Patent ID: 8784548

Claim:
A water-soluble phthalocyanine dye or naphthalocyanine dye with near-infrared absorption comprising at least one complexed unit, each unit comprising a phthalocyanine or a naphthalocyanine moiety and, optionally, a metal atom complexed thereto, each metal atom, if present, having a valency of from 1 to 5, with two valencies complexed to the phthalocyanine ring or the naphthalocyanine ring, each unit having two linker moieties on opposite sides or adjacent sides of the unit, wherein water-soluble groups are present in at least one of the linkers between the phthalocyanine or naphthalocyanine moiety and optionally on the phthalocyanine or naphthalocyanine moiety, wherein at least one linker moiety is bonded to a second phthalocyanine or naphthalocyanine moiety.