Dental contrast formulations (“fillers”) of tailorable X-Ray radiopacity and methods for their use are provided. The disclosed fillers include mixtures of solid particles suspended in a biocompatible fluid. The solid particles contain one or more X-ray radiopaque materials. The biocompatible fluid can also contain one or more soluble X-ray radiopaque components. By controlling the composition of the solid particles, the composition of the biocompatible fluid, and the loading of the solid particles in the biocompatible fluid, the X-ray radiopacity and stability of the filler can be tailored to allow for improved discrimination of the filler within periodontal pockets, relative to adjacent soft tissue and teeth, so that the 3-D shape, volume, and depth of the pocket can be precisely and rapidly determined by X-Ray imaging.

Multivalent CT or MR contrast agents and methods of making and using thereof are described herein. The agents contain a moiety, such as a polymer, that provides multivalent attachment of CT or MR contrast agents. Examples include, but are not limited to, multivalent linear polymers, branched polymers, or hyperbranched polymers, such as dendrimers, and combinations thereof. The dendrimer is functionalized with one or more high Z-elements, such as iodine. The high Z-elements can be covalently or non-covalently bound to the dendrimer. The dendrimers are confined in order to enhance CT contrast. In some embodiments, the moiety is confined by encapsulating the dendrimers in a material to form particles, such as nanoparticles. In other embodiments, the dendrimer is confined by conjugating the moiety to a material, such as a polymer, which forms a gel upon contact with bodily fluids.

An embodiment relates to a method of evaluating a lymphatic system function including: selecting one or a plurality of lymphatic routes to be evaluated from a plurality of lymphatic routes existing in four limbs; determining an injection site of a visualization agent based on information on the selected lymphatic route and injection sites of peripheries of the four limbs corresponding to the selected lymphatic route; injecting the visualization agent from the selected injection site; and visualizing the injected visualization agent and evaluating functions of the one or plurality of lymphatic routes to be evaluated.

An embodiment relates to a method of evaluating a lymphatic system function including: selecting one or a plurality of lymphatic routes to be evaluated from a plurality of lymphatic routes existing in four limbs; determining an injection site of a visualization agent based on information on the selected lymphatic route and injection sites of peripheries of the four limbs corresponding to the selected lymphatic route; injecting the visualization agent from the selected injection site; and visualizing the injected visualization agent and evaluating functions of the one or plurality of lymphatic routes to be evaluated.

A radiopaque particulate material one or more of SiO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, La.sub.2O.sub.3, Na.sub.2O and MgO and useful for embolization which optionally includes therapeutic components that are released in vivo.

This invention provides methods for the formation of biocompatible membranes around biological materials using photopolymerization of water soluble molecules. The membranes can be used as a covering to encapsulate biological materials or biomedical devices, as a “glue” to cause more than one biological substance to adhere together, or as carriers for biologically active species. Several methods for forming these membranes are provided. Each of these methods utilizes a polymerization system containing water-soluble macromers, species, which are at once polymers and macromolecules capable of further polymerization. The macromers are polymerized using a photoinitiator (such as a dye), optionally a cocatalyst, optionally an accelerator, and radiation in the form of visible or long wavelength UV light. The reaction occurs either by suspension polymerization or by interfacial polymerization. The polymer membrane can be formed directly on the surface of the biological material, or it can be formed on material, which is already encapsulated.

The present invention provides a silicon-based polymer contrast media for use in CT imaging. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an enteric contrast medium formulation. An exemplary formulation comprises, (a) an enteric contrast medium comprising silicon-based polymer oil emulsified in water. Exemplary silicon-based polymer oil has a viscosity between about 50 cSt and 100,000 cSt. In various embodiments, the silicon-based polymer oil is emulsified with a vehicle or dispersing medium compatible with enteric administration of the formulation to a subject in need of such administration. In an exemplary embodiment, the contrast material is incorporated into a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle in which the material is emulsified in the presence of a surfactant. In an exemplary embodiment, the silicon-based polymer comprises 30% or more of the weight of the contrast material formulation. The invention also provides methods for imaging of the abdomen by dual energy CT or spectral CT contemporaneously with the delivery of the silicon-based polymer contrast material into the bowel lumen and the delivery of a second complementary contrast material into the blood vessels or other body compartments. The invention also provides methods for the digital separation of CT signal produced by the contrast media of the invention from the CT signal produced by other contrast media or bodily tissues to generate multiple resultant CT images with the contrast medium of the invention subtracted or highlighted.

The present invention provides a silicon-based polymer contrast media for use in CT imaging. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an enteric contrast medium formulation. An exemplary formulation comprises, (a) an enteric contrast medium comprising silicon-based polymer oil emulsified in water. Exemplary silicon-based polymer oil has a viscosity between about 50 cSt and 100,000 cSt. In various embodiments, the silicon-based polymer oil is emulsified with a vehicle or dispersing medium compatible with enteric administration of the formulation to a subject in need of such administration. In an exemplary embodiment, the contrast material is incorporated into a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle in which the material is emulsified in the presence of a surfactant. In an exemplary embodiment, the silicon-based polymer comprises 30% or more of the weight of the contrast material formulation. The invention also provides methods for imaging of the abdomen by dual energy CT or spectral CT contemporaneously with the delivery of the silicon-based polymer contrast material into the bowel lumen and the delivery of a second complementary contrast material into the blood vessels or other body compartments. The invention also provides methods for the digital separation of CT signal produced by the contrast media of the invention from the CT signal produced by other contrast media or bodily tissues to generate multiple resultant CT images with the contrast medium of the invention subtracted or highlighted.

Disclosed are an ethanol hardener and the use thereof. The ethanol hardener contains ethanol, a water-soluble iodine preparation and water, wherein the volume percent of the ethanol is 76-98%, and the mass-volume ratio of the iodine element in the water-soluble iodine preparation to the iodine containing composition is 23-139 g/L. The iodine containing composition can be autoradiographed when injected into blood vessels, and has a better embolization effect and stability.

The disclosure herein relates to systems, methods, and devices for medical image analysis, diagnosis, risk stratification, decision making and/or disease tracking. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are configured to analyze non-invasive medical images of a subject to automatically and/or dynamically identify one or more features, such as plaque and vessels, and/or derive one or more quantified plaque parameters, such as radiodensity, radiodensity composition, volume, radiodensity heterogeneity, geometry, location, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the systems, devices, and methods described herein are further configured to generate one or more assessments of plaque-based diseases from raw medical images using one or more of the identified features and/or quantified parameters.