Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography

**Semantic type:** Diagnostic Procedure

**Definition:** An imaging technology that generates high-resolution optical images in scattering media, including biological tissues. MSOT illuminates tissue with nanosecond laser pulses in the near-infrared (NIR) range; the tissue absorbs the light pulses and undergoes thermo-elastic expansion. This expansion gives rise to ultrasound waves that are detected and formed into an image.

**Synonyms:** - Functional Photoacoustic Tomography - MSOT - Multi-spectral Optoacoustic Tomography - fPAT