Apparatus and method for detecting fluorescence

An apparatus for near-real time detection of fluorescence of a sample obtained from diseased tissue of a human or animal by surgery during fluorescence-guided surgery, the sample including one or more fluorophores, the fluorescence being generated by the one or more fluorophores and being indicative of a disease or health condition, the sample being transported away from the human or animal in a transparent conduit configured to transport the sample as a continuous flow directly from the human or animal to the apparatus for near-real time detection of the fluorescence of the sample, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing being configured to surround at least a part of the transparent conduit, the housing comprising:
• one or more light sources operable configured to emit light towards the sample being transported in the transparent conduit, the one or more light sources including at least a first light source, and
• at least two light receivers configured to detect the fluorescence generated by the one or more fluorophores comprised in the sample transported in the transparent conduit, the at least two light receivers comprising at least a first light receiver and a second light receiver, at least the first light receiver and the second light receiver being disposed at a distance based upon one or more of a fluorescence induction speed, fluorescence decay, and fluorescence intensity of the sample comprising the one or more fluorophores;
• a computing device configured to:
• receive a first signal from at least one of the at least two light receivers, the first signal being proportional to the detected fluorescence by the at least one of the at least two light receivers,
• compare the first signal to a predefined threshold for the first signal, and
• output a first information indicating a comparison result.