We focus on the research field of near-infrared(NIR) optical probe design and synthesis, biomedical imaging, and optical imaging instruments contrivance. We have produced a long list of seminal contributions to medical imaging, among which the representatives include: developing a library of new NIR imaging probes and promoting the biomedical and clinical application advancement with these probes. Especially, (a) cyanine probes such as FD-1080and LZ-1105series with much longer excitation and emission wavelengths beyond1000nm, rejuvenating the traditional probe family to meet the requirement for in vivo bioimaging with deeper tissue penetration; (b) a fluorophore system based on molecular erbium(III)-bacteriochlorin complexes EB766with the record of longest emissions wavelength beyond1500nm and multiplexed capability for the visualization of metabolic processes and tracking of cancer cell metastases in vivo; and(c) series of lanthanide NIR-II probes with engineered luminescence lifetimes for in vivo quantitative imaging using time-domain multiplexing, illuminating a solution to the puzzle of inhomogeneous signal attenuation in deep-tissue imaging. Further, we have successfully applied these NIR fluorescence imaging techniques, probe kits, and equipment in clinical practice with cooperation hospitals.