Overview
- Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich introduced fast‑RSOM, a noninvasive optoacoustic system that images individual capillaries through the skin.
- Design updates such as coaxial illumination, higher laser repetition rates, and new scan protocols enable functional imaging at temporal resolutions of at least 2 Hz.
- The approach quantifies microvascular endothelial dysfunction using three biomarkers—maximum volume change, hyperemia ratio, and time‑to‑peak—captured during post‑occlusive reactive hyperemia.
- In initial human tests, fast‑RSOM detected layer‑specific endothelial impairments associated with smoking (N=20) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (N=20) without substantial structural microvascular changes.
- The findings appear in Light: Science & Applications, and the team plans larger, more diverse and longitudinal studies plus multispectral expansions to advance toward outpatient clinical use.