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US 5,558,853 AGranted
Phase shift colloids as ultrasound contrast agents
AssigneeSonus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorSteven C. Quay
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSonus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorSteven C. Quay
Estimating the term…
Agents for enhancing the contrast in a diagnostic ultrasound procedure comprise colloidal dispersions of the liquid-in-liquid type, i.e., emulsions or microemulsions, in which the dispersed liquid phase is a liquid having a boiling point below the temperature of the animal to be imaged and which therefore undergoes a phase change from a dispersed liquid to a highly echogenic dispersed gaseous foam or kugelschaum following administration to the animal. The liquid state of the dispersed phase allows one to manufacture extremely stable, pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions with particle sizes typically below 1000 nm. The gaseous state at body temperature yields highly echogenic microbubbles, typically below 10,000 nm in diameter, which are effective as ultrasound contrast agents. Intravenous, intraarterial, oral, intraperitoneal, and intrauterine dosage forms, methods of administration, and imaging techniques are described.
An ultrasound contrast agent including a biocompatible colloidal dispersion, said dispersion comprising a liquid dispersed phase, an amphiphilic material and an aqueous continuous phase, said dispersed phase comprising a water immiscible fluorine-containing chemical in liquid form having a boiling point below about 40.degree. C.
An ultrasound contrast agent including a biocompatible colloidal dispersion for imaging an animal having a body temperature T comprising a dispersed phase, an amphiphile and an aqueous continuous phase, said dispersed phase including a fluorine-containing chemical with a sufficiently high vapor pressure that a portion of said chemical is a gas at the temperature T, wherein said dispersed phase is present in an amount such that said portion of said chemical which forms a gas is adequate to provide ultrasound contrast enhancement due to the liquid-gas interface when said agent is administered to said animal.
A method of preparing a storage stable colloidal dispersion comprising the steps of
An ultrasound contrast agent comprising:
An ultrasound contrast agent comprising:
A biocompatible ultrasound contrast agent comprising a colloidal dispersion of a finely divided water immiscible liquid distributed evenly throughout an aqueous continuous phase, said finely divided liquid comprising a chemical fluorine-containing which has a boiling point, under standard pressure conditions, below 40.degree. C.
An ultrasound contrast agent comprising a non-aqueous liquid dispersed phase, an amphiphile and an aqueous continuous phase;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.