Abstract: Appropriate assessment of wound oxygenation is critical to establish a diagnosis, to monitor the effect of the treatment, to guide the therapeutic process, to identify the presence of infection, and to predict the treatment outcome. Embodied systems and methods represent an enabling technology for noninvasive and objective assessment of wound tissue oxygenation. In addition to wound healing, disclosed embodiments offer low cost and portable avenues for noninvasive assessment of multiple clinical parameters for the detection and intervention of various malignancies in multiple soft tissue systems.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments include systems, methods, and compositions for the intra-operative detection of target tissue. At least one embodiment includes a fluorescence detection instrument that may be used for intra-operative detection of a fluorescent targeting agent, its binding site, and its interaction within cancer tissues. An exemplary embodiment is highly sensitive to the local deposition of fluorescence agents even at a low concentration. In at least one embodiment, the system includes a handheld navigation instrument that is usable to excite, detect, and report the fluorescent deposition of the targeting agent in real-time. In alternative embodiments, the system includes a wearable unit to excite, detect, and visually report the fluorescent deposition of the targeting agent to the user. The wearable unit includes eyewear that allow the user to perform image-guided surgery based on the near real-time fluorescence detection of the fluorescent targeting agent.