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Updated: May 26, 2026

Tissue-simulating Phantoms for Assessing Potential Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging Applications in Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: September 19, 2014
Validating the sensitivity and performance of near-infrared fluorescence imaging and tomography devices using a novel
B Zhu1, I-C Tan, J C Rasmussen
1Center for Molecular Imaging, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Abstract:
With the aid of indocyanine green (ICG), lymphatic architecture and function in both mice and humans has been successfully imaged non-invasively using near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging devices. Maximal measurement sensitivity of NIR fluorescence imaging devices is needed for "first-in-humans" molecularly targeting NIR fluorescence agents that are brighter than non-specific ICG. In this study, we developed a solid phantom and measurement approach for the quantification of excitation light leakage and measurement sensitivity of NIR fluorescence imaging devices. The constructed solid phantom, consisting of quantum dots impregnated onto specularly reflective surface, shows long-term stability and can be used as a traceable fluorescence standard. With the constructed solid phantom, the intensified CCD (ICCD)-based device demonstrated more than 300% higher measurement sensitivity compared to the Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) based device when integration time was maintained less than 1.0 s.

