Polymeric surfactant-encapsulated microbubbles and their use in ultrasound imaging

US5919434A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• NYCOMED IMAGING AS · NO

Inventors

• Harald Dugstad · Oslo, NO
• Per Antonius Foss · Oslo, NO
• Jo Klaveness · Oslo, NO
• Pal Rongved · Oslo, NO
• Roald Skurtveit · Oslo, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 6, 1999
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/2985
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to polymer-based gas-containing contrast agents in which microbubbles of gas are encapsulated by non-polymerizable wall-forming block or graft copolymer surfactants. The polymer surfactants are preferably biodegradable and include block and graft copolymers containing linkages of formula (I): EQU --(O).sub.m --CO--O--C(R.sup.1 R.sup.2)--O--CO--(O).sub.n --(I) where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a hydrogen atom or a carbon-attached monovalent organic group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together form a carbon-attached divalent organic group and m and n are each zero or 1.