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AAT Bioquest

What is indocyanine green (ICG)?

Posted August 11, 2021


Answer

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a green cyanine dye. It is a water-soluble but relatively hydrophobic, anionic, tricarbocyanine molecule. Its molecular formula is C43H47N2NaO6S2.

This amphiphilic fluorophore has a half-life of 150 to 180 seconds and a peak spectral absorption at about 800 nm. ICG is the only Near Infra-Red (NIR) contrast agent approved by the FDA for a limited number of indications in various surgical procedures.

Indocyanine green (ICG) is widely used in medicine to enhance visualization of blood vessels and other anatomic structures that may not be clearly visible in white light

Additional resources

Indocyanine green can stand alone in detecting sentinel lymph nodes in cervical cancer

ICG Maleimide