Iatrogenic ureteral injury is a dreaded complication of abdominal and pelvic surgeries, and thus, intraoperative identification of ureters is of paramount importance but lacks efficient methods and probes. Herein, we used near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) fluorescence imaging with advantages of higher spatial resolution, deeper tissue penetration, lower light scattering, and less tissue autofluorescence to identify ureters by aggregation-induced emission luminogen dots (AIE dots). The intraoperative ureteral injuries and common ureteral diseases can be visualized timely and precisely. Due to the longer emission wavelength and higher quantum yield of the AIE dots, it largely outperforms the commercial indocyanine green dye in brightness and penetration depth. It was the first time to realize the intraoperative identification of ureters in vivo using NIR-II imaging. Thus, our work provides a new platform for intraoperative monitoring during clinical operation.
Keywords: aggregation-induced emission; highly bright and stable; near-infrared II fluorescence; ureter imaging; ureteral injury.