In vivo imaging-guided microsurgery based on femtosecond laser produced new fluorescent compounds in biological tissues

Abstract

Femtosecond laser microsurgery has become an advanced method for clinical procedures and biological research. The tissue treated by femtosecond laser can become highly fluorescent, indicating the formation of new fluorescent compounds that can naturally label the treated tissue site. We systematically characterized the fluorescence signals produced by femtosecond laser ablation in biological tissues <i>in vivo</i>. Our findings showed that they possess unique fluorescence properties and can be clearly differentiated from endogenous signals and major fluorescent proteins. We further demonstrated that the new fluorescent compounds can be used as <i>in vivo</i> labelling agent for biological imaging and guided laser microsurgery.