FLUONIR

FLUONIR is a start-up creation project in the health field. The objective is the development of new innovative fluorophores for fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS). Currently, in the context of FGS, the compounds used emit in the NIR-I optical region between 700 and 900 nm. However, one of the main limitations of NIR-I is the sensitivity of the technique which is reduced due to the autofluorescence of the tissues and the diffusion of light in the tissues. These phenomena lead to a loss of resolution in the images obtained which are a blurry. In the optical window of the NIR-II, these different parameters are improved, so it is possible to obtain images deeper in the tissue, sharper and with better resolution. FLUONIR probes emit in this region of NIR-II. They are chemically and photochemically stable. They are easy to produce, water-soluble and bioconjugable to vectors of biological interest, which makes them customizable. This project is based on close collaboration between the IAB laboratories in Grenoble and ICMUB in Dijon and is supported by SATT Linksium. It was awarded in July 2022 as the grand prize of the i-PhD competition organized by BPI France and obtained the support of the UBFC region with ICE funding. The creation of the start-up is planed for march 2025.