Provided herein are methods and devices for identifying and/or distinguishing UCA formulations and specifically activating such formulations to produce UCA suitable for in vivo use.

There is described herein a bilayer nanovesicle comprising porphyrin-phospholipid conjugate and a chelator-fatty acid conjugate; wherein the chelator-fatty acid conjugate comprises an aminopolycarboxylic acid conjugated to a single chain fatty acid; and the porphyrin-phospholipid conjugate comprises one porphyrin, porphyrin derivative or porphyrin analog covalently attached to a lipid side chain, preferably at the sn-1 or the sn-2 position, of one phospholipid.

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

Single layer and multilayer vesicles with actives inside are delivered into living tissue. Then, the vesicles are disrupted using ultrasound. The vesicles are used to create an image in the tissue or for the delivery of certain actives to the skin.

The present subject matter provides compounds, compositions, and methods for identifying, monitoring, treating, and removing diseased tissue. Compounds, compositions, and methods for identifying, monitoring, and detecting circulating fluids such as blood are also provided.

There is provided herein, a texaphyrin-phospholipid conjugate, wherein the texaphyrin-phospholipid conjugate comprises a texaphyrin, texaphyrin derivative or texaphyrin analog covalently attached to a lipid side chain of a phospholipid.

A composition for cell tracking and molecular imaging containing perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets having a liquid PFC core enclosed within a stabilizing shell and embedded with solid nanoparticles. The solid nanoparticles act as nucleating agents for reducing the activation pressure of the liquid PFC core required to transition the liquid PFC core to a gaseous microbubble thereby permitting the use of more body-temperature stable longer chain PFCs in the liquid PFC core. The improved stability of the PFC droplets with a reduced or limited increase in the activation pressure required due to the nucleating nanoparticles improves the efficacy of using the PFC droplets as phase-change contrast agents.

Presented herein are methods of using encapsulated J-aggregates of indocyanine green (ICG) as a ratiometric sensor of biological activity. Upon interaction with a biological phenomenon of interest, the encapsulated J-aggregates can be released and dissolved upon rupture, inducing a detectable hypsochromic shift in the absorption spectra and corresponding increase in fluorescence. Various imaging techniques can be employed to visualize this sensor including photoacoustic imaging, two-photon imaging, fluorescence imaging, near infrared imaging, and a variety of other optical or optics-based techniques. Additionally, if the J-aggregates of ICG are also encapsulated with drugs or therapeutic molecules, the ratiometric sensing using ICG can be used to confirm drug release and delivery.

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

A PSMA targeted nanobubble includes a membrane that defines at least one internal void, which includes at least one gas, and at least one PSMA ligand coupled or conjugated to the membrane. The membrane includes at least one lipid and at least one nonionic triblock copolymer that is effective to control the size of the nanobubble without compromising in vitro and in vivo echogenicity of the nanobubble.