title: Manufacture and acoustical characterisation of a high-frequency contrast agent for targeting applications.
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop and acoustically to optimise an ultrasonic contrast agent for research imaging applications at 40 MHz. A range of liposomal dispersions were manufactured and the mean backscatter power was measured using a Boston Scientific ClearView Ultra intravascular scanner with a 40 MHz, 2.5 Fr Atlantis SR Plus catheter. The scanner had been modified to allow access to the unprocessed ultrasound data, which were digitised, and the mean backscatter power was calculated over a region-of-interest centred at 2 mm from the transducer. Mean backscatter power was normalised to the data collected from a water-air interface. The effects of sonication and rapid shaking on six liposomal samples were also studied and this indicated that both techniques significantly reduced the size of the liposomes within the dispersions. Maximum mean backscatter power was measured for sonicated liposomal dispersions with 60% by weight of phosphatidylethanolamine. Moreover, this dispersion had greater mean backscatter power than sheep blood at 40 MHz.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. carmel.moran@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newby
authors.forename: K A A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: McDicken
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes; D010316:Particle Size; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D010743:Phospholipids; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D008081:Liposomes; D010743:Phospholipids