About Capillaroscopy
What is capillaroscopy?
Microscope visualization & imaging of capillaries. It's non-invasive, fascinating, and surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it.
What are capillaries?
Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels in your body. They are the connection point between the tiny arteries and veins. In the capillaries, the the red and white cells in your blood narrow down to about a “single-cell-level”, where the cells can provide nutrients, oxygen, and immune surveillance to the tissues.
Why image the nailfold?
The nailfold is where the skin on your finger meets your cuticle and fingernail. The nailfold is one of the only spots in the body where the capillary loops reach the surface of the skin and fold parallel to the skin, allowing the capillary loops to be visible on a microscope.
How it works
After a small drop of clear oil is applied, a small microscope sits above the finger to visualize the nailfold capillary loops that sit just below the surface of the skin.
The first time you try nailfold capillaroscopy by yourself it might feel a bit tricky. But don't worry, we've got you covered with public drop-in Capillaroscopy Office-Hours and a Capillaroscopy Quickguide for clear steps and helpful tips.
Want to learn more about the Tal Research Group’s current nailfold capillaroscopy research?
Check out CAPRIO, our new MIT clinical study.
To learn more, click the link above.