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US 12,193,874 B2Granted
Thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel, and methods and uses thereof
AssigneeUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore
InventorsPaul E. Bigeleisen, Kyle Kenney, Mark E. Shirtliff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel that contains a thermo-responsive polymer such as poly(n-isopropyl acrylamide), the gel having a phase shift at a temperature in the range of 32 to 35° C. such that the gel has a loss factor G″/G′ of >1 at <32° C. and a loss factor G″/G′ of <1 at >35° C. The gel can also contain at least one of a solvent and gelling agent. Methods and uses for the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel in an ultrasound and/or ultrasound guided procedure.
Claims11
A method of conducting an ultrasound comprising:
- a) heating a thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel to a temperature≥35° C., the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel comprising a thermo-responsive polymer solution that comprises
- 1-10 wt % of a thermo-responsive polymer, and water,
- a solvent solution that comprises
- 10-30 wt % of a solvent, and water, and
- a gelling agent solution that comprises
- 10-30 wt % of a gelling agent, and water;
- b) applying the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel to a patient at a temperature≥35° C.;
- c) cooling the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel to a temperature<35° C.;
- and
- d) performing an ultrasound guided procedure, wherein the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel is at a temperature<35° C.,
- wherein the thermo-responsive ultrasound coupling gel has a phase shift at a temperature in the range of 32 to 35° C. such that the gel has a loss factor G″/G′ of >1 at <32° C. and a loss factor G″/G′ of <1 at >35° C.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.