Method and material to acquire magnetic resonance imaging data
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-12661413-B2
Publication Date
2026-06-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
Provided are MR images of a subject gastrointestinal tract structure in which the lumen of the structure is usefully darkened on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images when the structure is imaged following administration to the subject of an enteric contrast agent formulation with particles containing encapsulated gas or partial vacuum. The present invention provides an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum particle contrast medium of use in acquiring such MR images. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides an enteric contrast medium formulation. An exemplary formulation comprises, (a) an enteric contrast medium comprising a encapsulated gas or partial vacuum particle suspended in water.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an enteric contrast medium formulation formulated for oral delivery to a subject contemporaneous with a medical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging procedure performed on the gastrointestinal tract. The formulation comprises a stable aqueous suspension of encapsulated partial vacuum or gas microspheres stably suspended in an aqueous pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, and the formulation includes from 10% (wt/wt) to 50% (wt/wt) of the enteric contrast medium.
The aqueous pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle comprises 0.2 to 0.5% xanthan gum as a suspending agent maintaining the microspheres in suspension. The formulation has a viscosity of from 50 g/cm-sec to 2400 g/cm-sec, and each hollow microsphere comprises a glass microparticle comprising a central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell comprising silicon dioxide and maintaining within the central void an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum.
The described approach provides MR contrast using hollow microspheres that generate low (dark) bowel lumen signal on T1-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging while aiming for minimal adjacent-bowel-wall artifacts. The patent frames the problem as prior enteric contrast approaches producing bright or biphasic luminal signals, signal variability, patient discomfort, and/or image artifacts.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover four inventive features: an enteric contrast medium formulation for oral delivery during gastrointestinal MR imaging, an abdomen or pelvis formulation for oral delivery contemporaneous with abdominal or pelvic MR imaging, a method of acquiring a contrast enhanced MR image using contemporaneous administration of the formulation, and an MR image of the gastrointestinal tract containing a lumen interior void with suspended hollow microspheres.
Enteric contrast medium formulation with xanthan gum stabilized encapsulated partial vacuum or gas hollow microspheres
A stable aqueous suspension of an enteric contrast medium comprising encapsulated partial vacuum or gas microspheres stably suspended in an aqueous pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, wherein the formulation comprises from 10% (wt/wt) to 50% (wt/wt) of the enteric contrast medium, the vehicle comprises 0.2 to 0.5% xanthan gum as a suspending agent maintaining the microspheres in suspension, the formulation having a viscosity of from 50 g/cm-sec to 2400 g/cm-sec, and wherein each hollow microsphere comprises a glass microparticle comprising a central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell comprising silicon dioxide and maintaining within the central void an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum.
Abdomen or pelvis enteric contrast medium formulation with xanthan gum stabilized glass-shell partial vacuum or gas microspheres
A stable aqueous suspension of an enteric contrast medium comprising encapsulated partial vacuum or gas microspheres stably suspended in an aqueous pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, wherein the formulation comprises from 10% (wt/wt) to 50% (wt/wt) of the enteric contrast medium, the vehicle comprises 0.2 to 0.5% xanthan gum as a suspending agent maintaining the microspheres in suspension, the formulation having a viscosity of from 50 g/cm-sec to 2400 g/cm-sec, and wherein each hollow microsphere comprises a glass microparticle comprising a central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell comprising silicon dioxide and maintaining within the central void an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum.
Contemporaneous administration method for acquiring a contrast enhanced MR image with xanthan gum stabilized hollow microsphere formulation
A method of acquiring a contrast enhanced MR image contemporaneously with performing a medical MR imaging procedure by administering a diagnostically effective amount of an enteric contrast medium formulation contemporaneous with a medical MR imaging procedure, wherein the formulation comprises a stable aqueous suspension of encapsulated partial vacuum or gas microspheres stably suspended in an aqueous pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, the formulation comprises from 10% (wt/wt) to 50% (wt/wt) of the enteric contrast medium, the vehicle comprises 0.2 to 0.5% xanthan gum as a suspending agent maintaining the microspheres in suspension, the formulation having a viscosity of from 50 g/cm-sec to 2400 g/cm-sec, and wherein each hollow microsphere comprises a glass microparticle comprising a central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell comprising silicon dioxide and maintaining within the central void an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum; and performing a medical MR imaging procedure to acquire the contrast enhanced MR image.
MR image with lumen-defined interior void containing suspended hollow microspheres in xanthan gum suspension
A MR image of at least a portion of the gastrointestinal tract containing a first region of interest including a lumen of a gastrointestinal tract structure and an interior void defined by the lumen, the interior void having distributed therein suspended particles, wherein each particle comprises a hollow microsphere encapsulating gas or partial vacuum suspended in water containing 0.2 to 0.5% xanthan gum as a suspending agent maintaining the microspheres in suspension, the suspension having a viscosity of from 50 g/cm-sec to 2400 g/cm-sec, the suspension comprising from 10% (wt/wt) to 50% (wt/wt) of the particles, and wherein each hollow microsphere comprises a glass microparticle comprising a central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell comprising silicon dioxide and maintaining within the central void an encapsulated gas or partial vacuum.
Across the independent claims, the core inventive concept is a xanthan gum stabilized stable aqueous suspension of hollow microspheres with a glass microparticle central void defined by a solid silicon dioxide shell that encapsulates gas or partial vacuum, used to generate contrast in MR images of the gastrointestinal tract, including abdomen or pelvis, via contemporaneous oral administration and MR imaging.
Stated Advantages
Minimal image artifacts.
Low (dark) bowel lumen signal on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images.
Improved bowel lumen darkening and delineation while aiming to limit adjacent-bowel-wall artifacts.
Documented Applications
MR imaging of the gastrointestinal tract using an enteric contrast medium formulation administered orally contemporaneous with the MR imaging procedure.
Contrast enhanced MR imaging of the abdomen or pelvis using an oral enteric contrast medium formulation contemporaneous with an MR imaging procedure.
Using an MR image containing a lumen-defined interior void with suspended particles to support diagnosis based on image interpretation.
Interested in licensing this patent?