An optical filter includes: an absorption layer including a first near-infrared absorbing dye (D1), a second near-infrared absorbing dye (D2), and a transparent resin; and a reflection layer including a dielectric multilayer film. The dye (D1) and the dye (D2) are squarylium compounds satisfying following (1) to (3). (1) The dye (D1) has a maximum absorption wavelength λ.sub.max(D1) within a range of 680 to 730 nm, and the difference between a wavelength at which a transmittance is 80% on the shorter wavelength side than λ.sub.max(D1) when the concentration is adjusted such that a transmittance at λ.sub.max(D1) is 10%, and λ.sub.max(D1) is 100 nm or less. (2) The dye (D2) has a maximum absorption wavelength λ.sub.max(D2) within a range of 720 to 770 nm. (3) A value obtained by subtracting λ.sub.max(D1) from λ.sub.max(D2) is 30 nm or more and 85 nm or less.

The present invention provides methods, compositions, mixtures and kits utilizing deoxynucleoside triphosphates comprising a 3′-O position capped by a group comprising methylenedisulfide as a cleavable protecting group and a detectable label reversibly connected to the nucleobase of said deoxynucleoside. Such compounds provide new possibilities for future sequencing technologies, including but not limited to Sequencing by Synthesis.

Compositions, methods, and systems are provided for fluorescent polymerase enzyme substrates comprising protein shields for improving enzyme photostability in single molecule real time sequencing. Fluorescent polymerase enzyme substrates of the invention have a protein shield between the fluorescent dye moieties and nucleotide moieties of the polymerase enzyme substrate. The polymerase enzyme substrates have a nucleotide component and a dye component, each attached to a protein. The attachments can be covalent. The protein can, for example, prevent the direct interaction of the fluorescent dye moiety with the enzyme when carrying out nucleotide synthesis, preventing photodamage to the enzyme. The polymerase enzyme substrates of the invention can have multiple dyes and multiple nucleotide moieties.

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.

Compounds useful as contrast agents in image-guided surgery are provided. The compounds comprise a latent cationic lysosomotropic fragment that is detectable upon cleavage by lysosomal proteases within treated tissues, particularly within tumors and other diseased tissues. Also provided are compositions comprising the compounds and methods for using the compounds, for example in dynamically monitoring protease activity in vivo during image-guided tumor resection surgery.

The present invention provides methods, compositions, mixtures and kits utilizing deoxynucleoside triphosphates comprising a 3′-O position capped by a group comprising methylenedisulfide as a cleavable protecting group and a detectable label reversibly connected to the nucleobase of said deoxynucleoside. In addition, thiol-containing compounds and scavengers of thio-containing compounds are described. Such compounds provide new possibilities for future sequencing technologies, including but not limited to Sequencing by Synthesis.

The present invention provides methods, compositions, mixtures and kits utilizing deoxynucleoside triphosphates comprising a 3′-O position capped by a group comprising methylenedisulfide as a cleavable protecting group and a detectable label reversibly connected to the nucleobase of said deoxynucleoside. In addition, thiol-containing compounds and scavengers of thio-containing compounds are described. Such compounds provide new possibilities for future sequencing technologies, including but not limited to Sequencing by Synthesis.

The present invention relates to a compound represented by general formula (I) (in the formula (I), X represents a methyl group or a halogen atom; R.sup.1 to R.sup.14 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; B.sup.m− represents a polyoxometalate anion; m represents an integer of 1 to 20; n represents an integer of 1 to 20, provided that n is determined such that the charge of the whole formula (I) becomes zero).

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to a compound represented by general formula (I) (in the formula (I), X represents a methyl group or a halogen atom; R.sup.1 to R.sup.14 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a cyano group, an optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an optionally substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; B.sup.m− represents a polyoxometalate anion; m represents an integer of 1 to 20; n represents an integer of 1 to 20, provided that n is determined such that the charge of the whole formula (I) becomes zero).

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to the field of optical imaging More particularly, it relates to compounds of the cyanine family characterized by improved physico-chemical and biological properties and to their conjugates with biological ligands thereof. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds as optical diagnostic agents in imaging or therapy of solid tumors, to the methods for their preparation and to the compositions comprising them.