Device for performing gonioscopy

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (13) for performing gonioscopy, by means of which device a three-dimensional volume (14) of a sample can be captured by means of optical coherence tomography as a raw dataset. With respect to the problem of overcoming the technical disadvantages of a gonioscopic lens, the device is characterised in that a visualising device (15) is provided, by means of which a virtual gonioscopy view (15a) can be generated from the raw dataset, which view appears to be taken from a virtual camera plane (16) in the interior of the sample. The invention also relates to a method for capturing the structures of the iridocorneal angle (14).

Description

[0001] July 7, 2023

[0002] Patent application

[0003] Applicant: Heidelberg Engineering GmbH

[0004] Max-Jarecki-Str. 8 69115 Heidelberg

[0005] Device for performing gonioscopy

[0006] The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0007] Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique that can be used to create two- and three-dimensional images of light-scattering structures. This method typically involves splitting light with a specific bandwidth into two beams using a beam splitter. The first beam falls on the sample or object to be examined, while the second beam travels through a reference path. The light reflected from the sample or object interferes with the reference beam. Signals from the interference allow the sample to be examined with depth resolution, i.e., at the depth of the optical axis of the first beam, using so-called A-scans. It is also possible to scan the sample flatly or laterally with the first beam to obtain OCT images.

[0008] In this context, the cornea and iris of the human eye form a structure in the anterior chamber of the eye. This structure is called the chamber angle. Aqueous humor can drain through the chamber angle. Pathological changes to the chamber angle can lead to an increase in intraocular pressure and the development of glaucoma. The so-called Schlemm's canal runs in a ring shape in the scleral portion of the chamber angle, i.e., in the area of ​​the sclera, and forms a collecting duct, a drainage channel for the aqueous humor.

[0009] The structures in the chamber angle of the eye cannot be directly viewed without technical aids due to the refractive properties of the cornea and the opacity of the sclera to visible light. To visualize these structures, a gonioscopic lens is currently used. This lens contacts the cornea directly, bypassing the refraction at the front of the cornea and, with the help of a mirror system, allows the viewer to "look around the corner" into the chamber angle. Surgeries are performed exclusively with these lenses.

[0010] The use of a gonioscopic lens and the visualization provided by the lens imposes numerous limitations on the surgeon. In principle, handling a lens and interpreting the visualization of structures is difficult to learn. The surgeon must directly guide the lens with one hand during the operation. This limits the surgeon in that they cannot use this hand for other purposes, for example, they cannot simultaneously operate a second instrument or control the visualization.

[0011] The surgeon only sees the surface of the tissue. Information from the depth of the tissue remains hidden. Furthermore, the field of view of the structures in the chamber angle may be impaired by the external instrument used during surgery. This is due to the flat viewing angle created by the deflection of a contact lens. However, glaucoma surgery should be possible without a contact lens. Therefore, there is a need to improve the visualization of the structures in the chamber angle area during surgery.

[0012] The invention is therefore based on the object of overcoming the technical disadvantages of a gonioscopic lens.

[0013] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by the features of claim 1.

[0014] According to the invention, it was first recognized that structures of the chamber angle of the human eye should be optically captured as accurately as possible. Furthermore, it was recognized that there is a need to improve the visualization of structures in the chamber angle region during surgery; specifically, it was recognized that this is possible by visualizing Schlemm's canal or other structures, particularly in the deep space. Furthermore, it was recognized that this visualization of a surgery should not be impaired by surgical instruments.According to the invention, it has been recognized that an OCT device can be used to perform gonioscopy if it acquires a three-dimensional volume, namely an OCT volume, of a sample as a raw data set using optical coherence tomography and has a visualization device with which a virtual gonioscopy view can be generated from the raw data set, which view appears to be captured from a virtual camera plane inside the sample. No projection lens is required for the operation using the virtual gonioscopy described here. This also frees up the surgeon's hand. The visualization device could render an image of the three-dimensional volume, treating it as a raw data set, and generate the virtual gonioscopy view from the virtual camera plane from this raw data set.In this way, OCT volumes can be acquired intraoperatively in rapid succession across the circularly relevant angles in the limbus, namely the transition zone between the cornea and the sclera. The OCT volumes are then rendered onto a virtual camera inside the anterior chamber in such a way that this en face view resembles the view through a gonioscopic lens. This eliminates the disadvantages of glaucoma surgery described above.

[0015] The surgeon is enabled to operate using a virtual gonioscopic OCT image. In addition, data or structures from deep within the tissue, such as the extent of Schlemm's canal, which is obscured by the trabecular meshwork, a tissue in the anterior chamber of the eye, can be visualized through this rendered virtual gonioscopy. This is a crucial advantage for the surgeon, because Schlemm's canal is the target for implants.

[0016] A real camera plane and the virtual camera plane could enclose an angle in the range of 80° to 140°; preferably, the two camera planes could be oriented orthogonally to each other. This enables quantitative measurement of the extent of anatomical structures and also the visualization of structures that are normally hidden in the reflected-light image, such as Schlemm's canal.

[0017] The detection device could be used to acquire at least one volume or OCT volume along a segment of the arc, preferably over an angular range of 10° to 120°. OCT volumes are advantageously acquired so that the limbus of the eye, with the structures necessary for glaucoma surgery, is located within the volume. It is advantageous if the OCT volume encompasses at least 10° to 120° of the circular angle of the limbus, as this corresponds to the preferred viewing angles in gonioscopy.

[0018] Against this background, multiple volumes or OCT volumes could be acquired sequentially and captured as raw data sets. To ensure sufficiently high lateral resolution at a sufficiently high frame rate, it is advantageous to visualize only a small area around the angular ranges of interest in a small volume in the limbus.

[0019] The aforementioned arcuate segment could be part of a ring segment or part of a spiral, particularly an elliptical spiral. Technically, it is advantageous to scan ring segments around the limbus—if the angular range to be viewed is large—or elliptical spirals for smaller angular ranges.

[0020] Using the visualization device, an external instrument for surgical treatment of the sample could be displayed transparently in the virtual gonioscopy view or optically removed from it. Due to the steep light angle of OCT imaging compared to that of the gonioscope, shadowing of the view of the chamber angle by external instruments is impossible. This makes it possible to remove an instrument used for surgery from the gonioscopy view or to draw it semi-transparently, since the view from the anterior chamber is purely virtual. This is not possible with conventional gonioscopy. A tracking device could be provided with which the light for performing optical coherence tomography on a volume can be tracked as the sample moves.If the OCT volumes are scanned in small areas around the limbus, as described above, it is advantageous to track the movement of the eye relative to a microscope and adjust the scans accordingly between the volumes. The tracking information can be generated either from the OCT data itself or from an additional camera, such as the microscope itself.

[0021] Furthermore, tracking the relevant limbal region using another imaging modality is advantageous. This tracking guides the lateral placement of the OCT volume. It is advantageous to use surgical microscope images for tracking.

[0022] An adjustment device could be provided with which the virtual camera plane can be automatically determined and set based on structures of the sample. Alternatively or additionally, the adjustment device could be manually operated such that the position and orientation of the virtual camera plane can be adjusted by the user. Preferably, the perspective of the virtual view is determined automatically, namely based on the segmentation of the structures of the eye in the OCT data - for example, the corneal apex and the iris plane. The automatically assumed perspective of the view, which corresponds to the virtual camera plane, can be adjusted by the operating person. For this purpose, the elevation of the camera plane or the rotation of the plane around the optical axis of the eye can be controlled. Classical gonioscopy must be learned. With the device described here, the correct view is assumed automatically.The volumes could be acquired at a repetition rate in the range of 1 Hz to 1 kHz. Alternatively or additionally, the latency at which the virtual gonioscopy views can be displayed could be less than 500 ms. By selecting this frequency range, structures of the chamber angle can be captured sufficiently well. It is particularly advantageous if the OCT volumes are acquired at a repetition rate of at least 20 Hz. It is also advantageous if the latency at which the rendered virtual gonioscopy views are displayed is less than 100 ms. This allows the operating surgeon to clearly capture the actual prevailing conditions.

[0023] A method for performing a virtual gonioscopy, in which no gonioscopic lens is used, but a device for performing an optical coherence tomography, in particular of the type described here, comprises the following steps:

[0024] Capturing a three-dimensional volume of an eye using optical coherence tomography as a raw data set from a real camera plane by shining a light onto the eye from this plane,

[0025] Creating a virtual gonioscopy view from the raw data set, whereby the virtual gonioscopy view is taken from a virtual camera plane that lies in the eye and allows a top view of structures of the eye,

[0026] Visualization of structures of the chamber angle of the eye in the virtual gonioscopy view.

[0027] Such a procedure, performed by the device described here, eliminates the need for a gonioscopic lens. In keeping with the above, a volume or OCT volume should not be chosen unnecessarily large, as high repetition rates cannot be achieved under conditions of dense sampling and expansion. Each OCT volume acquired in this way is projected onto a virtual camera plane. The projection should be performed in such a way that the image resembles the view through a gonioscopic lens.

[0028] The projection should be done in such a way that the scleral band, the ciliary body, and the trabecular meshwork can be distinguished with the highest possible contrast.

[0029] In this context, the structures mentioned could include Schlemm's canal, ciliary band, scleral band, trabecular meshwork, and / or Schwalbe's line. Schlemm's canal is a clinical target for many glaucoma surgical procedures. Because this canal is not visible in a microscopic image, surgeons focus on the pigmented trabecular meshwork, behind which Schlemm's canal is located. Using an OCT device, Schlemm's canal can be visualized or segmented, and can be highlighted accordingly.

[0030] The volume could be acquired over an angular range of 10° to 120° along the limbus. The scan patterns for the volumes should be designed so that the smallest distance between the OCT voxels in the orthogonal direction to the limbus is sufficiently small to ensure that the transition of the structures—ciliary band, scleral band, and Schwalbe line—is sufficiently sampled. The above requirements suggest that the use of fast OCT is advantageous. A volume could be projected onto the virtual camera plane in such a way that the projected image resembles a view through a gonioscopic lens, thus creating the virtual gonioscopy view. The operating surgeon can thus rely on familiar images that are familiar to them from practice.

[0031] Various methods are conceivable for projecting the relevant structures from the OCT volume. A simple pinhole camera model can be used as a model for the virtual camera. The OCT volume is mapped onto the displayed pixels of the virtual camera using central projection. The camera center can be located at either finite or infinity.

[0032] It is advantageous to segment the transition from the anterior chamber to the solid structures of the iris, ciliary body, sclera, trabecular meshwork, and cornea. A segmentation line can be used to calculate an en face projection from a thin portion of a boundary layer onto the virtual camera plane using central projection.

[0033] Another approach involves ray casting starting from the pixels of the virtual camera plane. For this purpose, the voxels of the OCT volume are assigned an opacity with a suitable opacity function depending on their intensity. The opacity function is ideally chosen so that "aqueous humor" voxels are assigned no opacity and all tissues are assigned maximum opacity. High sensitivity of the OCT device is advantageous for good image quality. After the aqueous humor, the most transparent tissue is the cornea. Its contrast to the aqueous humor should be sufficiently high. Projection via ray casting is then performed by calculating the ray through the OCT volume assigned to each pixel of the virtual camera according to the central projection. The intensities of the OCT voxels are summed, weighted according to their opacity.Starting from the camera plane, however, only as many voxel intensities are summed in the beam direction until a summed opacity value exceeds a threshold.

[0034] The positioning and orientation of the virtual camera plane should be preselected automatically. However, the user should be able to change the positioning and orientation using a few degrees of freedom.

[0035] The procedure described here could be performed intraoperatively, especially during glaucoma surgery.

[0036] The procedure is explained below using optional training courses:

[0037] The structures of the chamber angle in the eye, which are important for diagnosis and treatment, cannot be viewed in an operating microscope without technical aids.

[0038] With the procedure described here, the structures in the chamber angle can be visualized using intraoperative OCT while using a surgical microscope. No additional instruments are necessary.

[0039] In order to be able to see the structures necessary for diagnosis or surgical treatment, namely scleral spur, ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, Schlemm's canal, etc., volumetric tomographic images are created in the information-bearing regions in the limbus of the eye.

[0040] These tomographic images require further processing to be used for the applications described above. For visualization, a virtual camera view is generated from this tomographic data so that the aforementioned structures can be seen.

[0041] This virtual gonioscopy view is advantageously based on the views surgeons are used to, which are created by a gonioscopic lens.

[0042] For this purpose, a virtual camera plane is placed in the anterior chamber in an appropriate pose and the tomographic data is advantageously projected onto this plane in such a way that the anatomical structures described above are displayed with high contrast.

[0043] It is also advantageous to visualize important structures within the ocular tissue, such as Schlemm's canal, a common target for surgical interventions, in this projection. These information or structures can be obtained from tomographic images, unlike conventional methods.

[0044] Important structures, such as the scleral spur, could be advantageously highlighted through automatic segmentation. The pose and positioning of the virtual camera plane are advantageously assumed automatically.

[0045] A good configuration results from the automatic segmentation of the anatomical structures of the eye: the posterior cornea, scleral spur, and anterior iris. This information or structure is advantageously generated from the tomographic OCT data and the images from the surgical microscope. A surgeon should be able to control the configuration of the camera plane. Therefore, it is advantageous to preconfigure the degrees of freedom for control and then operate them, for example, via a foot pedal, a 3D mouse, or a touch panel.

[0046] Advantageously, the angle of rotation of the camera normal with the iris plane can be controlled, as can the distance of the camera plane from the scleral spur band, the rotation of the camera plane parallel to the limbus and / or the width and height of the camera plane.

[0047] Another advantage is an optional virtual camera plane in a tomographic dataset transformed to cylindrical coordinates, in which the cylindrical axis points in a direction similar to the optical axis of the eye. This is equivalent to a suitably positioned and shaped cylindrical camera surface.

[0048] To visualize the views of the virtual camera, conventional screens or binoculars could be used.

[0049] A mutual augmented reality visualization of structures from the tomographic OCT data and the surgical camera images is advantageously provided.

[0050] For example, the projection of the selected virtual camera plane could be visualized into the surgical microscope image.

[0051] In addition, the currently projected visible area of ​​the chamber angle could be visualized in a camera image. Visualizing the segmented scleral spur in the virtual views is also beneficial.

[0052] A view of the projection of Schlemm's canal is also advantageous.

[0053] Static images could be visualized for the evaluation of chamber angle structures before or after surgical intervention.

[0054] For the surgical procedure itself or for the assessment of dynamic processes, images could be displayed at a refresh rate. This refresh rate is, at best, the conventional video rate.

[0055] The prerequisites for this are a short acquisition time combined with a high spatial sampling density in order to be able to view the chamber angle structures with sufficiently high resolution.

[0056] In order to achieve this with current technical possibilities, a small volume must be acquired in the corresponding limbal area.

[0057] An OCT device with a high equivalent A-scan rate is advantageous. When implemented with a scanning system, a high speed of the scan motion is advantageous.

[0058] To control the OCT volume, an evaluation of the relevant scan area is advantageous. For example, one could segment the limbus at selected angles from the surgical camera images, and use the information from a modality registration to control the OCT system's scanners so that only the smallest possible volume area is scanned at a sufficiently high scanning density. The drawing shows

[0059] Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view of a human eye,

[0060] Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of a human eye onto which a classic gonioscopic lens is placed, with the beam path through the lens being shown and an external instrument casting a shadow on the chamber angle to be examined,

[0061] Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of a human eye into which light from an OCT device penetrates in order to capture the chamber angle from a virtual camera plane, namely a section through the structures in the chamber angle and the virtual camera, showing that an external instrument casts a shadow on the iris, which is not relevant for surgery,

[0062] Fig. 4 is a top view of the structures of the anterior segment of the eye, showing the projection of a possible target volume and a possible choice of the camera plane, and

[0063] Fig. 5, 6 show two visualizations of the same OCT volume image using two virtual gonioscopy views, each showing a specific section of the chamber angle.

[0064] Fig. 1 shows a partial sectional view of a human eye 1, in which the cornea 2 and the iris 3 form a structure in the anterior chamber of the eye. This structure is referred to as the chamber angle 4. Aqueous humor, shown here in dashed lines, can drain through the chamber angle 4. The so-called Schlemm's canal 5 runs in a ring shape in the scleral portion of the chamber angle 4, i.e., in the area of ​​the sclera, and forms a collecting duct, namely an outflow for the aqueous humor. Fig. 1 shows the lens 6, the trabecular meshwork 7, the sclera 8, and the ciliary body 9.

[0065] Fig. 2 shows that a gonioscopic lens 10 is placed on the cornea 2. Due to the refractive conditions at the cornea 2 or cornea, the structures in the chamber angle 4 of the eye 1 cannot be directly viewed without technical aids. To visualize these structures, a gonioscopic lens 10 is currently used, which directly contacts the cornea 2 to avoid refraction at its front. Surgeries are currently performed exclusively with these gonioscopic lenses 10.

[0066] However, the beam path 11 of the gonioscopic lens 10 causes a shadow cast by an instrument 12 on the relevant structures of Schlemm's canal 5 and trabecular meshwork 7 of the chamber angle 4. To a large extent, the chamber angle 4 itself lies in the shadow of the instrument 12.

[0067] Fig. 3, on the other hand, shows how a three-dimensional volume 14 of a sample, namely the human eye 1, can be acquired as a raw data set using optical coherence tomography (OCT) by means of a device 13 for performing gonioscopy. A visualization device 15 is provided with which a virtual gonioscopy view 15a can be generated from the raw data set, which appears to have been recorded from a virtual camera plane 16 inside the sample, here the eye 1. The virtual gonioscopy view 15a is displayed on a monitor of the device 13.

[0068] The OCT beam path 17 of the device 13 does not cast a shadow of the

[0069] Instrument 12 is directed onto the relevant structures of Schlemm's canal 5 and the trabecular meshwork 7 of the chamber angle 4. Rather, the shadow of instrument 12 is cast onto the iris 3, which is not relevant for surgery. In Fig. 4, in contrast to Fig. 3, no gonioscopic lens 10 is used, but rather a device 13, namely an OCT device.

[0070] The visualization device 15 of the apparatus 13 renders an image of the three-dimensional volume 14, treating it as a raw data set, and generates the virtual gonioscopy view 15a from the virtual camera plane 16. The real camera plane 18 and the virtual camera plane 16 enclose an angle 19 in the range of 80° to 140°.

[0071] Fig. 4 schematically shows that at least one volume 14 can be recorded along an arc section, preferably over an angular range 23 from 10° to 120°, using a detection device 20. Fig. 4 shows the pupil 21, the limbus 22, the circular angular range 23 for the recording, a virtual camera plane 16, and a camera center 24. Several volumes 14 can be recorded sequentially and captured as raw data sets. The arc section is part of a ring segment 25.

[0072] By means of the visualization device 14, the external instrument 12 for the surgical treatment of the eye 1 can be displayed transparently in the virtual gonioscopy view 15a or can be optically removed therefrom.

[0073] A tracking device 26 is provided, with which the light for performing optical coherence tomography on a volume 14 can be tracked as the sample moves. An adjustment device 27 is also provided, with which the virtual camera plane 16 can be automatically determined and set based on sample structures. The adjustment device 27 is manually operable such that the position and orientation of the virtual camera plane 16 can be adjusted under user control.

[0074] The volumes 14 can be recorded at a repetition rate in the range of 1 Hz to 1 kHz. The latency with which the virtual gonioscopy views 15a can be displayed is less than 500 ms.

[0075] The device 13 described here performs a method for performing virtual gonioscopy, in which no gonioscopic lens 10 is used, but rather the device 13 for performing optical coherence tomography. To this extent, a device 13 of the type described above is used to perform the method.

[0076] The process is described schematically in Figures 3 to 6. The process comprises the following steps:

[0077] Capturing a three-dimensional volume 14 of an eye 1 by means of optical coherence tomography as a raw data set from a real camera plane 18 by shining a light onto the eye 1 from this plane.

[0078] Generating a virtual gonioscopy view 15a from the raw data set, wherein the virtual gonioscopy view 15a is taken from a virtual camera plane 16 which lies in the eye 1 and allows a top view of structures of the eye 1.

[0079] Representation of structures of the chamber angle 4 of eye 1 in the virtual gonioscopy view 15a.

[0080] Figs. 5 and 6 show two visualizations of the same OCT volume image of a volume 14. Each shows a section of the chamber angle 4. When viewing the two visualizations, it is important to remember that the cross-sectional images are taken exactly through the mechanical axis of the instrument 12. In the gonioscopic en-face views, only part of the view is obscured by the shadow cast by the instrument 12.

[0081] The structures include Schlemm's canal 5, the ciliary band, the scleral band, the trabecular meshwork 7 and / or the Schwalbe line.

[0082] A volume 14 is projected onto the virtual camera plane 16 such that the projected image resembles a view through a gonioscopic lens 10 and thus forms the virtual gonioscopy view 15a.

[0083] The volume 14 is recorded over an angular range 23 of 10° to 120° along the course of the limbus 22, as shown schematically in Fig. 4.

[0084] The procedure is performed intraoperatively, especially during glaucoma surgery.

[0085] List of reference symbols:

[0086] 1 eye

[0087] 2 Cornea

[0088] 3 Iris

[0089] 4 chamber angle

[0090] 5 Schlemm Canal

[0091] 6 lens

[0092] 7 trabecular meshwork

[0093] 8 sclera

[0094] 9 Ciliary body

[0095] 10 gonioscopic lens

[0096] 11 Beam path of the gonioscopic lens

[0097] 12 instruments

[0098] 13 Device

[0099] 14 volumes of 1

[0100] 15 Visualization device

[0101] 15a virtual gonioscopy view

[0102] 16 virtual camera levels

[0103] 17 OCT beam path 17 of the device

[0104] 18 real camera plane

[0105] 19 angles

[0106] 20 Detection device

[0107] 21 pupil

[0108] 22 Limbus

[0109] 23 Angle range

[0110] 24 Camera Center

[0111] 25 ring segment

[0112] 26 Tracking device

[0113] 27 Adjustment device

Claims

Patent claims. Device (13) for performing a gonioscopy, with which a three-dimensional volume (14) of a sample can be acquired as a raw data set by means of optical coherence tomography, characterized in that a visualization device (15) is provided with which a virtual gonioscopy view (15a) can be generated from the raw data set, which view appears to have been recorded from a virtual camera plane (16) inside the sample. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the visualization device (15) renders a recording of the three-dimensional volume (14), namely treats it as a raw data set, and generates the virtual gonioscopy view (15a) from the virtual camera plane (16) from this raw data set.Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a real camera plane (18) and the virtual camera plane (16) enclose an angle (19) in the range of 80° to 140°, preferably that the two camera planes (16, 18) are oriented orthogonally to one another. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one volume (14) can be recorded along an arc section, preferably over an angular range (23) of 10° to 120°, using a detection device (20). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several volumes (14) can be recorded sequentially and recorded as raw data sets. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the arcuate section is part of a ring segment (25) or part of a spiral, in particular an elliptical spiral. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, by means of the visualization device (15), an external instrument (12) for surgical treatment of the sample can be transparently displayed in the virtual gonioscopy view (15a) or can be optically removed therefrom. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a tracking device (26) is provided, with which the light for performing the optical coherence tomography on a volume (14) can be tracked as a movement of the sample.Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an adjustment device (27) is provided with which the virtual camera plane (16) can be automatically determined and fixed based on structures of the sample, and / or that the adjustment device (27) can be manually operated such that the position and orientation of the virtual camera plane (16) can be adjusted under user control. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the volumes (14) can be recorded at a repetition rate in the range of 1 Hz to 1 kHz and / or that the latency with which the virtual gonioscopy views (15a) can be displayed is less than 500 ms. Method for performing a virtual gonioscopy, in which no gonioscopic lens (10) is used, but a device (13) for performing an optical coherence tomography, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the following steps: Capturing a three-dimensional volume (14) of an eye (1) by means of optical coherence tomography as a raw data set from a real camera plane (18) by illuminating the eye (1) from this plane, Generating a virtual gonioscopy view (15a) from the raw data set, wherein the virtual gonioscopy view (15a) is taken from a virtual camera plane (16) which lies in the eye (1) and allows a top view of structures of the eye (1), Representing structures of the chamber angle (4) of the eye (1) in the virtual gonioscopy view (15a). Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the structures comprise Schlemm's canal (5), ciliary band, scleral band, trabecular meshwork (7) and / or Schwalbe line. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the recording of the volume (14) takes place over an angular range (23) of 10° to 120° along the course of the limbus (22). Method according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that a volume (14) is projected onto the virtual camera plane (16) in such a way that the projected image resembles a view through a gonioscopic lens (10) and thus forms the virtual gonioscopy view (15a). Method according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the method is carried out intraoperatively, in particular during glaucoma surgical procedures.

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