Ultrasonic contrast medium comprising gas bubbles and solid lipophilic surfactant-containing microparticles and use thereof

US5141738A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• SCHERING CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Ned S. Rasor · Cupertino, US
• Jurgen Hilmann · Berlin, DE
• Lothar Lange · Berlin, DE
• Thomas Fritzsch · Berlin, DE
• Joachim Siegert · Berlin, DE
• Ingfried Zimmermann · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 18, 1991
• Grant date: Aug 25, 1992
• Expiry date: Mar 18, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2090/3925
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Microparticles which are less than 12 .mu.m in size and are formed of or comprise a solid lipophilic group-containing compound having an HLB value less than about 20 produce a long lived ultrasonically echogenic entity in aqueous liquid and are useful as left heart ultrasonic contrast image enhancing agents. Contrast media for ultrasonic diagnostics comprising a liquid vehicle containing (a) suspended therein microparticles of a mixture of at least one (C.sub.8 -C.sub.20)-fatty acid and at least one solid that is not a surfactant and (b) microbubbles, are especially effective upon ultrasonic imaging after intravenous administration, for the contrasting of both the right heart and left heart, of the myocardium, as well as other organs, such as liver, spleen, and kidneys.