Table 1.
Current clinically approved MB ultrasound contrast agents.
| Contrast Agent | Manufacturer | Indications | Shell | Gas | Concentration (MBs/mL) |
Size (Diameter) |
Half-Life (min) | Volume Dose (μL/kg) a |
Mechanical Properties | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optison | GE Healthcare | LVO/EBD | Protein: HSA ψ0 = −9.5 to −25.3 mV |
C3F8 | 5–8 × 108 | 3.0–4.5 μm (max. 32 μm) 95% < 10 μm |
0.5 ± 0.3 | 6 |
f = 2–4 MHz χ = 0.9 N/m |
[39,40,41,42,43] |
| Definity | Lantheus | LVO/EBD, breast, liver, vascular. | Phospholipid: DPPC, DPPA, DPPE-mPEG5000 ψ0 = −1.1 to −4.2 mV |
C3F8 | 1.2 × 1010 | 1.1–3.3 (max. 20 μm) 98% < 10 μm |
2.0 ± 0.3 | 10 |
f = 2–6 MHz χ = 0.5–2.5 N/m |
[40,42,43,44,45,46] |
| SonoVue | Bracco | LVO/EBD, breast, liver, vascular, urinary tract. | Phospholipid: DSPC, DPPG, PA ψ0 = −28.3 mV |
SF6 | 1.5–2.5 × 108 | 1.5–2.5 (max. 20 μm) 99% < 10 μm |
1.04 ± 0.15 | 25 |
f = 1.5–2 MHz χ = 0.2–0.3 N/m |
[40,44,47,48,49] |
| Sonazoid | GE Healthcare | Myocardial perfusion, liver, breast. | Phospholipid: H-EPS ψ0 = −76 to −82 mV |
C4F10 | 1.2 × 109 | 1.0–5.0 (max. 10 μm) 99.9% < 7 μm |
2.6 ± 0.2 | 15 |
f = 4–6 MHz χ = 0.6 N/m |
[50,51,52] |
EBD = endocardial border definition; LVO = left ventricular opacification; HSA = human serum albumin; DPPC = 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; DPPA = 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate; DPPE-mPEG5000 = 1,2- dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-5000]; DSPC = 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; DPPG = 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1′-rac-glycerol); PA = palmitic acid; H-EPS = hydrogenated egg phosphatidylserine sodium; ψ0 = zeta potential measured; C3F8 = perfluoropropane; SF6 = sulfur hexafluoride, C4F10 = perfluorobutane; MBs = microbubbles; a Bolus intravenous injection; f = resonance frequency; χ = shell elasticity. Adapted with permission from references [4,5,21].