Radiographic contrast agents for temporal subtraction and dual-energy x-ray imaging
AssigneeThe Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
InventorsAndrew D. A. Maidment, Anatoliy V. Popov, E. James Delikatny, Andrew Tsourkas, Roshan Karunamuni, Ajlan Al Zaki, Sara Gavenonis, David Cormode
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Contrast agents for x-ray imaging including stabilized metal nanoparticles and encapsulated nanoparticles, as well as methods for imaging tissue with these agents, are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of dual energy x-ray imaging using metal nanoparticle contrast agents or encapsulated metal nanoparticles.
Claims23
A contrast agent for x-ray imaging comprising stabilized metal nanoparticles, wherein a stabilized metal nanoparticle comprises a metallic core selected from the group consisting of a silver nanoparticle, a rhodium nanoparticle, a palladium nanoparticle, a cadmium nanoparticle, a bismuth nanoparticle, a zirconium nanoparticle, a tin nanoparticle, a gold nanoparticle, a platinum nanoparticle, and a molybdenum nanoparticle, and
- wherein a stabilized metal nanoparticle further comprises a shell and a coating disposed on the shell,
- wherein
- (1a) the shell comprises silica, or
- (1b) the shell comprises (i) a hydrophobic polymer, (ii) an oil, or both (i) and (ii), or
- (2) the coating comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), PEG-polycaprolactone (PCL), PEG-polylactic acid (PLA), PEG-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), amine-modified or unmodified poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) (PMAL), PEG-phospholipids, or phospholipids, or
- (3) both (1a) and (2), or
- (4) both (1b) and (2).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.