Patent ID: 7875260
Filing Date: 2011-01-25
Classification: A61B,A61K,A61M

Abstract:
1. A method of imaging one or more lymph structures comprising lymph vessels and lymph nodes, the method comprising: a) administering to one or more lymph structures under a tissue surface at least one packet containing an imaging agent comprising a fluorescent, indol-containing dye, or a combination of indol-containing dyes, conjugated to one or more binding moieties that bind to one or more receptors selected from the group consisting of a lymph vascular cell receptor and a hyaluronan receptor; b) binding the binding moiety of said imaging agent to the one or more receptors on said one or more lymph structures to stain the one or more lymph structures; c) illuminating the tissue surface with an excitation light to excite the imaging agent; d) continuously, non-invasively detecting fluorescent emissions from the imaging agent to image at least said lymph vessels and lymph nodes; (e) capturing a plurality of images of said one or more lymph structures, based on said detected fluorescent images; and (f) tracking in vivo propulsion of said at least one packet through the one or more lymph structures, based on said captured images.