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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Multispectral Real-time Fluorescence Imaging for Intraoperative Detection of the Sentinel Lymph Node in Gynecologic Oncology
Published on: October 20, 2010
Sentinel lymph node mapping by a near-infrared fluorescent heptamethine dye
Chao Zhang1, Shaojun Wang, Juan Xiao
1Institute of Combined Injury, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan Road, Chongqing, 400038, China.
Abstract:
We describe a near-infrared fluorescent heptamethine dye (IR-780 iodide) with unique properties for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in both small and large animals. This dye has a significant photobrightening effect in serum and a long retention time in the lymphatic system which allows to acquire much higher signal-to-noise ratios. Injection of only 10 nmol of this dye permits SLNs to be imaged easily in pigs using excitation fluence rates of only 2 microW/cm(2). In addition, this dye has a unique stability property after formalin fixation in tissues which raises the possibility of developing new and sensitive means of detecting lymph nodes in harvested surgical specimens. This dye can be completely cleared from the circulation in a couple of days and does not cause acute systemic toxicity.
