Method of preparing fluorinated gas microspheres
First Claim
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1. A method for preparing a fluorine-containing gas-filled microsphere comprising:
- a. reconstituting the lipids dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolaminepolyethylene glycol, and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid in a ratio of about 70 to about 90 mole %, about 5 to about 15 mole %, and about 5 to about 15 mole %, respectively, in an aqueous solution to a concentration of about 20 mg/ml to about 50 mg/ml to form a lipid-containing aqueous solution;
b. lyophilizing said lipid-containing aqueous solution to form a lyophilized composition such that the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol, and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid ratio of about 70 to about 90 mole %, about 5 to about 15 mole %, and about 5 to about 15 mole %, respectively, is uniform throughout the composition;
c. dispersing said lyophilized composition in an aqueous-based pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to a concentration of about 0.1 mg/ml to about 5 mg/ml to form an aqueous microsphere-forming solution;
d. introducing a fluorine-containing gas into said aqueous microsphere-forming solution; and
e. shaking said aqueous microsphere-forming solution to form a microsphere filled with fluorine-containing gas.
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Abstract
Lyophilized lipid compositions, as well as methods for their preparation, are embodied by the present invention. Gas-filled microspheres prepared using the lyophilized lipid composition are particularly useful, for example, in ultrasonic imaging applications and in therapeutic drug delivery systems.
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22 Claims
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1. A method for preparing a fluorine-containing gas-filled microsphere comprising:
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a. reconstituting the lipids dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolaminepolyethylene glycol, and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid in a ratio of about 70 to about 90 mole %, about 5 to about 15 mole %, and about 5 to about 15 mole %, respectively, in an aqueous solution to a concentration of about 20 mg/ml to about 50 mg/ml to form a lipid-containing aqueous solution; b. lyophilizing said lipid-containing aqueous solution to form a lyophilized composition such that the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol, and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid ratio of about 70 to about 90 mole %, about 5 to about 15 mole %, and about 5 to about 15 mole %, respectively, is uniform throughout the composition; c. dispersing said lyophilized composition in an aqueous-based pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to a concentration of about 0.1 mg/ml to about 5 mg/ml to form an aqueous microsphere-forming solution; d. introducing a fluorine-containing gas into said aqueous microsphere-forming solution; and e. shaking said aqueous microsphere-forming solution to form a microsphere filled with fluorine-containing gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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