The present invention generally relates to the field of ultrasound contrast-agents (USCA). In particular, it relates to a freeze-dried composition comprising an amphiphilic material and a mixture of freeze-drying protecting components, which may be reconstituted for preparing a suspension of gas-filled microvesicles with calibrated size, useful in diagnostic or therapeutic applications. It further relates to the method for the preparation of such freeze-dried composition.

The presently disclosed drug-loaded liposomal conjugated to polymer microbubbles showed: i) increased tumor drug concentration; ii) reduced tumor growth; and ii) increased survival time in a mouse cancer model when exposed to concurrent high and low acoustic pressure ultrasonic pulses as compared to individual high or low acoustic pressure ultrasonic pulses. Notably, when unconjugated drug-loaded liposome were administered with free microbubbles and exposed to concurrent high and low acoustic pressure ultrasonic pulses, a superior tumor growth inhibition was also seen. Three weeks after treatments, DoxLPX+US group showed significantly better left ventricular function indices from echocardiography imaging than the free Dox group. Clinical methods using these liposomal conjugated microbubbles permit an increased therapeutic drug delivery and improved safety profile, respectively due to enhanced, preferential drug accumulation in target tumor tissue and simultaneously reduced drug delivery to non-target tissue.

Gas vesicles, protein variants and related compositions methods and systems for singleplexed and/or multiplexed ultrasound imaging of a target site in which a gas vesicle provides contrast for the imaging which is modifiable by application of a selectable acoustic collapse pressure value of the gas vesicle.

Markers (e.g., treatment site markers, biopsy site markers) are composed of a non-metallic material having a composition and/or other features or characteristics such that the markers will generate twinkling artifacts when imaged with ultrasound. In this way, the composition of the markers enables their detection and localization using ultrasound. The markers are generally composed of non-metallic materials that enhance the twinkling artifact.

One aspect of the invention provides a method for freeze-drying surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; partially submerging the vials in a chilled water bath, wherein the water bath has a sub-freezing temperature; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials. Another aspect of the invention provides a method for annealing surfactant-stabilized microbubbles. The method includes: preparing vials comprising a mixture comprising microbubbles; passing the vials in and out of liquid nitrogen (LN.sub.2) until the mixture is frozen; holding the vials at −20° C.; placing the vials on a cooled shelf of a lyophilizer; freeze-drying the vials in the lyophilizer; and capping the freeze-dried vials.

Provided is a bilirubin derivative-based ultrasound contrast agent for diagnosis and treatment. The fine particles including the bilirubin derivative are sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS), bind with hydrophobic drugs, and can effectively chelate metals such as iron oxide nanoparticles. Therefore, the fine particle of the present invention can be used as an ultrasound contrast agent for diagnosis, as a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent, or as a carrier for hydrophobic drugs or platinum-based drugs.

The present invention generally relates to the field of ultrasound contrast-agents (USCA). In particular, it relates to a freeze-dried composition comprising an amphiphilic material and a freeze-drying protecting component, which may be reconstituted for preparing a suspension of gas-filled microvesicles with calibrated size, useful in diagnostic or therapeutic applications. It further relates to the method for the preparation of such freeze-dried composition.

Systems and methods for measuring micro-architectural properties of vascular networks are described herein. An example method can include injecting an ultrasound contrast agent into a medium, and transmitting a plurality of acoustic pulses into the medium using a ultrasound transducer array. Each respective acoustic pulse can be transmitted from one or more elements of the ultrasound transducer array. The method can also include receiving a plurality of backscattered signals with the ultrasound transducer array in response to each respective acoustic pulse, and obtaining a response matrix including the backscattered signals. The method can further include extracting a coherent or incoherent contribution to the backscattered signals from the response matrix, and quantifying a property of a vascular network based on the coherent or incoherent contribution to the backscattered signals.

The present invention is related to a cartridge. More in particular, the present invention relates to a cartridge by which a liquid held in the cartridge can be mixed, within the cartridge, with a further liquid held in the cartridge or with a pressurized gas. The present invention further relates to a cartridge system comprising such a cartridge and a device in which the cartridge can be releasably inserted, wherein the device is configured for providing pressurized gas(ses) to be used as propellant(s) for moving the liquid(s) inside the cartridge for the purpose of mixing the liquid(s), and/or to be used as gas to be mixed.

There is provided a microparticle composition suitable for molecular imaging, the composition comprising microparticles, wherein the microparticles comprise: a core microparticle structure having a central area and a shell, and wherein the core microparticle structure comprises (i) a phosphatidylcholine lipid: (ii) a phosphatidylethanolamine lipid comprising at least one maleimide moiety; and (iii) an alkoxylated fatty acid.