The Feasibility of Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography in Different Diseases

Optoacoustic imaging is a new and innovative imaging technique that combines the high contrast of optical imaging with the penetration depth and high spatial resolution of ultrasonography using the optoacoustic effect. It can resolve different endogenous tissue chromophores and may thereby provide insight in molecular changes associated with disease (-progression). It can be potentially used as an technique for diagnosis, treatment monitoring and disease localization. As the technique is relatively new in the clinical setting, there is not much clinical experience with optoacoustic imaging. The rationale for this study is to assess the technical feasibility of optoacoustic imaging in a variety of disease and to determine endogenous biomarkers for disease characterization for potential diagnosis and/or disease monitoring.