Biopsy methods and devices

A method for detecting the presence or absence of cancer cells in an excised cellular mass comprising viable cells which are suspected of including cancer cells which method comprises:

• contacting said mass with a conjugate comprising a tumor targeting component and a pro-detection component so that the conjugate selectively binds to and is then absorbed by any cancer cells in said mass that it targets whereupon the pro-detection component is intracellularlv converted into a detection component with a signaling fingerprint;
• evaluating the contacted mass for signal generated from the detection component of said conjugate;
• and
• correlating the presence or absence of said signal fingerprint to the presence or absence of cancer cells;
• wherein said conjugate is a compound of formula I:
• wherein R and R1 are independently C2-C18 alkyl or cycloalkyl groups both of which contain 1 to 8 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, S(O)x, >NR3, —OP(O)yH, —OS(O)zH, —C(O)—, amino, C1-C6 alkylamino, di(C1-C6dialkyl)amino, —C(O)O—, —C(O)NR3—, —C(O)OH, —OH, and oxo wherein y and z are independently 1 or 2, and x is 0, 1 or 2;
• R2 is hydrogen or methyl;
• R3 is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
• and
• L is a linker of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and 1 to 6 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, S(O)x, >NR3, —OP(O)yH, —OS(O)zH, —C(O)—, amino, C1-C6 alkylamino, di(C1-C6 dialkyl)amino, —C(O)O—, —C(O)NR3—, —C(O)OH, —OH, and oxo wherein y and z are independently 1 or 2, and x is 0, 1 or 2;
• or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, tautomers, and/or solvates thereof.