Cumulative Assessment of Tone and Reactivity of the Microvascular Bed Based on in vivo Optical Flowmetry Data. Justification of the Approach

Despite the fact that for a number of reasons non-invasive optical flowmetry methods are not used in practical medicine, they show good potential in scientific research. The paper attempts to eliminate one of the main drawbacks of these methods that hinders their implementation - the lack of a methodology for interpreting measurement results in terms of microvessel’s tone and reactivity that are understandable to doctors. The article theoretically substantiates and proposes such a methodology, provides formulas for calculations in two different versions, and considers numerical examples. As an important result and consequence, a number of problems previously unknown from the literature in this area of research are revealed. In addition, an important practical task is formulated, based on the solution of which in clinics and/or experiments in the future it will be possible to obtain a more rigorous scientific justification for choosing one of the two calculation options.