| abstract |
An improved apparatus and method for optically localizing cancer lesions occluded beneath healthy tissue layers. A porphyrin tumor-specific marker is injected into a patient. After several days the healthy tissue has released the tumor-specific marker but the cancerous tissue has retained the tumor-specific marker. A long wavelength red excitation light illuminates an area of tissue and excites the porphyrin tumor-specific marker to fluorescence. An optical detection means monitors fluorescent emissions in the near infrared band and locates the source of the emissions. |