Patent ID: 7122685

Claim:
An infrared dye wherein the dye comprises a molecule of the formula 1 wherein Q 1 and Q 2 are one of the same or different fused rings shown as 2 whereby one ring shown as 2 is connected at any of the two adjoining positions C 1 to C 4 at any orientation and another ring shown as 2 is connected to any of the two adjoining positions C 5 to C 8 at any orientation of the outer aromatic rings shown in 1 which may also include one or many substituents individually selected from the group consisting of R 1 , a fused 5-membered ring or a 6-membered aromatic ring optionally substituted with 1 to 4 substituents individually selected from R 2 , and fused polyaromatic rings optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from R 3 wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are individually selected from the group R; and wherein X is selected from the group consisting of CO, O and S; and wherein Y is individually selected from the group consisting of CO, O and S, and Z is selected from CR 8 or N where R 6 , R 7 and R 8 which may be the same or different, are selected from the group R; and wherein Z is individually selected from the group consisting of CO, O and S, and Y is selected from CR 11 or N where R 9 , R 10 and R 11 which may be the same or different, are selected from the group R; and Q 3 may be 0, 1 or more than 1 substituents that are individually selected from the group consisting of R 12 , a fused 5-membered ring or a 6-membered aromatic ring optionally substituted with 1 to 4 substituents individually selected from R 13 , and fused polyaromatic rings optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from R 14 wherein R 12 , R 13 and R 14 are individually selected from the group R; and R is the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a halide atom, a hydroxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted amine group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group, a substituted or unsubstituted thioalkyl group; wherein the infrared dye absorbs strongly in the near infrared region of the spectrum but poorly in the visible region of the spectrum.