Figure 1.

FIGS instrumentation and potential uses: a FIGS instrumentation consists of three critical components: an excitation source, a collection source and a display. The excitation source is responsible for exciting the fluorophore, the collection source picks up the fluorophore wavelength and discards other light, and the display provides intraoperative real-time feedback of the surgical field. Contrast agents for FIGS can be used in several formulations, including free dyes, dyes entrapped in nanoparticles, and dyes conjugated to targeting moieties. FIGS has many potential uses in the field of surgical oncology. b Surgeons are able to detect tumors and tumor margins with FIGS, which can result in a reduction in recurrence. c Additionally, FIGS can be used to identify critical nerves during surgery, to avoid injurious resection. d FIGS has shown efficacy in detecting metastasis in addition to the primary tumor, especially lymph nodes. e Pathologists can use FIGS for rapid ex vivo analysis of tissue samples, to confirm negative margins.