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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2015 Jan 8;7(4):593–608. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1326

Table 1. Common Ultrasound Contrast Agents.

Agent Filling Gas Shell Clinical Application Approval
Sonavist (Shering)98 Air (Nitrogen) Cyanoacrylate Hepatocellular carcinoma Experimental
Echovist (Shering)24, 99 Galactose Right chambers
Tubal and Uterine imaging
EMA#
Levovist (Shering)100, 101 Galactose Vesicoureteral reflux Hepatocellular carcinoma EMA (formerly), Japan; None
Albunex (Molecular Biosystems)96, 102 Albumin Left and right chambers Fallopian tube patency FDA (formerly)
Myomap (Quadrant)103 Albumin Myocardial perfusion Experimental
Quantison (Quadrant)103 Albumin Myocardial perfusion Experimental
Optison (GE Healthcare)104 Perfluorocarbon Albumin Left ventricle
Left ventricular endocardial border
Carotid plaque neovascularization
FDA, EMA; FDA, EMA; None
Echogen (Sonus Pharmaceuticals)105 Sucrose Left and right chambers
Left ventricular border
EMA (formerly); EMA (formerly)
Definity (Lantheus Medical Imaging) 27, 104 Phospholipid Left ventricle; Left ventricular endocardial border FDA, EMA
Imagent-Imavist (Alliance) Phospholipid Left ventricle
Left ventricular endocardial border
FDA (formerly)
BR14 (Bracco)106 Phospholipid Tissue perfusion
Liver parenchyma
None
Sonazoid (GE Healthcare)107 Phospholipid Focal breast and liver lesions;
Prostate cancer
Japan; None
SonoVue (Bracco) # Sulfur hexafluoride Phospholipid Left ventricle
Doppler of large vessels
Small vessels of breast and liver lesions
EMA, Switzerland, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada, India