From ESAOTE S.p.A.;
'The MyLab™30CV ultrasound system is an evolutionary step in ultrasound technology. Weighing less than 20 pounds, it is the first compact ultrasound system to deliver premium console performance. And with mobile, portable or stationary configurations, MyLab30CV can adapt to any clinical environment.'

(MCE) Myocardial contrast echocardiography is a contrast enhanced ultrasound method that utilizes intravenous injected microbubbles as red blood cell tracers. MCE can assess myocardial perfusion both at rest and stress to evaluate viable myocardium after acute infarction.
MCE perfusion imaging improves the blood echoes during the microbubble passage and the imaging system suppresses the clutter represented by non-contrast-bearing tissue.

See also Injection Rate, Stress Echocardiogram, and Myomap.

From GE Healthcare;;
Optison is the first 'second generation USCA' marketed in the US.
Ultrasound contrast agents used during an ultrasound imaging procedure, enable more accurate diagnosis of the patient's heart condition. The application of Optison allows to image the endocardial borders of the heart, to see cardiac wall motion abnormalities and to guide the selection and monitoring of treatment.
Optison represents a class of microbubbles with a shell formed by sonicating a solution of capsules filled with a perfluoropropane gas. The high molecular weight slows microbubble dissolution and prolongs the enhancement for several minutes. The human albumin-stabilized cavitation bubbles have a surface tension of 0.9 N/m and a surface dilatational viscosity 0.08 msP.

'August 06, 2001 Molecular Biosystems Inc., a subsidiary of Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp, announced the amendment of the Optison Product Rights Agreement (OPRA) dated May 9, 2000 with Mallinckrodt Inc, a unit of Tyco Healthcare. Optison, an intravenous ultrasound contrast agent, was developed by MBI and is being marketed by Mallinckrodt in the U.S. and Europe. Under the amended agreement, MBI will receive an immediate cash payment plus additional unspecified royalties for a two-year period. The amendment of OPRA coincides with an announcement by Nycomed Amersham Imaging that Nycomed and Mallinckrodt will terminate their joint commercialization and development agreement for ultrasound contrast agents, including Optison, effective Dec. 31, 2001. Effective Jan. 1, 2002, all selling and marketing activities will be resumed solely by Nycomed Amersham.'

(Perfluorocarbon exposed sonicated dextrose albumin) PESDA are sonicated dextrose albumin microbubbles containing decafluorobutane gas. PESDA is a sonicated self made contrast agent and not a commercial product.
PESDA microbubbles can be used as a blood pool contrast agent in echocardiography to improve the detection of myocardial perfusion abnormalities.

Quantison, consisting of air-filled microbubbles with stiff and rigid human serum albumin shells, is an investigational ultrasound contrast agent for the assessment of coronary artery disease.
The stiff shell inhibits the bubbles from oscillating and decrease non-linear scattering. Quantison is capable of long lasting cavity contrast and myocardial opacification using intermittent imaging.