System and method for quantifying the dynamic response of a target system

Abstract

A time series of optical tomography data is obtained for a target tissue site in a human (or animal), using an optical wavelength, such as near infrared, at which hemoglobin is absorptive, to observe properties of the vasculature of the human. The data may be compared to baseline data of a corresponding tissue site, e.g., from a healthy human, or from another, corresponding tissue site of the human. For example, a suspected cancerous breast of a human may be compared to a known healthy breast to detect differences in the vasculature. Measures may be made of flow, oxygen supply/demand imbalance, and evidence of altered regulation of the peripheral effector mechanism. The function of the target tissue site may be analyzed, along with the coordinated interaction between multiple sites of the target system. A provocation may be administered to identify surrogate markers of an underlying state or process.