title: Acoustic response from adherent targeted contrast agents.
abstract: In ultrasonic molecular imaging, encapsulated micron-sized gas bubbles are tethered to a blood vessel wall by targeting ligands. A challenging problem is to detect the echoes from adherent microbubbles and distinguish them from echoes from nonadherent agents and tissue. Echoes from adherent contrast agents are observed to include a high amplitude at the fundamental frequency, and significantly different spectral shape compared with free agents (p <0.0003). Mechanisms for the observed acoustical difference and potential techniques to utilize these differences for molecular imaging are proposed.
authors.forename: Shukui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Dustin E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kruse
authors.forename: Katherine W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Dayton
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media