Optical Imaging or Spectroscopy Systems and Methods

A method comprising:

• scanning an incident beam laterally across multiple beam locations of a target generating optical responses at various depths within the target;
• imaging returned light resulting from the optical responses onto a light detector;
• de-scanning the returned light so as to maintain a fixed position of the image on the light detector as the incident beam is scanned;
• sampling images, each at a respective time, and processing each image to resolve depth information from each image;
• and
• continuing the scanning to generate further images corresponding to each of the multiple beam locations and further processing the further images to resolve dynamic changes in the depth information.

A method comprising:

• sourcing light to form an incident beam;
• scanning the incident beam across a target region to cause it to be incident at multiple beam locations on the target, each penetrating the target to cause optical responses at respective depths in the target;
• capturing returned light resulting from the incident beam, the capturing including receiving returned light at different distances in a first lateral direction from each of the beam locations, each corresponding to one of the respective depths;
• directing the returned light corresponding to the respective beam locations to respective portions of a light detector such that the optical responses at the respective depths are simultaneously acquired and indicated by signals from the respective portions.