Tissue marker for multimodality radiographic imaging

• US 20070110665A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Breast-Med, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Breast-Med, Inc.
• Inventors: Garwood, Michael, Bolan, Patrick, Nelson, Michael, Halpern, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3908 Soft tissue, e.g. breast tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3925 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3954 magnetic, e.g. NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3958 emitting a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3995 Multi-modality markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0002 General or multifunctional contrast agents, e.g. chelated agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0447 Physical forms of mixtures of two different X-ray contrast-enhancing agents, containing at least one X-ray contrast-enhancing agent which is a halogenated organic compound
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/18 characterised by a special physical form, e.g. emulsions, microcapsules, liposomes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/223 Microbubbles, hollow microspheres, free gas bubbles, gas microspheres
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/005 for contrast media
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4812 MR combined with X-ray or computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4814 MR combined with ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5601 involving use of a contrast agent for contrast manipulation, e.g. a paramagnetic, super-paramagnetic, ferromagnetic or hyperpolarised contrast agent
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/02 for manufacturing cores, coils, or magnets H01F41/14 takes precedence; for dynamo-electric machines H02K15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/0253 : for manufacturing permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49075 : including permanent magnet or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49888 : Subsequently coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 : Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 : Coating

Abstract

An implantable tissue marker incorporates a contrast agent sealed within a chamber in a container formed from a solid material. The contrast agent is selected to produce a change, such as an increase, in signal intensity under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An additional contrast agent may also be sealed within the chamber to provide visibility under another imaging modality, such as computed tomographic (CT) imaging or ultrasound imaging.

Claims

1. A permanently implantable radiographic marker comprising:

a container formed from a solid material and defining an internal chamber; and

a contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber, the contrast agent selected to produce a change in signal intensity in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modality.

2. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the contrast agent comprises a mixture of a first contrast agent selected to produce the change in signal intensity in the MR imaging modality and a second contrast agent selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality.

3. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 2, wherein the first contrast agent comprises a paramagnetic material.

4. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 3, wherein the first contrast agent comprises gadolinium.

5. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 2, wherein the other imaging modality is a computed tomographic (CT) X-ray imaging modality.

6. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 5, wherein the second contrast agent comprises iodine.

7. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 2, wherein the other imaging modality is one of an ultrasound imaging modality, an X-ray imaging modality, a fluoroscopy imaging modality, an electrical impedance tomographic imaging modality, a magnetic source imaging (MSI) modality, an magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) modality, a magnetic resonance mammographic (MRM) modality, a magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) modality, a magnetoelectro-encephalographic (MEG) modality, a laser optical imaging modality, an electric potential tomographic (EPT) modality, a brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) modality, an arterial contrast injection angiographic modality, a digital subtraction angiographic modality, a positron emission tomographic (PET) modality, and a single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) modality.

8. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the contrast agent comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of gas materials, liquid materials, and gel materials.

9. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a tube defining first and second end portions, and wherein the first and second end portions are at least substantially sealed using a biocompatible adhesive.

10. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 9, wherein the tube is formed from a solid material selected from the group consisting of glass materials, polymer materials, silicone, and carbon fiber.

11. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the container is generally spherical or spheroid in shape.

12. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, further comprising a therapeutic agent.

13. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the solid material forming the container is selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality.

14. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 1, wherein the solid material forming the container is selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality in conjunction with the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber.

15. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 14, wherein the solid material forming the container and the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber have different acoustic impedance characteristics.

16. The permanently implantable radiographic marker of claim 14, wherein the solid material forming the container and the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber have similar magnetic susceptibility characteristics.

17. A permanently implantable fiducial marker comprising:

a container formed from a nonbiodegradable solid material and defining an internal chamber;

a first contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber, the first contrast agent selected to produce an increase in signal intensity in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modality; and

a second contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber, the second contrast agent selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality.

18. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the first and second contrast agents form a mixture.

19. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the first contrast agent comprises a paramagnetic material.

20. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 19, wherein the first contrast agent comprises gadolinium.

21. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the other imaging modality is a computed tomographic (CT) X-ray imaging modality.

22. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 21, wherein the second contrast agent comprises iodine.

23. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the other imaging modality is one of an ultrasound imaging modality, an X-ray imaging modality, a fluoroscopy imaging modality, an electrical impedance tomographic imaging modality, a magnetic source imaging (MSI) modality, an magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) modality, a magnetic resonance mammographic (MRM) modality, a magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) modality, a magnetoelectro-encephalographic (MEG) modality, a laser optical imaging modality, an electric potential tomographic (EPT) modality, a brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) modality, an arterial contrast injection angiographic modality, a digital subtraction angiographic modality, a positron emission tomographic (PET) modality, and a single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) modality.

24. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the first and second contrast agents each comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of gas materials, liquid materials, and gel materials.

25. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the container comprises a tube defining first and second end portions, and wherein the first and second end portions are at least substantially sealed using a biocompatible adhesive.

26. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 25, wherein the tube is formed from a nonbiodegradable solid material selected from the group consisting of glass materials, polymer materials, silicone, and carbon fiber.

27. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, wherein the container is generally spherical or spheroid in shape.

28. The permanently implantable fiducial marker of claim 17, further comprising a therapeutic agent.

29. A method of identifying a location within a body of a patient, the method comprising:

implanting a marker proximate the location, the marker comprising

a container formed from a solid material and defining an internal chamber, and

a contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber, the contrast agent selected to produce an increase in signal intensity in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modality; and

generating a first image of the location in the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modality.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising generating a second image of the location in another imaging modality, wherein the contrast agent comprises a mixture of a first contrast agent selected to produce the increase in signal intensity in the MR imaging modality and a second contrast agent selected to produce a signal in the other imaging modality.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first contrast agent comprises a paramagnetic material.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first contrast agent comprises gadolinium.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the other imaging modality is a computed tomographic (CT) X-ray imaging modality.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second contrast agent comprises iodine.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the other imaging modality is one of an ultrasound imaging modality, an X-ray imaging modality, a fluoroscopy imaging modality, an electrical impedance tomographic imaging modality, a magnetic source imaging (MSI) modality, an magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) modality, a magnetic resonance mammographic (MRM) modality, a magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) modality, a magnetoelectro-encephalographic (MEG) modality, a laser optical imaging modality, an electric potential tomographic (EPT) modality, a brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) modality, an arterial contrast injection angiographic modality, a digital subtraction angiographic modality, a positron emission tomographic (PET) modality, and a single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) modality.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the contrast agent comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of gas materials, liquid materials, and gel materials.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the container comprises a tube defining first and second end portions that are at least substantially sealed using a biocompatible adhesive.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the tube is formed from a solid material selected from the group consisting of glass materials, polymer materials, silicone, and carbon fiber.

39. The method of claim 29, wherein the container is generally spherical or spheroid in shape.

40. The method of claim 29, wherein the solid material forming the container is selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the solid material forming the container is selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality in conjunction with the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the solid material forming the container and the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber have different acoustic impedance characteristics.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the solid material forming the container and the contrast agent sealed within the internal chamber have similar magnetic susceptibility characteristics.

44. A method of manufacturing a permanently implantable radiographic marker, the method comprising:

forming a container from a solid material to define an internal chamber; and

sealing a contrast agent within the internal chamber, the contrast agent selected to produce an increase in signal intensity in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging modality.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

mixing a first contrast agent selected to produce the increase in signal intensity in the MR imaging modality and a second contrast agent selected to produce a signal in another imaging modality; and

sealing the mixture of the first and second contrast agents within the internal chamber.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first contrast agent comprises a paramagnetic material.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the first contrast agent comprises gadolinium.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the other imaging modality is a computed tomographic (CT) X-ray imaging modality.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the second contrast agent comprises iodine.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the other imaging modality is one of an ultrasound imaging modality, an X-ray imaging modality, a fluoroscopy imaging modality, an electrical impedance tomographic imaging modality, a magnetic source imaging (MSI) modality, an magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) modality, a magnetic resonance mammographic (MRM) modality, a magnetic resonance angiographic (MRA) modality, a magnetoelectro-encephalographic (MEG) modality, a laser optical imaging modality, an electric potential tomographic (EPT) modality, a brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) modality, an arterial contrast injection angiographic modality, a digital subtraction angiographic modality, a positron emission tomographic (PET) modality, and a single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) modality.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the contrast agent comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of gas materials, liquid materials, and gel materials.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein the container comprises a tube defining first and second end portions, and further comprising at least substantially sealing the first and second end portions using a biocompatible adhesive.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising forming the tube from a solid material selected from the group consisting of glass materials, polymer materials, silicone, and carbon fiber.

54. The method of claim 44, further comprising sealing a therapeutic agent within the internal chamber.

55. The method of claim 44, further comprising selecting the solid material forming the container to produce a signal in another imaging modality.