Development of a quantitative method for four photocyanine isomers using differential ion mobility and tandem mass spectrometry and its application in a preliminary pharmacokinetics investigation.

•Innovative development of a quantitative method for four isomers of photocyanine using DMS-MS/MS technology.•Applied for simultaneously determining of all the four isomers of photocyanine in human plasma samples.•Difference between pharmacokinetic characteristics of four isomers of photocyanine was investigated.