A fluorescent compound in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention has high stability under a water-soluble condition to be easily stored for a long time and improve pH stability and can be more efficiently used for labeling and dyeing of a target material by introducing the triazine substituted with a hydroxyl group as a linker to improve the fluorescent intensity even at a low concentration as compared with the conventional structure. Further, the fluorescent compound is excellent in optical stability and exhibits stable fluorescence in long-term dyeing, and is excellent in fluorescence intensity while being not accumulated in the body, and thus, can be easily dyed and imaged in vivo even in the use of a small amount as compared with the conventional dyes to be economically used.

Photoacoustic voltage dependent dyes and their use in measuring an electrophysiological activity in a subject in vivo are disclosed.

The invention relates to a family of compounds that comprise fluorescent cyanine dyes. The compounds are near infrared absorbing heptamethine cyanine dyes with a 4,4-disubstituted cyclohexyl ring as part of the polymethine chromophore. The compounds are generally hydrophilic and can be chemically linked to biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and therapeutic small molecules. The compounds can be used for imaging in a variety of medical, biological and diagnostic applications.

The invention relates to a family of compounds that comprise fluorescent cyanine dyes. The compounds are near infrared absorbing heptamethine cyanine dyes with a 4,4-disubstituted cyclohexyl ring as part of the polymethine chromophore. The compounds are generally hydrophilic and can be chemically linked to biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and therapeutic small molecules. The compounds can be used for imaging in a variety of medical, biological and diagnostic applications.

The present invention aims at providing a novel indocyanine compound solving problems of conventionally used indocyanine green, such as solubility in water or physiological saline, a synthesis method and a purification method thereof, and a diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound. Further, provided are a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound and a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, which utilize the diagnostic composition. Also, found are a novel indocyanine compound in which a hydrophobic moiety in a near-infrared fluorescent indocyanine molecule is included in a cavity of a cyclic sugar chain cyclodextrin to cover the hydrophobic moiety in the indocyanine molecule with the glucose, and a synthesis method and a purification method thereof. Furthermore, found are a method for fluorescence-imaging an organ other than liver by intravenous administration, a method for evaluating biokinetics of the novel indocyanine compound, a device for measuring biokinetics, and a method and a device for visualizing circulation of fluid such as blood in a living body, utilizing the diagnostic composition including the novel indocyanine compound.

The present invention relates to fluorescent dyes in general. The present invention provides a wide range of fluorescent dyes and kits containing the same, which are applicable for labeling a variety of biomolecules, cells and microorganisms. The present invention also provides various methods of using the fluorescent dyes for research and development, forensic identification, environmental studies, diagnosis, prognosis, and/or treatment of disease conditions.

A method for organ imaging, comprising: administering to a subject a diagnostic effective amount of 2-((E)-2-((E)-3-(2-((E)-3,3-dimethyl-5-sulfonato-1-(4-sulfonatobutyl)indolin-2-ylidene)ethylidene)-2-phenoxycyclohex-1-en-1-yl)vinyl)-3,3-dimethyl-1-(4-sulfonatobutyl)-3H-indol-1-ium-5-sulfonate or 2-((E)-2-((E)-3-(2-((E)-3,3-dimethyl-5-sulfonato-1-(4-sulfonatobutyl)indolin-2-ylidene)ethylidene)-2-(4-sulfonatophenoxy)cyclohex-1-en-1-yl)vinyl)-3,3-dimethyl-1-(4-sulfonatobutyl)-3H-indol-1-ium-5-sulfonate. In one embodiment, the organ includes one or more of kidney, bladder, liver, gall bladder, spleen, intestine, heart, lungs and muscle.

The invention provides agents that target carbonic anhydrase, which can be used as imaging agents or therapeutic agents. The agents can be used to image tumor hypoxia as well as other physiological processes in a subject.

Provided is a cyanine compound being bound counterions consisting of an anion and a cation, wherein the anion is represented by the following formula (I-1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group; R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 each independently represent a monovalent group such as a phenyl group; X represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a monovalent organic group; and Y represents a divalent group such as a n-propenyl group.

A near-infrared absorbing composition includes: an organic dye; and a metal compound. The organic dye includes: at least one of a squarylium dye (A) or a cyanine dye (B) each having an absorption maximum in a range of 680 to 740 nm; and a cyanine dye (C) having an absorption maximum at 760 nm or higher. The metal compound includes at least a phosphonic acid and a copper ion, or a copper phosphonate complex formed from a phosphonic acid and a copper ion.