short coherence length light from a broad-band light source, dividing the light up into reference light and measuring light, returning the reference light and the measuring light back-scattered or reflected in the marked area to an analytical unit, determining the reflectance or the reflectivity of the substrate for all layer depths in the marked area from the interference of the reference light and the measuring light and interpreting the result as a barcode.