Low x-ray attenuation change hard shelled oral contrast material

Abstract

The present invention provides a hollow borosilicate microparticle contrast media for use in CT imaging with shell material containing less than 8% oxides of non-silicon elements with atomic number greater than 10. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an enteric contrast medium formulation which provides CT numbers distinct from those of water, soft tissue, and fat. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an enteric contrast medium formulation that shows iodine concentrations less than 1.0 mg iodine/mL at dual energy CT or multi-energy CT image reformations. An exemplary formulation comprises, (a) an enteric contrast medium comprising a hollow borosilicate microparticle suspended in water. Exemplary hollow borosilicate microparticle has a true gravity between 0.1 and 0.4 g/cm3. In various embodiments, the hollow borosilicate microparticle is suspended in aqueous media by an agent compatible with enteric administration of the formulation to a subject in need of such administration. In an exemplary embodiment, the contrast material is incorporated into a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in which the material is suspended. In an exemplary embodiment, the hollow borosilicate microparticle comprises 1% to 15% of the weight of an aqueous contrast material formulation. The invention also provides methods for imaging of the abdomen and pelvis by CT imaging contemporaneously with the delivery of the hollow borosilicate microparticle contrast material into the bowel lumen.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.