diff --git a/Modules/Python/mitkIPythonService.h b/Modules/Python/mitkIPythonService.h
index 7976e7e0d6..d534851125 100644
--- a/Modules/Python/mitkIPythonService.h
+++ b/Modules/Python/mitkIPythonService.h
@@ -1,79 +1,82 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 #ifndef mitkIPythonService_h
 #define mitkIPythonService_h
 
 // mitk
 #include "mitkPythonExports.h"
 #include "mitkImage.h"
 //for microservices
 #include <usServiceInterface.h>
 // Qt
 #include <QString>
 #include <QVariant>
 #include <QList>
 
 namespace mitk
 {
     ///
     /// describes a python variable (data container)
     /// \see IPythonService::GetVariableStack()
     ///
     struct PythonVariable
     {
       QString m_Name;
       QString m_Type;
       QString m_Value;
     };
 
     ///
     /// a PythonCommandObserver gets informed as soon as a python command was issued
     /// \see IPythonService::AddPythonCommandObserver()
     ///
     class PythonCommandObserver
     {
     public:
       virtual void CommandExecuted(const QString& pythonCommand) = 0;
     };
 
     ///
     /// The central service for issuing Python Code
     /// The class also enables to transfer mitk images to python as itk::Image and vice versa
     /// \see IPythonService::GetVariableStack()
     ///
     class MITK_PYTHON_EXPORT IPythonService
     {
     public:
         static const int SINGLE_LINE_COMMAND = 0;
         static const int MULTI_LINE_COMMAND = 1;
         static const int EVAL_COMMAND = 2;
 
         virtual ~IPythonService(); // leer in mitkIPythonService.cpp implementieren
         virtual QVariant Execute( const QString& pythonCommand, int commandType = SINGLE_LINE_COMMAND ) = 0;
         virtual QList<PythonVariable> GetVariableStack() const = 0;
 
         virtual void AddPythonCommandObserver( PythonCommandObserver* observer ) = 0;
         virtual void RemovePythonCommandObserver( PythonCommandObserver* observer ) = 0;
         virtual void NotifyObserver( const QString& command ) = 0;
 
         virtual bool CopyToPythonAsItkImage( mitk::Image* image, const QString& varName ) = 0;
         virtual mitk::Image::Pointer CopyItkImageFromPython( const QString& varName ) = 0;
+
+        virtual bool CopyToPythonAsCvImage( mitk::Image* image, const QString& varName ) = 0;
+        virtual mitk::Image::Pointer CopyCvImageFromPython( const QString& varName ) = 0;
     };
 }
 
 US_DECLARE_SERVICE_INTERFACE(mitk::IPythonService, "org.mitk.services.IPythonService")
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.cpp b/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.cpp
index a167b03030..d2a40c8e7a 100644
--- a/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.cpp
+++ b/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.cpp
@@ -1,197 +1,211 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 
 #include "mitkPythonService.h"
 #include <Python.h>
 #include <mitkIOUtil.h>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QDir>
 
 const QString mitk::PythonService::m_TmpImageName("temp_mitk_image");
 
 mitk::PythonService::PythonService()
 {
     m_PythonManager.initialize();
 }
 
 mitk::PythonService::~PythonService()
 {
 }
 
 QVariant mitk::PythonService::Execute(const QString &pythonCommand, int commandType)
 {
     {
         MITK_DEBUG("mitk::PythonService") << "pythonCommand = " << pythonCommand.toStdString();
         MITK_DEBUG("mitk::PythonService") << "commandType = " << commandType;
     }
 
     QVariant result;
     bool commandIssued = true;
 
     if(commandType == IPythonService::SINGLE_LINE_COMMAND )
         result = m_PythonManager.executeString(pythonCommand, ctkAbstractPythonManager::SingleInput );
     else if(commandType == IPythonService::MULTI_LINE_COMMAND )
         result = m_PythonManager.executeString(pythonCommand, ctkAbstractPythonManager::FileInput );
     else if(commandType == IPythonService::EVAL_COMMAND )
         result = m_PythonManager.executeString(pythonCommand, ctkAbstractPythonManager::EvalInput );
     else
         commandIssued = false;
 
     if(commandIssued)
         this->NotifyObserver(pythonCommand);
 
     return result;
 }
 
 QList<mitk::PythonVariable> mitk::PythonService::GetVariableStack() const
 {
     QList<mitk::PythonVariable> list;
 
     PyObject* dict = PyImport_GetModuleDict();
     PyObject* object = PyDict_GetItemString(dict, "__main__");
     PyObject* dirMain = PyObject_Dir(object);
     PyObject* tempObject;
 
     if(dirMain)
     {
       QString attr, attrValue, attrType;
 
       for(int i = 0; i<PyList_Size(dirMain); i++)
       {
         tempObject = PyList_GetItem(dirMain, i);
         attr = PyString_AsString(tempObject);
         tempObject = PyObject_GetAttrString(object, attr.toLocal8Bit().data());
         attrType = tempObject->ob_type->tp_name;
         if(PyUnicode_Check(tempObject) || PyString_Check(tempObject))
           attrValue = PyString_AsString(tempObject);
         else
           attrValue = "";
         mitk::PythonVariable var;
         var.m_Name = attr;
         var.m_Value = attrValue;
         var.m_Type = attrType;
         list.append(var);
       }
     }
 
     return list;
 }
 
 void mitk::PythonService::AddPythonCommandObserver(mitk::PythonCommandObserver *observer)
 {
     if(m_Observer.contains(observer))
         m_Observer.append(observer);
 }
 
 void mitk::PythonService::RemovePythonCommandObserver(mitk::PythonCommandObserver *observer)
 {
     m_Observer.removeOne(observer);
 }
 
 void mitk::PythonService::NotifyObserver(const QString &command)
 {
     foreach(mitk::PythonCommandObserver* observer, m_Observer)
     {
         observer->CommandExecuted(command);
     }
 }
 
 QString mitk::PythonService::GetTempImageName(const QString& ext) const
 {
     QString tmpFolder = QDir::tempPath();
     QString fileName = tmpFolder + QDir::separator() + m_TmpImageName + ext;
     return fileName;
 }
 
 bool mitk::PythonService::CopyToPythonAsItkImage(mitk::Image *image, const QString &varName)
 {
     // save image
     QString fileName = this->GetTempImageName( QString::fromStdString(mitk::IOUtil::DEFAULTIMAGEEXTENSION) );
 
     MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Saving temporary file " << fileName.toStdString();
     if( !mitk::IOUtil::SaveImage(image, fileName.toStdString()) )
     {
         MITK_ERROR << "Temporary file could not be created.";
     }
     else
     {
         // TODO CORRECT TYPE SETUP, MAKE MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") MITK_DEBUG("PythonService")
         int dim = 3;
         QString type = "US";
         QString command;
 
         command.append( QString("import itk\n") );
         command.append( QString("imageType = itk.Image[%1, %2]\n") .arg( type ).arg( dim ) );
 
         command.append( QString("readerType = itk.ImageFileReader[imageType]\n") );
         command.append( QString("reader = readerType.New()\n") );
         command.append( QString("reader.SetFileName( \"%1\" )\n") .arg(fileName) );
         command.append( QString("reader.Update()\n") );
         command.append( QString("%1 = reader.GetOutput()\n").arg( varName ) );
 
         MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Issuing python command " << command.toStdString();
         this->Execute(command, IPythonService::MULTI_LINE_COMMAND );
 
         QFile file(fileName);
         MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Removing file " << fileName.toStdString();
         file.remove();
         return true;
     }
 
     return false;
 }
 
 mitk::Image::Pointer mitk::PythonService::CopyItkImageFromPython(const QString &varName)
 {
     mitk::Image::Pointer mitkImage;
     QString command;
     QString fileName = GetTempImageName( QString::fromStdString( mitk::IOUtil::DEFAULTIMAGEEXTENSION ) );
 
     MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Saving temporary file with python itk code " << fileName.toStdString();
     command.append( QString("import itk\n") );
 
     command.append( QString( "writer = itk.ImageFileWriter[ %1 ].New()\n").arg( varName ) );
     command.append( QString( "writer.SetFileName( \"%1\" )\n").arg(fileName) );
     command.append( QString( "writer.SetInput( %1 )\n").arg(varName) );
     command.append( QString( "writer.Update()\n" ) );
 
     MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Issuing python command " << command.toStdString();
     this->Execute(command, IPythonService::MULTI_LINE_COMMAND );
 
     try
     {
         MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Loading temporary file " << fileName.toStdString() << " as MITK image";
         mitkImage = mitk::IOUtil::LoadImage( fileName.toStdString() );
     }
     catch(std::exception& e)
     {
       MITK_ERROR << e.what();
     }
 
     QFile file(fileName);
     if( file.exists() )
     {
         MITK_DEBUG("PythonService") << "Removing temporary file " << fileName.toStdString();
         file.remove();
     }
 
     return mitkImage;
 }
+bool mitk::PythonService::CopyToPythonAsCvImage( mitk::Image* image, const QString& varName )
+{
+  bool convert = false;
+  if(image->GetDimension() != 2)
+  {
+    MITK_ERROR << "Only 2D images allowed for OpenCV images";
+    return convert;
+  }
+}
+
+mitk::Image::Pointer mitk::PythonService::CopyCvImageFromPython( const QString& varName )
+{
+return 0;
+}
 
 ctkAbstractPythonManager *mitk::PythonService::GetPythonManager()
 {
     return &m_PythonManager;
 }
diff --git a/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.h b/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.h
index ba21f76595..48c52fd34c 100644
--- a/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.h
+++ b/Modules/Python/mitkPythonService.h
@@ -1,49 +1,53 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 #ifndef mitkPythonService_h
 #define mitkPythonService_h
 
 #include "mitkIPythonService.h"
 #include <itkLightObject.h>
 #include <ctkAbstractPythonManager.h>
 
 namespace mitk
 {
   class PythonService: public itk::LightObject, public mitk::IPythonService
   {
   public:
       PythonService();
       ~PythonService(); // leer in mitkIPythonService.cpp implementieren
       QVariant Execute( const QString& pythonCommand, int commandType = SINGLE_LINE_COMMAND );
       QList<PythonVariable> GetVariableStack() const;
 
       void AddPythonCommandObserver( PythonCommandObserver* observer );
       void RemovePythonCommandObserver( PythonCommandObserver* observer );
       void NotifyObserver( const QString& command );
 
       bool CopyToPythonAsItkImage( mitk::Image* image, const QString& varName );
       mitk::Image::Pointer CopyItkImageFromPython( const QString& varName );
+
+      bool CopyToPythonAsCvImage( mitk::Image* image, const QString& varName );
+      mitk::Image::Pointer CopyCvImageFromPython( const QString& varName );
+
       ctkAbstractPythonManager* GetPythonManager();
   protected:
       QString GetTempImageName(const QString &ext) const;
   private:
       QList<PythonCommandObserver*> m_Observer;
       ctkAbstractPythonManager m_PythonManager;
       static const QString m_TmpImageName;
 
   };
 }
 #endif