Patent ID: 7445767

Claim:
An in-vivo diagnostic near infrared radiation method comprising: (a) administering a compound of the general formula I B L −(F−W n ) m (I) wherein L represents a number from 1 to 6 n represents a number from 0 to 10, and m represents a number from 1 to 100; B is a biological detecting unit having a molecular weight of up to 30,000 that bonds to specific cell populations or selectively to receptors, or accumulates in tissues or tumours, or generally stays in the blood, or is a macromolecule that bonds non-selectively; F represents a cyanine dye of the general formula IIa wherein r represents the numbers 0, 1 or 2, wherein, for r=2, the respective L 6 and L 7 groups that occur in duplicate may be the same or different, L 1 to L 7 are the same or different, each independently representing a CH or CR group, where R is a halogen atom, a hydroxy, carboxy, acetoxy, amino, nitro, cyano or sulfonic acid group or an alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, sulfoalkyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino or halogenalkyl group containing up to 6 carbon atoms, aryl, alkylaryl, hydroxyaryl, carboxyaryl, sulfoaryl, arylamino, diarylamino, nitroaryl or halogenaryl group containing up to 9 carbon atoms, or where R represents a bond that bonds to another group R and forms a 4−to 6-member ring together with the interspersed groups L 1 to L 7 , or two of L 1 to L 7 that are linked via a —CO— group, R 3 to R 12 are the same or different, each independently representing a hydrogen atom, a group B or W, or an alkyl or alkenyl group containing up to 6 carbon atoms or an aryl or aralkyl group optionally carrying an additional group W, or to each pair of adjacent groups R3 to are annealed, with due regard for the interspersed C atoms, 5−to 6−member rings that may be saturated, unsaturated or aromatic, and that optionally carry an additional group R, and X and Y are the same or different, each independently representing an O, S, Se or Te or a —C(CH3)2—, —CH═CH—or —CR 13 R 14 - group, with the proviso that X and Y are never S at the same time, where R 13 and R 14 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a group B or W, or an alkyl or alkenyl group containing up to 6 carbon atoms or an aryl or aralkyl group containing up to 9 carbon atoms, the alkyl, alkenyl, aryl or aralkyl group optionally carrying an additional group W, W represents a hydrophilic group that improves water-solubility, with n-octanol-water distribution coefficient of the compound according to formula I being less than or equal to 2.0 for 1=0; as well as a physiologically tolerable salt, W being selected from the group consisting of (i) a carboxy or sulfonic acid group; (ii) a carboxyalkyl group; and (iii) an alkoxycarbonyl or alkoxyoxoalkyl group containing up to 12 carbon atoms, wherein W takes the position of (i) both R 4 and R 8 and/or (ii) both R6and R 10 and/or (iii) both R 11 and R 12 ; and (b) irradiating the compound with light in the near infrared range; and (c) recording the radiation produced by the compound.