An in vitro method using an imaging technique for determining a value or values of one or more parameters of a biological sample, said sample comprising a population of cells comprising one or more of living cells, dying cells and dead cells, and at least a first compound, said dead cells having at least a first cell constituent substantially present and/or accessible to the at least first compound only in dead cells, wherein the first compound is selected from a group consisting of negatively charged non-toxic cyanine containing compounds, wherein the first compound is for targeting cells by selectively interacting chemically/physically/biologically directly with the at least the first cell constituent, wherein the first cell constituent is at least one intracellular cell protein, wherein said cyanine interacts with an intracellular protein of the dead cell, wherein said intracellular protein is selected from the group comprising fibrous proteins, fibrous structural proteins, metalloenzymes, isomers thereof, complexes thereof, and decay products thereof, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (i) providing the biological sample; (ii) performing one or more measurements on the sample with at least a first suitable imaging technique providing a value or values, wherein the suitable imaging technique is selected from a group comprising: emission spectroscopy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), Computed Tomography, optical imaging, such as microscopy, acoustical imaging, and combinations thereof, and (iii) analysing said value or values of the measurement to determine a value or values of the one or more parameters, wherein the measurement value or values above a threshold indicates binding of the compound to the first cell constituent, wherein the one or more parameters is the presence and/or concentration and/or location of dead cells in the population of cells, wherein the cyanine is a non-activated or de-activated cyanine according to figure 1 I, II, or III, wherein sub-families II and III comprise respectively one and two aromatic ring systems (A,B) signified by the curved line(s) and A,B are preferably selected each individually from benzene and naphthalene, R 1, R 2, are preferably selected each individually from H, sulfonate, and sulfonamide, R 3, R 4 are preferably selected each individually from -(CH 2) m Y, wherein Y is selected each individually from a carboxylic acid having 1-4 carbon atoms, a sulfonate group, CN, C≡C, and C=C, and salts thereof, R 5, R 6, R 7, and R 8, are preferably selected each individually from H, and alkyl, R 9 being selected from H, AA and BB, wherein R 10 is selected from, H, SO 3 H, Cl, -N-C=O- q -Y 3 (q=1-6), - r -Y 4 (r=1-6), Y 3 and Y 4 are each independently one of H, COOH, SO 3 H, CN, n is an integer wherein n ∈ [2,10], and the chain L has up to n-1 double bonds (i) providing the biological sample; (ii) performing one or more measurements on the sample with at least a first suitable imaging technique providing a value or values, wherein the suitable imaging technique is selected from a group comprising: emission spectroscopy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT), Computed Tomography, optical imaging, such as microscopy, acoustical imaging, and combinations thereof, and (iii) analysing said value or values of the measurement to determine a value or values of the one or more parameters, wherein the measurement value or values above a threshold indicates binding of the compound to the first cell constituent, wherein the one or more parameters is the presence and/or concentration and/or location of dead cells in the population of cells, wherein the cyanine is a non-activated or de-activated cyanine according to figure 1 I, II, or III, wherein sub-families II and III comprise respectively one and two aromatic ring systems (A,B) signified by the curved line(s) and A,B are preferably selected each individually from benzene and naphthalene, R 1, R 2, are preferably selected each individually from H, sulfonate, and sulfonamide, R 3, R 4 are preferably selected each individually from -(CH 2) m Y, wherein Y is selected each individually from a carboxylic acid having 1-4 carbon atoms, a sulfonate group, CN, C≡C, and C=C, and salts thereof, R 5, R 6, R 7, and R 8, are preferably selected each individually from H, and alkyl, R 9 being selected from H, AA and BB, wherein R 10 is selected from, H, SO 3 H, Cl, -N-C=O- q -Y 3 (q=1-6), - r -Y 4 (r=1-6), Y 3 and Y 4 are each independently one of H, COOH, SO 3 H, CN, n is an integer wherein n ∈ [2,10], and the chain L has up to n-1 double bonds wherein sub-families II and III comprise respectively one and two aromatic ring systems (A,B) signified by the curved line(s) and A,B are preferably selected each individually from benzene and naphthalene, R 1, R 2, are preferably selected each individually from H, sulfonate, and sulfonamide, R 3, R 4 are preferably selected each individually from -(CH 2) m Y, wherein Y is selected each individually from a carboxylic acid having 1-4 carbon atoms, a sulfonate group, CN, C≡C, and C=C, and salts thereof, R 5, R 6, R 7, and R 8, are preferably selected each individually from H, and alkyl, R 9 being selected from H, AA and BB, wherein R 10 is selected from, H, SO 3 H, Cl, -N-C=O- q -Y 3 (q=1-6), - r -Y 4 (r=1-6), Y 3 and Y 4 are each independently one of H, COOH, SO 3 H, CN, n is an integer wherein n ∈ [2,10], and the chain L has up to n-1 double bonds