High-throughput spatio-temporal optical coherence tomography (STOC-T)

Spatio-temporal optical coherence tomography (STOC-T) enables high-speed retinal imaging but suffers from limited sensitivity. We present a high-throughput (HT) optical design that improves STOC-T sensitivity by up to 3.5× (5.5 dB). This is achieved by replacing the standard 50/50 beamsplitter with a 90/10 one and using a pupil-plane pick-off mirror to maximize light delivery and signal detection. We validate the design on reflective and scattering phantoms, as well as in vivo human retina, demonstrating significant SNR gains without increasing source power. This simple, light-efficient approach makes STOC-T more suitable for real-time, low-signal imaging applications.