High-Performance, Low-Cost Optical Coherence Tomography System Using a Jetson Orin Nano for Real-Time Control and Image Processing

Purpose: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an indispensable tool for the detection and analysis of diseased retinal tissue. Recent advances in reducing the size and cost of OCT systems have aimed at expanding their use for new applications and settings, such as serving as a screening tool at the point of care or in low-resource areas. Here, we report on the development of a compact, low-cost OCT system that offers significantly improved performance while also further reducing cost and system size. Methods: A high-performance OCT system was realized by leveraging graphics processing unit (GPU)-accelerated parallel processing in a system on module, the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, integrated into a low-cost OCT system. Instrument performance for retinal imaging was benchmarked against current low-cost OCT systems. Results: A fivefold increase in processing speed was obtained for the Jetson-powered low-cost OCT without loss of image quality. The compact and low-cost nature of the system was preserved while its volume was reduced by 67% and computing cost was reduced by 22%. Conclusions: The advance in imaging performance can significantly expand the accessibility and clinical utility of low-cost OCT systems. Translational Relevance: Implementation of the system on module computer improved the computational performance without compromising the cost or size of low-cost OCT systems, which will accelerate the application of low-cost OCT to clinical use.