In fluorescence imaging, infrared light in combination with special dyes causes tissue, vessels or body fluids to glow. Until now, this non-invasive method has worked with infrared light with wavelengths of 700 to 900 nanometers and is used, for example, to check the blood flow in newly connected anatomical structures during an operation. Prof. Bruns and his team, on the other hand, rely on short-wave infrared light (SWIR) with wavelengths greater than 1,000 nanometers. This offers better contrast and sharper images. In the future, this innovative method could make it possible to detect individual cancer cells at the edges of tumors and in lymph nodes during an operation. In addition, the method offers the potential to make certain structures - such as the tumor, the surrounding healthy tissue and draining lymph vessels - visible simultaneously in a liquid video image during an operation.
