Intraoperative
near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has evolved rapidly over the past
decade. The technology permits highly sensitive detection of specific targets,
such as malignant cells or blood vessels, in real-time during surgery.
By using NIR fluorescence imaging, the risk of iatrogenic injury of the ureters, a feared complication of abdominal surgery, can be minimized. In collaboration with the Leiden University Medical Center, we have studied ZW800-1, a zwitterionic NIR fluorophore that was shown to provide exquisite visualization of the ureters in animal experiments, in a first-in-human study with healthy volunteers and an efficacy study in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery. Read more about the studies and the results in our new article “A zwitterionic near-infrared fluorophore for real-time ureter identification during laparoscopic abdominopelvic surgery” published in Nature Communications.
