Claims
- 1. 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.
- 2. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said fluorine-containing chemical has a molecular weight of less than 300.
- 3. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting of decafluorobutane, dodecafluoropentane, dodecafluoroneopentane and perfluorocyclopentane.
- 4. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said amphiphilic material has a relative HLB matched to said dispersed phase liquid.
- 5. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said amphiphilic material comprises a biocompatible protein.
- 6. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said amphiphilic material comprises at least one surfactant.
- 7. The colloidal dispersion of claim 5 wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of albumin, fibrinogen, fibrin, serum globulins, hemoglobin, myoglobin, and immunoglobulins.
- 8. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said amphiphilic material comprises a polyoxypropylene-polyoxyethylene glycol nonionic block copolymer.
- 9. The colloidal dispersion of claim 4 wherein said amphiphilic material comprises a fluorine-containing surfactant.
- 10. The colloidal dispersion of claim 4 wherein said amphiphilic material is selected from the group of surfactants consisting of anionic, cationic, nonionic, or zwitterionic molecules.
- 11. The colloidal dispersion of claim 4 wherein said amphiphilic material comprises at least one surfactant selected from the group of surfactants which contain, as hydrophilic groups, one or more of the following chemical groups: sulfonate, sulfate, carboxylate, phosphate, ammonium, quaternary ammonium, betaines, sulfobetaines, polyoxyethylene, polyols, alcohols, ethers, polypeptide, or polyglycidyl; and as hydrophobic groups, one or more of the following chemical groups: fatty acids, paraffins, olefins, alkyl benzenes, alcohols, alkylphenols, polyoxypropylenes, polypeptides, fluorocarbons, and silicones.
- 12. The colloidal dispersion of claim 4 wherein said amphiphilic material is present at a concentration such that the interfacial tension between water and the liquid dispersed phase is less than 26 dynes/cm.
- 13. The colloidal dispersion of claim 4 wherein said amphiphilic material is present at a concentration greater than 0.001% by weight per volume.
- 14. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said dispersion further comprises a viscogen.
- 15. The colloidal dispersion of claim 14 wherein said viscogen is selected from the group consisting of glucose, iohexol, iopamidol, iopentol, sorbitol, sucrose, and polyethylene glycol.
- 16. The colloidal dispersion of claim 14 wherein the viscogen is present at a concentration sufficient to produce a viscosity greater than 1.1 cP.
- 17. The colloidal dispersion of claim 14 wherein the viscogen is present at a concentration of between 0.001 and 75% by weight per volume.
- 18. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said liquid dispersed phase comprises particles having an average diameter less than 1000 nm.
- 19. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein the concentration of said liquid dispersed phase is between 0.00001 to 166% by weight per volume.
- 20. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein the aqueous medium comprises an additive selected from the group of acidifying agents, alkalizing agents, antimicrobial preservatives, antioxidants, buffering agents, chelating agents, complexing agents, solubilizing agents, humectants, solvents, suspending agents, viscosity-increasing agents and tonicity agents.
- 21. The colloidal dispersion of claim 20 wherein said additive is present at a concentration such that the osmolarity of said aqueous medium is at least 250 mOsm.
- 22. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said liquid comprises a chemical selected from the group of chemicals containing 4 to 17 atoms.
- 23. The colloidal dispersion of claim 1 wherein said liquid comprises a chemical selected from the group of fluorine containing chemicals having five carbons atoms.
- 24. 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.
- 25. A method of preparing a storage stable colloidal dispersion comprising the steps of
- (a) mixing at least one amphiphilic material with water to form an aqueous continuous phase;
- (b) adding an amount of a fluorine-containing chemical which has a boiling point less than 37.degree. C. to said continuous phase; and
- (c) condensing said fluorine-containing chemical to form a liquid dispersed phase of particles with an average diameter of less than 5000 nm.
- 26. An ultrasound contrast agent comprising:
- a liquid-in-liquid colloidal dispersion having an aqueous continuous phase, an amphiphile and a water immiscible dispersed phase;
- wherein said dispersed phase comprises a chemical fluorine-containing having a boiling point, under standard pressure conditions, below the body temperature of an organism to which said agent will be administered.
- 27. The agent according to claim 26 wherein said chemical is a perfluorocarbon.
- 28. The agent according to claim 27 wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane and perfluoropentane.
- 29. The agent according to claim 28 wherein said chemical is perfluoropentane.
- 30. An ultrasound contrast agent comprising:
- a liquid-in-liquid colloidal dispersion including an amphiphile selected from the group consisting of anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants, wherein said dispersed phase comprises a chemical fluorine-containing at least a portion of which percolates or vaporizes following administration to an organism.
- 31. The agent according to claim 30 wherein said chemical has a boiling point between -20.degree. and 37.degree. C.
- 32. The agent according to claim 30 wherein said chemical is a perfluorocarbon.
- 33. The agent according to claim 32 wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane, perfluoropentane and perfluorohexane.
- 34. The agent according to claim 33 wherein said chemical is perfluoropentane.
- 35. 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.
- 36. The agent according to claim 35 further comprising a biocompatible protein.
- 37. The agent according to claim 36 wherein said protein is in the form of a microsphere, and said dispersed phase is contained within said microsphere.
- 38. The agent according to claim 36 wherein said protein is albumin.
- 39. The agent according to claim 35 wherein said chemical has a boiling point between -20.degree. and 37.degree. C.
- 40. The agent according to claim 35 wherein said dispersed phase is present at a concentration of 0.05 to 5.0% w/v.
- 41. The agent according to claim 35 wherein said chemical is a perfluorocarbon.
- 42. The agent according to claim 41 wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane and perfluoropentane.
- 43. The agent according to claim 42 wherein said chemical is perfluoropentane.
- 44. An ultrasound contrast agent comprising a non-aqueous liquid dispersed phase, an amphiphile and an aqueous continuous phase;
- said dispersed phase comprising a fluorine-containing chemical having a boiling point of between -20.degree. and 37.degree. C. and being present at a concentration 0.05 to 5% w/v; and
- said amphiphile being present at a concentration such that the interfacial tension between the dispersed and continuous phases is less than 26 dynes/cm.
- 45. The agent according to claim 44 wherein said chemical has a boiling point of between 28.degree. and 37.degree. C.
- 46. The agent according to claim 44 wherein said chemical is a perfluorocarbon.
- 47. The agent according to claim 46 wherein said chemical is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropane, perfluorobutane and perfluoropentane.
- 48. The agent according to claim 47 wherein said chemical is perfluoropentane.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a 371 of PCT/US94/00422, filed Jan. 19, 1994 which a continuation-in-part of pending application Ser. No. 08/148,284 filed Nov. 8, 1993 which is a continuation-in-part of pending application Ser. No. 08/008,172, filed Jan. 25, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (46)
Foreign Referenced Citations (11)
Number |
Date |
Country |
8940651 |
Jul 1989 |
AUX |
8930351 |
Aug 1989 |
AUX |
9170982 |
Oct 1991 |
AUX |
87195799 |
Apr 1988 |
CNX |
077752 |
Apr 1983 |
EPX |
245019A2 |
Apr 1986 |
EPX |
0231091 |
Jul 1986 |
EPX |
0307087 |
Mar 1989 |
EPX |
0324938 |
Jul 1989 |
EPX |
0327490A1 |
Aug 1989 |
EPX |
0359246 |
Mar 1990 |
EPX |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
148284 |
Nov 1993 |
|
Parent |
08172 |
Jan 1993 |
|