Abstract
The three most important metrics in optical coherence tomography (OCT) are resolution, speed, and sensitivity. Because there is a complex interplay between these metrics, no previous work has obtained the best performance in all three metrics simultaneously. We demonstrate that a high-power supercontinuum source, in combination with parallel spectral-domain OCT, achieves an unparalleled combination of resolution, speed, and sensitivity. This system captures cross-sectional images spanning 4 mm x 0.5 mm at 1,024,000 lines/s with 2 x 14 mu m resolution (axial x transverse) at a sensitivity of 113 dB. Imaging using the proposed system is demonstrated on highly differentiated human bronchial epithelial cells to capture and spatially localize ciliary dynamics. (C) 2016 Optical Society of America