Contrast agent free detection of bowel perforation using chlorophyll derivatives from food plants

Abstract

Chlorophylls occur abundantly in food plants and show bright emission bands at long-wavelength regions (similar to 675 and similar to 720 nm) compared to the autofluorescence of animal organs and peritoneal fluids. The use of these emissions as biomarkers for monitoring bowel perforation with a modality that does not involve synthetic contrast agents seems promising. To validate this, we measured the fluorescence spectra of rat organs, human peritoneal and intestinal fluids, and human intestinal fluids diluted with physiological saline. The developed technique showed a high detection sensitivity (similar to 50 ppm) under irrigation for abdominal surgery, highlighting the potential of this tool in the surgical setting. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.