Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5485709 | Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology | 2017 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
Phase-shift perfluorocarbon droplets have been investigated for over 20 years as pre-clinical ultrasound contrast agents with distinctive advantages in imaging and therapy. A number of formulation strategies exist, each with inherent advantages and limitations. In this note, we demonstrate a unique opportunity: that phase-shift droplets can be generated directly from commercially available microbubbles. This may facilitate pre-clinical and translational development by reducing the in-house synthesis expertise and resources required to generate high concentration droplet emulsions. Proof-of-principle in vitro and in vivo is given using droplets created from Definity and MicroMarker. The results demonstrate the role of perfluorocarbon choice in the trade-off between thermal stability and vaporization threshold, and suggest that commercial microbubbles with decafluorobutane cores may be ideal for this approach.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Acoustics and Ultrasonics
Authors
Paul S. Sheeran, Kimoon Yoo, Ross Williams, Melissa Yin, F. Stuart Foster, Peter N. Burns,