Abstract: An imaging system that includes a light source configured to project a beam of light within a determined range of wavelengths onto an illumination area of a patient's skin and a detector configured to detect acoustic waves within a scan area of the patient's skin without contacting the patient's skin, wherein the scan area does not overlap the illumination area. In certain embodiments, the beam of light is a series of pulses of coherent light and the detector is an interferometer.