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AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsStuart W. Young, Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr., A. Dean Sherry
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The invention relates to a method of using molecular sieve-enclosed paramagnetic ions as image brightening or image contrast agents. In particular, zeolite enclosed trivalent gadolinium is useful in MRI studies of the entire gastrointestinal tract, providing excellent images. Zeolite-enclosed gadolinium complexes may be conveniently administered in oral preparations without side effects of diarrhea. Other transition metal ions, including divalent manganese may be enclosed in any suitable molecular sieve which has ion exchange properties sufficient to exchange the selected metal. The exchanged paramagnetic metal ion may be a free ion within the zeolite framework or ligated with a chelator. Alternatively, a paramagnetic metal ion may be included as part of the molecular sieve framework.
A magnetic resonance gastrointestinal tract imaging method comprising administering to a mammal an amount of molecular sieve-enclosed paramagnetic ion, said amount being effective as an image-brightening agent.
A magnetic resonance gastrointestinal tract imaging method comprising administering a framework-modified molecular sieve to a mammal in an amount effective an image-brightening agent wherein the framework is modified to include a paramagnetic ion.
A method for gastrointestinal tract bright imaging comprising administering a pharmaceutically acceptable molecular sieve-enclosed trivalent gadolinium formulation and detecting the gadolinium by magnetic resonance imaging.
A method for gastrointestinal tract imaging comprising orally administering a pharmaceutically acceptable formulation comprising molecular sieve enclosed divalent manganese and detecting the manganese by magnetic resonance imaging.
A pharmaceutical composition for gastrointestinal tract imaging, said composition comprising an amount of a molecular sieve-enclosed paramagnetic ion in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier effective to produce a bright image in vivo.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.