[Shinkei]

The issue I have is regarding how this technology will be applied to a population. If this is for screening, then it has to be incredibly safe and cheap. If this is for follow-up of known cancer, then you aren't going for 'early detection,' micromets, etc. as you suggest.

So assuming this is intended to be a screening tool, is there any feasibility data regarding fluorescence from even more than a couple centimeters within human tissue? I am skeptical that you will be able to see a lung or colon tumor for example... two of the three most common cancers in America.

I am a physician and consider myself very knowledgeable in imaging (Radiologist) as well as fairly informed about optical imaging (large institution with quantum dot and other types of opitcal research).

[Bikanta]

The in vivo pathologies and applications we are targeting initially are primarily nearer to the surface (i.e metastatic node detection, skin pathologies) or procedures where surgeons can use NIR fluorescence imaging systems that simultaneously display color video and NIR images have been developed for real-time surgical applications. Though this wasn't a focus in today's article, along with in vivo applications, we are working on a number of applications for microscopy and ex vivo diagnostics.