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US 5,310,540 AGranted
Method for the preparation of stable suspensions of hollow gas-filled microspheres suitable for ultrasonic echography
AssigneeSintetica S.A.
InventorsClaude Giddey, Georges Dove
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Abstract
A viscous solution of a filmogenic protein is whipped into a foam and the foam is subjected to shear to reduce the size of the foam bubbles to a range (about 0.5-10 .mu.m) suitable for echography. The proteins include animal and vegetal proteins or partial hydrolyzates thereof with foaming properties. The suspensions of microspheres can be stabilized by heat or by cross-linkers.
Claims22
A method for preparing stable aqueous suspensions of air or gas filled microbubbles suitable for ultrasonic applications in living organisms, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) converting a viscous aqueous solution of a filmogenic protein into a foam of air or gas filled bubbles by whipping with air or a pharmaceutically acceptable gas to produce microbubbles bound by a membrane of said protein, and
- (b) subjecting, simultaneously or subsequently, the foaming solution to high shear by forcing it through narrow openings or channels for a time sufficient to reduce the size of the bubbles in the foam to values in a range of about 0.5-10 .mu.m suitable for injection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.