Contrast Agents:
Optical Imaging Portfolio
Innovative imaging agents that offer unprecedented capabilities
Overview
NiraWave optical imaging agents are novel dyes and nanomaterials ideal for the study of vascular fine structure, disease-related vascular changes and tumors.
Visualize blood vessels with exceptional detail
NiraWave agents are designed to capitalize the most from your imaging device.
- NiraWave C is the animal imaging formulation of the clinical indocyanine green agent that has been used for angiography (eye), organ perfusion, rheumatology diagnostics, and photodynamic therapy research
- NiraWave M is a unique micellar formulation of the clinical ICG dye with a long circulation time and is perfectly suited for the study of vascular leakage in inflammation
- NiraWave Rocker is an innovative nanoparticulate optical imaging agent optimized for visualization of primary tumors and metastases
- NiraWave nano 780 is a nanoparticulate optical imaging agent developed for optical angiography that provides a broad excitation range, a high quantum yield, and the best possible tissue penetration
Discover how you can advance your optical imaging research!
This illustrated guide of NiraWave imaging agents assists you in identifying the optimal agent for your particular application.
Optical Imaging Agent Portfolio
NiraWave
NiraWave™ Rocker
NiraWave Rocker is a nanoparticulate near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging agent optimized for visualization of primary tumors and metastases. Its accumulation in tumor cells via the rocker-switch mechanism as well as its strong fluorescence and high stability enable visualization of tumors in animal cancer models.
NiraWave Rocker, the unique optical imaging agent:
- Is based on a nanoparticle with a high intrinsic fluorescene intensity
- Highlights primary and metastatic tumors
- Exhibits stable fluorescence enabling longtime visualization of tumors
Apply NiraWave Rocker to:
- Detect primary tumors and metastases based on its selective enrichment
- Study tumor progression in tumor-bearing mouse models
- Monitor therapeutic response
Physico-chemical properties and structure
Schematic diagram of a NiraWave Rocker nanoparticle
Emission wavelength:
830 nm
Excitation wavelength:
660 – 790 nm
NiraWave™ Rocker optical imaging of mouse tumors
Accumulation of NiraWave Rocker in tumors of a mouse model of human A549 lung adenocarcinoma (left) and murine T1 mammary carcinoma (right).
Optical image of a mouse mopdel of human prostate cancer (PC-3) showing accumulation od NiraWave Rocker in primary tumor as well as in metastasized sciatic lymph nodes
Selected references
- Hess, M et al. (2016) Long-term tumor visualization by NiraWave Rocker
Download Application Note – Long-term tumor visualization
Order no:
NiraWave™ Rocker optical imaging agent (1 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 158
NiraWave™ Rocker optical imaging agent (5 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 159
NiraWave™ M
NiraWave M is an innovative micellar formulation of the clinically proven near-infrared fluorescence dye indocyanine green (ICG). Due to the unique formulation, NiraWave M exhibits a stronger fluorescence, higher aqueous stability and prolonged blood circulation time. It is ideal for optical angiography and is particularly suited for the visualization of vascular leakage in inflammation (e.g. in rheumatic diseases).
NiraWave M, the unique optical imaging agent:
- Has a high apparent molecular weight
- Stays confined within healthy blood vessels
- Exits from fenestrated blood vessels, for example in inflammation
Apply NiraWave M to:
- Study inflammatory processes such as in rheumatic diseases
- Benefit from the strong and long-lasting blood vessel contrast allowing studies of the microcirculation
- Monitor therapeutic response
Physico-chemical properties and structure
Schematic diagram of indocyanine green (ICG) micelles
11 nm
830 nm
660 – 790 nm
Normalized absorption and emission spectra of NiraWave M in plasma
NiraWave M optical imaging of inflammation and microcirculation
Top: Mouse ear optical angiography with NiraWave M shows superior circulation time over ICG standard dye.
Bottom: Inflammation imaging in a rheumatoid arthritis rat model (right) versus the control animal (left) based on NiraWave M vascular leakage.
Download Application Note – Fluorescent blood pool imaging agent
Download Application Note – Visualization of the microcirculation
Download Application Note – Long-term tumor visualization
Selected references
- Schwenck, J. et al. (2016) Fluorescence and Cerenkov luminescence imaging. Nuklearmedizin 55(2): 63–70.
- Kirchherr, A.K. et al. (2009) Stabilization of indocyanine green within micellar systems. Mol. Pharmaceutics.
6: 480–491. - Kirchherr, A.K. (2010) Entwicklung und Charakterisierung neuer kolloidaler Formulierungen für Indocyaningrün als Kontrastmittel für die optische Bildgebung. PhD thesis.
- Meyer, J. et al. (2014) In Vivo Imaging of a New Indocyanine Green Micelle Formulation in an Animal Model of Laser-Induced Choroidal Neovascularization. IOVS 55: 6204-6212.
Order no:
NiraWave™ M optical imaging agent (1 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 156
NiraWave™ M optical imaging agent (5 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 157
NiraWave™ nano 780
Optical angiography agent
NiraWave nano 780 is a nanoparticulate optical imaging agent for the visualization of vascular fine structure as well as angiogenic processes in tumors and inflammation. It provides a broad excitation range, a high quantum yield and best possible tissue penetration due to fluorescence in the near-infrared range.
NiraWave nano 780, the nanoparticle optical imaging agent:
- Exhibits a high Stokes-shift and high resistance towards bleaching
- Is optimized for an extended circulation time
- Enables a wide imaging time window
- Accumulates in the liver and spleen
Apply NiraWave nano 780 to:
- Visualize the vascular fine structure
- Study angiogenesis in tumors and inflammation
Physico-chemical properties and structure
Schematic diagram of a NiraWave nano 780 nanoparticle
780 nm
below 740 nm
Absorption and emission spectra of NiraWave nano 780
NiraWave nano 780 nanoparticle optical angiography
Optical angiography in mouse injected with NiraWave nano 780. The fine structure of blood vessels is clearly visible, for example, in the hind limbs.
Color-coded image of the same animal showing a vascularized tumor in the hind limb.
- Ballou, B. et al. (2004) Noninvasive imaging of quantum dots in mice. Bioconjugate Chem. 15:79-86.
- Gao, X. et al. (2004) In vivo cancer targeting and imaging with semiconductor quantum dots. Nat. Biotechnol.
22(8): 969-976. - So, M.K. et al. (2006) Self-illuminating quantum dot conjugates for in vivo imaging. Nat. Biotechnol. 24(3): 339-343.
- Kuka, J. et al. (2015) Dual Modality Fluorescence and Computed Tomography System for Small Animal In Vivo Imaging. ICNP, Riga, Latvia, p31.
NiraWave™ nano 780 optical imaging agent (1 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 695
NiraWave™ nano 780 optical imaging agent (5 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 693
NiraWave™ C
The trusted optical imaging agent
NiraWave C is formulated from the clinically proven indocyanine green (ICG) agent for use in small animal imaging. It is a versatile dye that has been used for angiography of the eye, organ perfusion, rheumatology diagnostics, and photodynamic therapy research.
NiraWave C, the trusted standard from clinical practice:
- Saves you the time by eliminating tedious dilution and formulation steps
- Provides consistently reliable results
- Serves as a reference contrast agent
- Is hassle-free allowing you to focus on the experiment at hand
- Indocyanine green has been clinically used for various applications: angiography in opthalmology, organ perfusion, as well as rheumatology diagnostics based on vascular leakage
Physico-chemical properties and structure
Structural formula of indocyanine green
775 g mol -1
820 nm
650 – 780 nm
Normalized absorption and emission spectra of NiraWave C in plasma
NiraWave™ C optical imaging of mouse ear vessels
Optical Imaging of blood vessels in the mouse ear obtained at 30 s post injection of NiraWave C.
- Lao, W.W. et al. (2014) A new rat model for orthotopic abdominal wall allotransplantation. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2(4): e136.
- Reynolds, J.S. et al. (1999) Imaging of spontaneous canine mammary tumors using fluorescent contrast agents. Photochem. Photobiol. 70: 87-94.
- Li, X. et al. (1995) Tumor localization using fluorescence of indocyanine green (ICG) in rat models. Proc. SPIE.
2389: 789-797. - Baeumler, W. et al. (1999) Photo-oxidative killing of human colonic cancer cells using indocyanine green and infrared light. Br. J. Cancer. 80: 360-363.
Order no:
NiraWave™ C optical imaging agent (1 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 154
NiraWave™ C optical imaging agent (5 x 5 injections): 130 – 095 – 155
Customized Agents
Customized MRI agents
Imaging agents tailored for your research
The continually expanding Viscover portfolio provides reliable, ready-to-use imaging agents covering a wide spectrum of imaging demands. For those occasions when a customized solution is required, you can rely on the Viscover team for timely assistance.
Examples of our custom offers include:
For MRI:
- Target-specific imaging agents based on both iron oxide and gadolinium-chelate nanoparticles
- Iron oxide nanoparticles of all sizes
- Custom-sized polymeric MRI agents
- Fractionated radiopaque nanoparticles
- Research on target-specific CT imaging agents
- Custom-sized polymeric CT imaging agents
- Target- specific ultrasound microbubbles
- Fractionated ultrasound microbubbles with selected echogenic properties
- NIR dyes, both small molecule and particulate, having various chemical functionalities and optical properties
- Target-specific optical imaging agents
Physico-chemical properties and structure
Schematic diagram of a FeraSpin T nanoparticle
Mean particle size (hydrodynamic diameter):
60 nm
Particle size range:
Narrow size distribution
Relaxivity (37 °C, 1.41 T)
In water:
r1 = 8 L mmol-1 s-1
r2 = 280 L mmol-1 s-1
Viscover’s target-specific agents for all modalities.
Selected References
- Briel, A. et al. (2005) Ultrasound theranostics: antibody-based microbubble conjugates as targeted in vivo contrast agents and advanced drug delivery systems. Modern Biopharmaceuticals. 3: 1301-1324.
- Hauff, P. et al. (2004) Molecular targeting of lymph nodes with L-selectin ligand-specific US contrast agent: a feasibility study in mice and dogs. Radiology 231: 667-673.
- Licha, K. et al. (2001) Synthesis, characterization, and biological properties of cyanine-labeled somatostatin analogues as receptor –targeted fluorescent probes. Bioconjugate Chem. 12: 44-50.
- Zhang, C. et al. (2007) Specific targeting of tumor angiogenesis by RGD-conjugated ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide particles using a clinical 1.5-T magnetic resonance scanner. Cancer Res. 67: 1555-1562.