| abstract |
Provided is a tissue staining composition containing carbon particles having a mean particle diameter less than 0.3 μm in diameter (for example, less than 0.2 μm in diameter) together with one or more agents that maintain the carbon particles in suspension (for example, an anti-settling agent and/or surfactant). In certain circumstances, the anti-settling agent may also have mucoadhesive properties. The tissue staining composition is visually dark and does not disperse rapidly when introduced into regions of tissue of interest making it ideal for marking the regions that can be visualized clearly and over prolonged periods of time via, for example, direct visualization, endoscopic or laparoscopic inspection. The invention also provides methods of making and using the tissue staining composition for marking regions of tissue of interest, for example, gastrointestinal tissue, as well as other tissues. |