Agents and methods for enhancing contrast in ultrasound imaging
AssigneeSchering Corporation
InventorsMichael Stein, Dieter Heldmann, Thomas Fritzsch, Joachim Siegert, Georg Roessling
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Abstract
The invention relates to ultrasonic contrast agents comprising microparticles which comprise synthetic biodegradable polymers and a gas and/or a fluid with a boiling point below 60° C., processes for the preparation thereof and their use as diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
Claims70
A method of enhancing an ultrasound image of a liquid which comprises administering an effective amount of an ultrasound imaging contrast agent to said liquid and obtaining an ultrasound image of said liquid, said ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- (i) microparticles comprising a synthetic biodegradable polymer and a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C.;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material.
A method of enhancing an ultrasound image of a liquid within a living patient which comprises administering an effective amount of an ultrasound imaging contrast agent to said liquid and obtaining an ultrasound image of said liquid within the living patient, said ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- (i) microparticles comprising a synthetic biodegradable polymer and a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C.;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material.
A method of enhancing an ultrasonic image of a patient comprising administering an ultrasound imaging contrast agent to a patient, said ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- (i) walls which comprise a synthetic biodegradable polymer, said walls encapsulating a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective to enhance an ultrasound image;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material.
An ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- microparticles comprising a synthetic biodegradable polymer and an amount of a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective for ultrasound imaging contrast;
- and
- a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material, and said agent being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
An ultrasound imaging contrast agent of claim 7, wherein the gas is air, nitrogen, oxygen or a mixture thereof.
An ultrasound imaging contrast agent injectable into humans comprising:
- walls which comprise a synthetic biodegradable polymer, said walls encapsulating a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective to enhance an ultrasound image, and
- a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material, and said agent being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
Microparticles comprising a synthetic biodegradable polymer and a gas and/or a fluid with a boiling point below 60° C. effective to enhance an ultrasound image of a human, with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein, and said microparticles being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
A method of enhancing a cardial ultrasonic image of a patient comprising injecting an effective amount of an ultrasound imaging contrast agent into the bloodstream of the patient and obtaining an ultrasonic image of the heart, said ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- (i) walls which comprise a synthetic biodegradable polymer, said walls encapsulating a gas and/or a fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective to enhance an ultrasound image;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material, said agent being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
A method of enhancing an ultrasonic image of a patient comprising administering an ultrasound imaging contrast agent to the patient, said ultrasound imaging contrast agent comprising:
- (i) microparticles which comprise a synthetic biodegradable polymer and a gas and/or a fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective to enhance an ultrasound image;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material, said agent being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
An ultrasound imaging contrast agent injectable into a human comprising:
- microparticles produced in an oil-in-water emulsion comprising a synthetic biodegradable polymer and an amount of a gas and/or fluid having a boiling point below 60° C. effective for ultrasound imaging contrast;
- and
- a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,
- with the proviso that the synthetic biodegradable polymer is not a denatured protein material, said agent being pharmacologically acceptable for administration to a human by injection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.