NEAR INFRA RED FLUORESCENCE IMAGING FOR VISUALIZATION OF BLOOD VESSELS DURING ENDOSCOPIC HARVEST

摘要

Endoscopic identification and dissection of a blood vessel in tissue during endoscopic harvest can be enhanced by injecting a bolus of ICG into the bloodstream, illuminating the target vessels with excitation light capable of exciting fluorescence in the ICG, and locating the vessel to be harvested by observing the ICG fluorescence. Moreover, collapsed blood vessel may be harvested by inserting an endoscope into the collapsed blood vessel, injecting into the collapsed blood vessel a bolus containing ICG to re-inflate the blood vessel, illuminating the target vessels with excitation light capable of exciting fluorescence in the ICG; and locating the re-inflated blood vessel by observing the ICG fluorescence.