Dye-protein complex for nir ii and photoacoustic imaging

A method of enhancing the NIR-II emission of a fluorescent dye, the method comprising synthesizing a composition comprising a fluorescent dye attached to a human serum albumin molecule, or fragment thereof, and wherein the fluorescent dye has a greater near-infrared fluorescence than when not in contact with the human serum albumin molecule, the method comprising mixing aqueous solutions of the fluorescent dye and the human serum albumin, or fragment thereof, wherein the fluorescent dye and the human serum albumin, or fragment thereof, have a molar ratio selected from the range of about 10:1 to about 1:10.

A method of imaging a tissue or organ in an animal or human subject, the method comprising the steps of administering to an animal or human subject an amount of a probe, wherein the probe comprises a fluorescent dye attached to a human serum albumin molecule, or fragment thereof, and wherein the fluorescent dye has a greater near-infrared fluorescence intensity than when not in contact with the human serum albumin molecule, generating a fluorescent signal from the probe by irradiating the exterior surface or a tissue of the subject with an excitation radiation specific for the fluorescent dye, detecting the emitted fluorescence and generating an image of the fluorescence relative to the body of the subject.