Near infrared fluorescence lights up hidden blood clots
Monday, June 6, 2011 - 12:30
in Biology & Nature
Research presented at SNM's 58th Annual Meeting may mark the expansion of a novel imaging agent for an optical technique called near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF), which uses light energy to glean information about cells and tissues. NIRF combined with the newly synthesized agent can image dangerous blood clots hiding inside elusive veins, most commonly within the deep tissues of the thighs and pelvis, but potentially also in the coronary arteries. The agent uses a biomarker that seeks out a peptide (the building blocks of proteins) called fibrin that is actively involved in the formation of blood clots.