Optical coherence tomography with multiple sample arms

A multiplexed OCT imaging system, comprising:

• a plurality of sample arms;
• a plurality of reference arms, each at least partially sharing a common beam path with one of the sample arms with respect to a target;
• at least one imaging engine;
• and
• an optical controller,
• wherein the sample arms are optically coupled to the at least one imaging engine via the optical controller, the optical controller multiplexing optical signals from the sample arms to permit at least some of the sample arms to operate simultaneously and activating a new imaging engine upon detecting a new sample arm coupled to the newly activated imaging engine.

A method of using a multiplexed OCT imaging system to provide a plurality of images, the method comprising:

• emitting light from at least one light source upon a plurality of targets, each adjacent to a sample arm, and collecting reflected light from the targets;
• emitting reference light from the light source upon a plurality of reference planes, each associated with a reference arm, the reference arm at least partially sharing a common beam path with one of the sample arms with respect to a target;
• simultaneously operating the sample arms to generate interference patterns (i) resulting from optical path-length or phase differences between the sample arms and corresponding ones of the reference arms and (ii) encoding spatial dimensions and locations of structures with respect to targets adjacent to the respective sample arms;
• and
• multiplexing optical signals separately representing the interference patterns simultaneously generated by the simultaneously operative sample arm, thereby generating a plurality of OCT images, each image associated with one of the plurality of targets.