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US 5,114,703 AGranted
Percutaneous lymphography using particulate fluorocarbon emulsions
AssigneeAlliance Pharmaceutical Corp.
InventorsGerald L. Wolf, David M. Long
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Injectable contrast agents of great clinical importance for lymphography, characterized by non-water soluble particle sizes between about 5 or 10 nm and about 500 or 900 nm, which have selective distribution to lymph nodes upon percutaneous administration and can be imaged with millimeter resolution. Also disclosed are methods for performing percutaneous lymphography using these contrast agents.
Claims24
A method for diagnosing disease affecting the lymph nodes through indirect lymphography, comprising the steps of:
- interstitially administering a diagnostically effective, non-toxic amount of a non-radioactive contrast agent to a mammal, wherein said agent is in particulate or colloidal form, said agent having a mean particle size from about 5 to about 900 nanometers in diameter and being imageable with sufficient resolution to permit visualization of intranodal architecture;
- permitting the contrast agent to localize in lymph nodes;
- and
- imaging the lymph nodes of the mammal in which said contrast agent has localized within about 1 month of said administration.
1 more element
A method for performing indirect lymphography, comprising the steps of:
- forming an aqueous emulsion having a continuous aqueous phase and having a dispersed fluorocarbon liquid phase having a mean particle size between about 5 and about 900 nanometers and having the ability to localize in lymph nodes after interstitial administration into the tissue of a mammal and being imageable with sufficient resolution to permit visualization of intranodal architecture;
- said emulsion having an initial fluorocarbon concentration of no more than 40%, w/v;
- removing at least some of the aqueous phase to concentrate the emulsion to at least 50% w/v of fluorocarbon;
- interstitially administering a diagnostically effective non-toxic amount of the concentrated emulsion to a mammal;
- permitting the administered fluorocarbon to localize in lymph nodes;
- and
- imaging the lymph nodes of the mammal in which said fluorocarbon has localized within about 1 month of said administration.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.