Abstract
Indocyanine green (ICG) is one of the types of fluorescent dyes (fluorophores, fluorochromes). It is a chemical compound containing a reactive group capable of reacting with nucleophilic groups.
The principle of fluorescence is the emission of energy in a very short time, caused by the effect of radiation. Each fluorescent substance is characterized by two types of spectra - an excitation and an emission spectrum.
ICG has an excitation and emission spectrum in the near infrared region, hence the so-called NIR (near infrared) fluorophores. ICG is the only NIR dye that has been certified by the FDA (U.S.
Food and Drug Administration) for use in biomedicine since 1959 (1). Especially in recent years, indocyanine green has received a lot of attention due to its ever-expanding indications for use in clinical medicine.
It has been traditionally used in ophthalmology to diagnose diseases of the retina as well as to determine cardiac output and to measure liver function. However, it is also used in surgical oncology to detect sentinel nodes and in neurosurgery, vascular surgery or reconstructive surgery to evaluate microcirculation following free tissue transfer.
The article presents an overview of the basic chemical and physical properties of the substance and the possibilities for its use in clinical applications.