# Optical & fluorescence imaging

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/optical-imaging/  
OnCo record `optical-imaging` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Dyes that glow under special light, so surgeons can see tumour edges and nerves in the operating theatre.

## Summary

Indocyanine green for lymphatic mapping and perfusion; 5-ALA (Gleolan) for glioma resection; pafolacianine (Cytalux, folate-receptor targeted) for ovarian and lung cancer; pegulicianine (Lumisight) for breast lumpectomy margin assessment. Targeted near-infrared probes against EGFR, CEA, and PSMA are in trials.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Principle: Fluorophores excited by visible or near-infrared light; camera systems overlay fluorescence onto the surgical view.
- Strengths: Real-time intraoperative; Reduces positive margins
- Limitations: Penetration depth of millimetres; Needs dedicated camera systems

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence_image-guided_surgery
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence_image-guided_surgery

## Connected records

- fronts: [Imaging](https://onco.cc/fronts/imaging/), [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- companies: [Bikanta](https://onco.cc/companies/bikanta/), [Lumicell](https://onco.cc/companies/lumicell/), [NearWave](https://onco.cc/companies/nearwave/), [On Target Laboratories](https://onco.cc/companies/on-target-laboratories/), [Perimeter Medical Imaging AI](https://onco.cc/companies/perimeter-medical-imaging-ai/), [Vergent Bioscience](https://onco.cc/companies/vergent-bioscience/)
- trials: [FIRES & SENTOR (sentinel node mapping)](https://onco.cc/trials/fires-sentor/), [Gleolan for Visualization of Newly Diagnosed or Recurrent Ovarian Cancer (OVA-302)](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05804370/), [INSITE](https://onco.cc/trials/insite/)
- technologies: [Capsule endoscopy (PillCam, EndoCapsule, CapsoCam)](https://onco.cc/technologies/capsule-endoscopy-systems/), [Colposcopes and digital cervical screening devices (DYSIS, EVA System, AVE)](https://onco.cc/technologies/colposcopes-digital-cervical-screening/), [Confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography for skin (VivaScope, VivoSight, deepLive)](https://onco.cc/technologies/confocal-oct-skin-imaging/), [Fluorescence-guided surgery](https://onco.cc/technologies/fluorescence-guided-surgery/), [Intraoperative fluorescence and Cerenkov imaging systems (SPY, Firefly, LumiSystem, LightPath)](https://onco.cc/technologies/intraoperative-fluorescence-imaging-systems/), [Photodynamic therapy lasers and light sources](https://onco.cc/technologies/photodynamic-therapy-lasers/), [Photothermal (plasmonic) nanoparticle ablation](https://onco.cc/technologies/photothermal-nanoparticles/), [Quantum-dot and molecular ultrasound imaging agents](https://onco.cc/technologies/quantum-dot-imaging/)
- ideas: [A pragmatic trial network for intraoperative margin tools, paid on margin reduction](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-fund-intraoperative-imaging-trials/), [A translation fund for academic surgical devices and radiotherapy technology](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-fund-device-and-technique-translation-fund/), [Real-time margin assessment and image-guided surgery as the global standard](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-moon-image-guided-surgery-everywhere/)
- drugs: [5-Aminolevulinic acid (oral, for glioma surgery)](https://onco.cc/drugs/aminolevulinic-acid-gleolan/), [Pafolacianine](https://onco.cc/drugs/pafolacianine/), [Pegulicianine](https://onco.cc/drugs/pegulicianine/)
- institutions: [Cancer Center at Illinois](https://onco.cc/institutions/cancer-center-at-illinois/), [Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Irvine](https://onco.cc/institutions/uci-chao/), [Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/montefiore-einstein/)
- roadmaps: [Surgery roadmap: radical operations → less surgery → no surgery when a drug has done the work](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/surgery-roadmap/)

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