Figure 4.

A new generation of SERS nanoparticles used to visualize tumor margins, tumor invasion, and locoregional tumor spread with high precision. (a) Structure of the nanoparticle; (b) size distribution of the nanoparticles; (c) in situ photograph of the exposed upper abdomen in a mouse with a pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas (outlined with white dotted line). Corresponding Raman image showing SERRS-nanostar signal in the macroscopically visible tumor in the head as well as small scattered foci of SERRS-signal in other normal-appearing regions of the pancreas. (d) Photographic and high-resolution Raman images of the excised pancreas from (c). Reprinted with permission from Ref. [78].