Achieving broadband near-infrared luminescence in Cr^(3+)-Activated Y_(2)Mg_(2)Al_(2)Si_(2)O_(12)phosphors via multi-site occupancy

Cr^(3+)-activated near-infrared(NIR)phosphors are key for NIR phosphor-converted light emitting diodes(NIR pc-LED).While,the site occupancy of Cr^(3+)is one of the debates that have plagued researchers.Herein,Y2Mg2Al2-Si_(2)O1_(2)(YMAS)with multiple cationic sites is chosen as host of Cr^(3+)to synthesize YMAS:xCr^(3+)phosphors.In YMAS,Cr^(3+)ions occupy simultaneously Al/SiO4 tetrahedral,Mg/AlO6 octahedral,and Y/MgO8 dodecahedral sites which form three luminescent centers named as Cr1,Cr2,and Cr3,respectively.Cr1 and Cr2 relate to an intermediate crystal field,with transitions of^(2)E→^(4)A_(2)and^(4)T_(2)→^(4)A_(2)occurring simultaneously.As Cr^(3+)concentration increases,the^(4)T_(2)→^(4)A_(2)transition becomes more pronounced in Cr1 and Cr2,resulting in a red-shift and broadband emission.Cr3 consistently behaves a weak crystal field and exhibits the broad and long-wavelength emission.Wide-range NIR emission centering at 745 nm is realized in YMAS:0.03Cr^(3+)phosphor.This phosphor has high internal quantum efficiency(IQE?86%)and satisfying luminescence thermal stability(I423 K?70.2%).Using this phosphor,NIR pc-LEDs with 56.6 mW@320 mA optical output power is packaged and applied.Present study not only demonstrates the Cr^(3+)multi-site occupancy in a certain oxide but also provides a reliable approach via choosing a host with diverse cationic sites and local environments for Cr^(3+)to achieve broadband NIR phosphors.

Cr^(3+) activated Na_(3)RESi_(3)O_(9)(RE=Y,Lu,Sc) silicate broadband near-infrared phosphors for luminescence towards NIR-Ⅱ region via a multi-site occupancy strategy

Phosphor-converted near-infrared light-emitting diodes(NIR pc-LEDs) are finding applications in various fields including food quality analysis,biomedical imaging,night vision,and biomedicine.The crucial factor in the development of NIR pc-LEDs devices lies in the advancement of high-performance broadband NIR phosphors,In this work,novel Cr^(3+)-activated silicate phosphors NaRESi_(3)O_(9)(RE=Y,Lu,Sc) are reported.This silicate has a special 3D network structure in which RE has four different sites,forming four octahedrons and providing suitable occupation sites for Cr^(3+).The phosphors demonstrate a wide emission spectrum ranging from 750 to 1450 nm when excited by light at 468 nm.The full width at half maximum(FWHM),which benefits from the presence of Cr^(3+)ions occupying multiple sites,is measured to be 203 nm.Notably,the strongest emission peak is observed at a longer wavelength of 984 nm compared to most other systems activated by Cr^(3+).The Na_(3)ScSi_(3)O_(9) lattice provides a weak crystal field(Dq/B=1.97) and weak phonon-photon coupling for Cr^(3+),and the integrated emission intensity of Na_(3)ScSi_(3)O_(9):0,03Cr^(3+)is 4.66 times stronger than that of Na_(3)YSi_(3)O_(9):0.03Cr^(3+).

Broadband near-infrared luminescence and energy transfer of Cr^(3+),Ce^(3+) co-doped Ca_(2)LuHf_(2)Al_(3)O_(12) phosphors

Broadband near-infrared phosphors are highly desirable for food testing.Targeted Ca_(2)LuHf_(2)Al_(3)O_(12):Cr^(3+)(CLHA:Cr^(3+)) and Ca_(2)LuHf_(2)Al_(3)O_(12):Ce^(3+),Cr^(3+)(CLHA:Ce^(3+),Cr^(^(3+))) phosphors were synthesized by the conventional high-temperature solid state reaction.The CLHA:Cr^(3+)phosphor,with a good thermal stability,shows a red shift owing to radiation reabsorption and non-radiative transition with increasing Cr^(3+)content.For co-doped sample,the emission intensity of Cr^(3+)can be enhanced by three times due to the energy transfer from Ce^(3+)to Cr^(3+),which can be evidenced by a significant overlap between the PLE of Cr^(3+)single-doped phosphor and the PL of Ce^(3+)single-doped phosphor.In addition,the mechanism of energy transfer is identified as a quadrupole-quadrupole interaction according to decay Lifetime and Dexter’s energy transfer formula.The broadband NIR emission peaked at 775 nm of CLHA:Cr^(3+),Ce^(3+)phosphor shows a bright prospect in nondestructive quality-control analysis systems for food.

Efficient broadband near-infrared phosphor Sr_(2)ScSbO_(6):Cr^(3+) for solar-like lighting

For healthy lighting,daily lighting that considers both visible light and near-infrared(NIR)light is necessary.However,at~900 nm,the extensively used solar-like phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes(pc-LEDs)are limited by a lack of high-performance NIR luminescent materials.We report a broadband NIR phosphor Sr_(2)ScSbO_(6):Cr^(3+) with a double perovskite-type structure,thus simultaneously demonstrating high luminescence efficiency and good thermal stability.Under 550-nm excitation,Sr_(2)ScSbO_(6):Cr^(3+) demonstrates broadband NIR emission centered at~890 nm with luminescence internal/external efficiencies of 82.0%/35.7%,respectively.Furthermore,the luminescence integrated intensity at 430 K remains at~66.4% of the initial intensity.We successfully fabricated pc-LED devices using a 465-nm-sized blue chip and other commercial phosphors,presenting a relatively complete solar-like spectrum from blue to NIR light and is expected to be used in solar-like lighting.

PbS quantum dots and Ba F_(2):Tm^(3+) nanocrystals co-doped glass for ultra-broadband near-infrared emission [Invited]

With the rapid growth of optical communications traffic,the demand for broadband optical amplifiers continues to increase.It is necessary to develop a gain medium that covers more optical communication bands.We precipitated PbS quantum dots(QDs) and Ba F_(2):Tm^(3+) nanocrystals (NCs) in the same glass to form two independent emission centers.The Ba F_(2)NCs in the glass can provide a crystal field environment with low phonon energy for rare earth (RE) ions and prevent the energy transfer between RE ions and PbS QDs.By adjusting the heat treatment schedule,the emission of the two luminescence centers from PbS QDs and Tm^(3+) ions perfectly splices and covers the ultra-broadband near-infrared emission from 1200 nm to 2000 nm with bandwidth over 430 nm.Therefore,it is expected to be a promising broadband gain medium for fiber amplifiers.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy in non-invasive neuromodulation

Non-invasive cerebral neuromodulation technologies are essential for the reorganization of cerebral neural networks,which have been widely applied in the field of central neurological diseases,such as stroke,Parkinson’s disease,and mental disorders.Although significant advances have been made in neuromodulation technologies,the identification of optimal neurostimulation paramete rs including the co rtical target,duration,and inhibition or excitation pattern is still limited due to the lack of guidance for neural circuits.Moreove r,the neural mechanism unde rlying neuromodulation for improved behavioral performance remains poorly understood.Recently,advancements in neuroimaging have provided insight into neuromodulation techniques.Functional near-infrared spectroscopy,as a novel non-invasive optical brain imaging method,can detect brain activity by measuring cerebral hemodynamics with the advantages of portability,high motion tole rance,and anti-electromagnetic interference.Coupling functional near-infra red spectroscopy with neuromodulation technologies offe rs an opportunity to monitor the cortical response,provide realtime feedbac k,and establish a closed-loop strategy integrating evaluation,feedbac k,and intervention for neurostimulation,which provides a theoretical basis for development of individualized precise neuro rehabilitation.We aimed to summarize the advantages of functional near-infra red spectroscopy and provide an ove rview of the current research on functional near-infrared spectroscopy in transcranial magnetic stimulation,transcranial electrical stimulation,neurofeedback,and braincomputer interfaces.Furthermore,the future perspectives and directions for the application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in neuromodulation are summarized.In conclusion,functional near-infrared spectroscopy combined with neuromodulation may promote the optimization of central pellral reorganization to achieve better functional recovery form central nervous system diseases.

Six-and five-coordinated Cr^(3+)in Ga_(2)GeO_(5) invokes tunable broadband near-infrared emission toward night-vision applications

Broadband near-infrared(NIR)light sources play a critical role in widespread applications such as advanced spectroscopy analysis and nondestructive testing.One of the most promising techniques is the fabrication of broadband NIR phosphor-converted light emitting diode(pc-LED).However,the purposeful design of a tunable ultra-broadband NIR-emitting phosphor in a single host is still a challenge.In this work,Ga_(2)GeO_(5) with two sites of six-coordinated[Ga1O_(6)]and five-coordinated[Ga2O_(5)]is chosen to host Cr^(3+),successfully producing tunable broadband NIR luminescence(680-1350 nm).It can be tuned largely from 828 to 970 nm with the full-width at half maximum(FWHM)varied from 208 to 258 nm just by simply adjusting the Cr^(3+)-doping content.The tailoring of the Cr^(3+)NIR spectral emission is ascertained to the site occupation preference and competition.The encapsulation of a prototype of NIR pc-LED with an output power of 29.5mW@390 mA is conducted for the implementation of night-vision application.This work provides a novel broadband NIR phosphor by Cr^(3+)-doping in both the sixand five-coordination field,meanwhile,further demonstrating the feasibility of discovering new host material with more than one crystallographic site for Cr^(3+)to trigger tunable broadband NIR emission.

In situ instant generation of an ultrabroadband near-infrared emission center in bismuth-doped borosilicate glasses via a femtosecond laser

Bismuth(Bi)-doped photonic materials, which exhibit broadband near-infrared(NIR) luminescence(1000–1600 nm), are evolving into interesting gain media. However, the traditional methods have shown their limitations in enhancing Bi NIR emission, especially in the microregion. Consequently, the typical NIR emission has seldom been achieved in Bi-doped waveguides, which highly restricts the application of Bi-activated materials.Here, superbroadband Bi NIR emission is induced in situ instantly in the grating region by a femtosecond(fs)laser inside borosilicate glasses. A series of structural and spectroscopic characterizations are summoned to probe the generation mechanism. And we show how this novel NIR emission in the grating region can be enhanced significantly and erased reversibly. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrate Bi-activated optical waveguides.These results present new insights into Bi-doped materials and push the development of broadband waveguide amplification.

Spatial sensitivity to absorption changes for various near-infrared spectroscopy methods:A compendium review

This compendium review focuses on the spatial distribution of sensitivity to localized absorption changes in optically diffuse media,particularly for measurements relevant to near-infrared spectroscopy.The three temporal domains,continuous wave,frequency domain,and time domain,each obtain different optical data types whose changes may be related to effective homogeneous changes in the absorption coefficient.Sensitivity is the relationship between a localized perturbation and the recovered effective homogeneous absorption change.Therefore,spatial sensitivity maps representing the perturbation location can be generated for the numerous optical data types in the three temporal domains.The review first presents a history of the past 30 years of work investigating this sensitivity in optically diffuse media.These works are experimental and theoretical,presenting one-,two-,and three-dimensional sensitivity maps for different Near-Infrared Spectroscopy methods,domains,and data types.Following this history,we present a compendium of sensitivity maps organized by temporal domain and then data type.This compendium provides a valuable tool to compare the spatial sensitivity of various measurement methods and parameters in one document.Methods for one to generate these maps are provided in Appendix A,including the code.This historical review and comprehensive sensitivity map compendium provides a single source researchers may use to visualize,investigate,compare,and generate sensitivity to localized absorption change maps.

Near-infrared spectroscopy in schizophrenia:A bibliometric perspective

BACKGROUND Compared with current methods used to assess schizophrenia,near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS)has the advantages of providing noninvasive and real-time monitoring of functional activities of the brain and providing direct and objective assessment information.AIM To explore the research field of NIRS in schizophrenia from the perspective of bibliometrics.METHODS The Web of Science Core Collection was used as the search tool,and the last search date was April 21,2024.Bibliometric indicators,such as the numbers of publications and citations,were recorded.Bibliometrix and VOS viewer were used for visualization analysis.RESULTS A total of 355 articles from 105 journals were included in the analysis.The overall trend of the number of research publications increased.Schizophrenia Research was identified as an influential journal in the field.Kasai K was one of the most influential and productive authors in this area of research.The University of Tokyo and Japan had the highest scientific output for an institution and a country,respectively.The top ten keywords were“schizophrenia”,“activation”,“near-infrared spectroscopy”,“verbal fluency task”,“cortex”,“brain,performance”,“workingmemory”,“brain activation”,and“prefrontal cortex”.CONCLUSION Our study reveals the evolution of knowledge and emerging trends in the field of NIRS in schizophrenia.the research focus is shifting from underlying disease characteristics to more in-depth studies of brain function and physiological mechanisms.

A highly sensitive ratiometric near-infrared nanosensor based on erbium-hyperdoped silicon quantum dots for iron(Ⅲ) detection

Ratiometric fluorescent detection of iron(Ⅲ)(Fe^(3+))offers inherent self-calibration and contactless analytic capabilities.However,realizing a dual-emission near-infrared(NIR)nanosensor with a low limit of detection(LOD)is rather challenging.In this work,we report the synthesis of water-dispersible erbium-hyperdoped silicon quantum dots(Si QDs:Er),which emit NIR light at the wavelengths of 810 and 1540 nm.A dual-emission NIR nanosensor based on water-dispersible Si QDs:Er enables ratiometric Fe^(3+)detection with a very low LOD(0.06μM).The effects of pH,recyclability,and the interplay between static and dynamic quenching mechanisms for Fe^(3+)detection have been systematically studied.In addition,we demonstrate that the nanosensor may be used to construct a sequential logic circuit with memory functions.

Cortical activity in patients with high-functioning ischemic stroke during the Purdue Pegboard Test:insights into bimanual coordinated fine motor skills with functional near-infrared spectroscopy

After stroke,even high-functioning individuals may experience compromised bimanual coordination and fine motor dexterity,leading to reduced functional independence.Bilateral arm training has been proposed as a promising intervention to address these deficits.However,the neural basis of the impairment of functional fine motor skills and their relationship to bimanual coordination performance in stroke patients remains unclear,limiting the development of more targeted interventions.To address this gap,our study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate cortical responses in patients after stroke as they perform functional tasks that engage fine motor control and coordination.Twenty-four high-functioning patients with ischemic stroke(7 women,17 men;mean age 64.75±10.84 years)participated in this cross-sectional observational study and completed four subtasks from the Purdue Pegboard Test,which measures unimanual and bimanual finger and hand dexterity.We found significant bilateral activation of the sensorimotor cortices during all Purdue Pegboard Test subtasks,with bimanual tasks inducing higher cortical activation than the assembly subtask.Importantly,patients with better bimanual coordination exhibited lower cortical activation during the other three Purdue Pegboard Test subtasks.Notably,the observed neural response patterns varied depending on the specific subtask.In the unaffected hand task,the differences were primarily observed in the ipsilesional hemisphere.In contrast,the bilateral sensorimotor cortices and the contralesional hemisphere played a more prominent role in the bimanual task and assembly task,respectively.While significant correlations were found between cortical activation and unimanual tasks,no significant correlations were observed with bimanual tasks.This study provides insights into the neural basis of bimanual coordination and fine motor skills in high-functioning patients after stroke,highlighting task-dependent neural responses.The findings also suggest that patients who exhibit better bimanual performance demonstrate more efficient cortical activation.Therefore,incorporating bilateral arm training in post-stroke rehabilitation is important for better outcomes.The combination of functional near-infrared spectroscopy with functional motor paradigms is valuable for assessing skills and developing targeted interventions in stroke rehabilitation.

Near-infrared cholangiography with intragallbladder indocyanine green injection in minimally invasive cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC)remains one of the most commonly performed procedures in adult and paediatric populations.Despite the advances made in intraoperative biliary anatomy recognition,iatrogenic bile duct injuries during LC represent a fatal complication and consist an economic burden for healthcare systems.A series of methods have been proposed to prevent bile duct injury,among them the use of indocyanine green(ICG)fluorescence.The most commonly reported method of ICG injection is the intravenous administration,while literature is lacking studies investigating the direct intragallbladder ICG injection.This narrative mini-review aims to assess the potential applications,usefulness,and limitations of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence in LC.Authors screened the available international literature to identify the reports of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence imaging in minimally invasive cholecystectomy,as well as special issues regarding its use.Literature search retrieved four prospective cohort studies,three case-control studies,and one case report.In the three case-control studies selected,intragallbladder near-infrared cholangiography(NIRC)was compared with standard LC under white light,with intravenous administration of ICG for NIRC and with standard intraoperative cholangiography(IOC).In total,133 patients reported in the literature have been administered intragallbladder ICG administration for biliary mapping during LC.Literature includes several reports of intragallbladder ICG administration,but a standardized technique has not been established yet.Published data suggest that NIRC with intragallbladder ICG injection is a promising method to achieve biliary mapping,overwhelming limitations of IOC including intervention and radiation exposure,as well as the high hepatic parenchyma signal and time interval needed in intravenous ICG fluorescence.Evidence-based guidelines on the role of intragallbladder ICG fluorescence in LC require the assessment of further studies and multicenter data collection into large registries.

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE NEAR-INFRARED EMITTING PbS QUANTUM DOTS

A new facile method for preparing water-soluble near-infrared （NIR）-emitting PbS quantum dots （QDs） is proposed by using N-acetyl-L-cysteine （NAC, a derivate of L-cysteine） as its stabilizer. The influence of the precursor Pb/S molar ratio, the Pb/NAC molar ratio, and the pH of original solution on optical properties is explored. Results show that aqueous PbS QDs with strong NIR fluorescence can be prepared and their photoluminescence emission peaks can be tuned from 895 nm to 970 nm. Studies indicate that such aqueous QDs have a potential application in biomedical imaging, especially in noninvasive in vivo fluorescence imaging. In addition, the resulting PbS QDs are further characterized by a transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis.

Classification of Guizhou Aspidistra Plants by Near-infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy

[Objective] This study was conducted to establish a near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of Guizhou Aspidistra plants. [Method] Twenty three batch- es of Guizhou Aspidistra plants including A. chishuiensis, A. spinula, A. Caespitosa, A. sichuanensis, A. ebianensis, A. retusa, A. guizhouensis and A. liboensis were subjected to drying, pulverization and sieving and then directly determined for near- infrared reflectance spectrums; and the plants in this genus were classified by clus- ter analysis and principal component analysis （PCA）. [Result] The near-infrared re- flectance spectrums of the 23 batches of Guizhou Aspidistra plants showed very high similarity. The spectrums were processed by first derivative method, and the spectral range of 4 000-7 500 cm-1 was selected as the analytical range. Cluster analysis and PCA were employed to mass spectrum variables of plants in Aspidis- tra, fewer new variables became the linear combination of primary variables, and small differences between different varieties were enlarged, thereby facilitating intu- itive classification of plants in this genus. [Conclusion] Near-infrared diffuse re- flectance spectroscopy is nondestructive and rapid for determination of solid sam- pies, and provides a new method for the classification of Guizhou Aspidistra plants combined by information processing techniques.

Single-Crystalline In Ga As Nanowires for Room-Temperature High-Performance Near-Infrared Photodetectors

In Ga As is an important bandgap-variable ternary semiconductor which has wide applications in electronics and optoelectronics. In this work, single-crystal In Ga As nanowires were synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method.Photoluminescence measurements indicate the In Ga As nanowires have strong light emission in near-infrared region. For the first time, photodetector based on as-grown In Ga As nanowires was also constructed. It shows good light response over a broad spectral range in infrared region with responsivity of 6.5×10~3 AW^(-1) and external quantum efficiency of 5.04×10~5%. This photodetector may have potential applications in integrated optoelectronic devices and systems.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy of pancreatic cancer using an indocyanine green-labeled anti-tissue factor antibody

AIM To investigate near-infrared photoimmunotherapeutic effect mediated by an anti-tissue factor(TF) antibody conjugated to indocyanine green(ICG) in a pancreatic cancer model.METHODS Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy(NIR-PIT) is a highly selective tumor treatment that utilizes an antibody-photosensitizer conjugate administration, followed by NIR light exposure. Anti-TF antibody 1849-ICG conjugate was synthesized by labeling of rat IgG2 b anti-TF monoclonal antibody 1849(anti-TF 1849) to a NIR photosensitizer,ICG. The expression levels of TF in two human pancreatic cancer cell lines were examined by western blotting. Specific binding of the 1849-ICG to TF-expressing BxPC-3 cells was examined by fluorescence microscopy. NIR-PITinduced cell death was determined by cell viability imaging assay. In vivo longitudinal fluorescence imaging was used to explore the accumulation of 1849-ICG conjugate in xenograft tumors. To examine the effect of NIRPIT, tumor-bearing mice were separated into 5 groups:(1) 100 μg of 1849-ICG i.v. administration followed by NIR light exposure(50 J/cm2) on two consecutive days(Days 1 and 2);(2) NIR light exposure(50 J/cm2) only on two consecutive days(Days 1 and 2);(3) 100 μg of 1849-ICG i.v. administration;(4) 100 μg of unlabeled antiTF 1849 i.v. administration; and(5) the untreated control. Semiweekly tumor volume measurements, accompanied with histological and immunohistochemical(IHC) analyses of tumors, were performed 3 d after the 2nd irradiation with NIR light to monitor the effect of treatments. RESULTS High TF expression in BxPC-3 cells was observed via western blot analysis, concordant with the observed preferential binding with intracellular localization of 1849-ICG via fluorescence microscopy. NIR-PIT-induced cell death was observed by performing cell viability imaging assay. In contrast to the other test groups, tumor growth was significantly inhibited by NIR-PIT with a statistically significant difference in relative tumor volumes for 27 d after the treatment start date [2.83 ± 0.38(NIR-PIT) vs 5.42 ± 1.61(Untreated), vs 4.90 ± 0.87(NIR), vs 4.28 ±1.87(1849-ICG), vs 4.35 ± 1.42(anti-TF 1849), at Day 27, P < 0.05]. Tumors that received NIR-PIT showed evidence of necrotic cell death-associated features upon hematoxylin-eosin staining accompanied by a decrease in Ki-67-positive cells(a cell proliferation marker) by IHC examination.CONCLUSION The TF-targeted NIR-PIT with the 1849-ICG conjugate can potentially open a new platform for treatment of TF-expressing pancreatic cancer.

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy to predict sweetpotato starch thermal properties and noodle quality

Sweetpotato starch thermal properties and its noodle quality were analyzed using a rapid predictive method based on near-infrared spectroscopy （NIRS）. This method was established based on a total of 93 sweetpotato genotypes with diverse genetic background. Starch samples were scanned by NIRS and analyzed for quality properties by reference methods. Results of statistical modelling indicated that NIRS was reasonably accurate in predicting gelatinization onset temperature （To） （standard error of prediction SEP=2.014 ℃, coefficient of determination RSQ=0.85）, gelatinization peak temperature （Tp） （SEP=-1.371 ℃, RSQ=0.89）, gelatinization temperature range （Tr） （SEP=2.234 ℃, RSQ=0.86）, and cooling resistance （CR） （SEP=0.528, RSQ=0.89）. Gelatinization completion temperature （To）, enthalpy of gelatinization （△H）, cooling loss （CL） and swelling degree （SWD）, were modelled less well with RSQ between 0.63 and 0.84. The present results suggested that the NIRS based method was sufficiently accurate and practical for routine analysis of sweetpotato starch and its noodle quality.

Mechanical properties of wood materials using near-infrared spectroscopy based on correlation local embedding and partial least-squares

This study used near-infrared(NIR)spectroscopy to predict mechanical properties of wood.NIR spectra were collected in wavelengths 900–1700 nm,and spectra averaged by radial and tangential surface spectra were used to establish a partial least square(PLS)model based on correlation local embedding(CLE).Mongolian oak(Quercus mongolica Fisch.ex Ledeb.)was used to test the eff ectiveness of the model.The cross-validation method was used to verify the robustness of the CLE–PLS model.Ninety samples were tested as the calibration set and forty-fi ve as the validation set.The results show that the prediction coeffi cient of determination(R2 p)is 0.80 for MOR,and 0.78 for MOE.The ratio of performance to deviation is 2.23 for MOR and 2.15 for MOE.

Near-infrared fluorescence sentinel lymph node detection in gastric cancer: A pilot study

AIM: To investigate feasibility and accuracy of near-infrared fluorescence imaging using indocyanine green: nanocolloid for sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in gastric cancer.METHODS: A prospective, single-institution, phase I feasibility trial was conducted. Patients suffering from gastric cancer and planned for gastrectomy were included. During surgery, a subserosal injection of 1.6 mL ICG:Nanocoll was administered around the tumor. NIR fluorescence imaging of the abdominal cavity was performed using the Mini-FLARE&#x02122; NIR fluorescence imaging system. Lymphatic pathways and SLNs were visualized. Of every detected SLN, the corresponding lymph node station, signal-to-background ratio and histopathological diagnosis was determined. Patients underwent standard-of-care gastrectomy. Detected SLNs outside the standard dissection planes were also resected and evaluated.RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were enrolled. Four patients were excluded because distant metastases were found during surgery or due to technical failure of the injection. In 21 of the remaining 22 patients, at least 1 SLN was detected by NIR Fluorescence imaging (mean 3.1 SLNs; range 1-6). In 8 of the 21 patients, tumor-positive LNs were found. Overall accuracy of the technique was 90% (70%-99%; 95%CI), which decreased by higher pT-stage (100%, 100%, 100%, 90%, 0% for respectively Tx, T1, T2, T3, T4 tumors). All NIR-negative SLNs were completely effaced by tumor. Mean fluorescence signal-to-background ratio of SLNs was 4.4 (range 1.4-19.8). In 8 of the 21 patients, SLNs outside the standard resection plane were identified, that contained malignant cells in 2 patients.CONCLUSION: This study shows successful use of ICG:Nanocoll as lymphatic tracer for SLN detection in gastric cancer. Moreover, tumor-containing LNs outside the standard dissection planes were identified.