Utilizing shortwave infrared fluorescence imaging (SWIRFI) for targeted preclinical tumor resection

In this work we highlight the preclinical optimization of targeted tumor fluorophores for delineation. We utilize shortwave infrared fluorescence imaging (SWIRFI) under non-gated or filtered ambient lighting conditions to achieve a symbiotic fluorescence guided surgery ecosystem for unprecedented tumor contrast. With two commercially available targeted dyes we readily achieved tumor to muscle ratios in the ranges of 40 to 80, with exposure times as low as 1 ms within ANSI limited laser exposures. We highlight the metrics which can be used to quantify this contrast and signal, and further highlight the need for standardized metrics in academic and industry settings.