A device for generating microbubbles may include a syringe having a barrel, a plunger and a syringe tip; a converging nozzle; and an aerator. The converging nozzle may have a coupling end, a converging tip opposite the coupling end, an exterior mating surface adjacent the converging tip, and an interior channel that fluidly couples the syringe tip and converging tip. The interior channel may have a diameter that progressively decreases from the coupling end to the converging tip. The converging nozzle may be coupled to the syringe tip. The aerator may have a retention end, a discharge end, an interior air chamber, an interior circumferential lip, and a discharge channel at the discharge end. The retention end may be coupled to the converging nozzle. The interior circumferential lip may abut the exterior mating surface. One or more air channels may fluidly couple the discharge channel and the interior air chamber.

Markers, medical instruments, and/or medical devices have a composition and/or other features or characteristics such that they will generate twinkling artifacts when imaged with ultrasound. In this way, the markers, medical instruments, and/or medical devices can be detected and localized using ultrasound. Ultrasound technical specifications that are optimized to generate twinkling artifact signatures are selected and used to facilitate localization of such markers, instruments, and/or devices.

A method of manufacturing a suspension of gas-filled microvesicles by reconstituting a freeze-dried product and a suspension obtained according to said method, where the freeze-dried product has been subjected to a thermal treatment

The invention discloses a recombinant protein (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and Neural Retina-specific Leucine Zipper) PSGL-1-NRL chimeric protein comprising a Selectin Binding domain and a non-covalent dimerization domain, which is a leucine zipper and is more preferably the leucine zipper domain of the human or mouse Neural Retina-specific Leucine Zipper. The chimeric protein further comprises a covalent dimerization domain with at least one cysteine suitable to form a disulfide bridge with another chimeric protein to form a homodimer. In the chimeric protein, the PSGL-1 domain corresponds to the extracellular region of Human PSGL-1 and is more preferably the selectin binding region of the mature protein. The chimeric protein is correctly post-translationally modified and is efficiently expressed in a mammalian system. It is sulfated, O-linked glycosylated and sialylated and binds P, E and L selectin, allowing in vivo and in vitro targeting for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

An apparatus can be used to generate acoustic imaging pulse sequences and receive corresponding echoes elicited by the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. An acoustic radiation force (ARF) pulse sequence can be generated to agitate a contrast medium in a tissue region between the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. A decorrelation between images corresponding to the received echoes can be determined. A weighting map can be applied to an image to weight a region of the image corresponding to a spatial location of the contrast medium using the determined decorrelation. In an example, the receiving of corresponding echoes elicited by the acoustic imaging pulse sequences can include receiving acoustic energy having a range of frequencies offset from a fundamental frequency associated with the acoustic imaging pulse sequences. An acoustic imaging pulse sequence can include a pulse having an inverted amplitude envelope with respect to another pulse included in the sequence.

By identifying locations of contrast agent response, an intensity-based metric of contrast agent signal is used to control a duration of microbubble destruction with a medical ultrasound scanner. Feedback from motion of the transducer may be used to indicate when a user perceives enough destruction. A combination of both an intensity-based metric and transducer motion may be used to control the duration of bursting.

Disclosed are methods of delivering an agent to the lumen of the vas deferens under guidance of ultrasound imaging. The methods include vas-occlusive contraception in which the vas deferens is non-surgically isolated and an occlusive substance is percutaneously administered into the lumen of the vas deferens under ultrasound. Also disclosed are methods of reversal of vas-occlusive contraception and methods of delivering an agent to the lumen of the vas deferens. Also disclosed are compositions for use in the methods of the invention.

Provided herein are improved methods for preparing phospholipid formulations including phospholipid UCA formulations.

Systems, methods, and devices are described to synthesize gas-filled microbubbles using a continuous flow chamber with a reaction volume and a sonicator positioned therein, by flowing a lipid solution at a first flow rate and gas at a first pressure into the reaction volume while ultrasonically agitating an interface between the lipid solution and the gas in the reaction volume using the sonicator member to generate a solution of gas-filled microbubbles, which solution can be concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution of microbubbles containing at least 23% of the core gas by volume.

A method for ascertaining the presence of target-bound microbubbles in the context of ultrasound molecular imaging is taught. This method, referred to herein as dynamic scaling ultrasound molecular imaging, relies upon the time-varying behavior contrast agents within a region expressing a molecular imaging target and that within a reference region. Ultrasound contrast agent compositions that enable use of the method are also taught. The invention is useful for the use of ultrasound molecular imaging in diagnosing disease and monitoring treatment.