TRACKING ASSISTED OPTICAL PROCEDURE

One embodiment of the present invention is an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) application apparatus that performs an OCT application on an object. The OCT application apparatus includes: (a) an OCT scanning apparatus which outputs a scanning beam of OCT scanning radiation; and (b) an active tracking system that generates and scans a tracking beam of tracking radiation in a predetermined pattern over a region; wherein the active tracking system includes an analysis system that: (i) when the object is at a calibration position, scans the tracking beam about an irregular reference tracking feature in the region, and detects a calibration retro-reflected tracking beam to form calibration information; (ii) after the calibration information is formed, scans the tracking beam over the region, detects a displacement retro-reflected tracking beam, and analyzes the detected displacement retro-reflected tracking beam together with the calibration information to detect movement of the object; (iii) generates tracking signals; and (iv) applies the tracking signals to a tracking mechanism system to cause the tracking beam and the scanning beam to follow movement of the object.