Targeted ultrasound contrast agents provide advantages compared with usual microbubble blood pool agents. The goal of targeted ultrasound contrast agents is to significantly and selectively enhance the detection of a targeted vascular site. Tissue-specific ultrasound contrast agents improve the image contrast resolution through differential uptake. Targeted drug delivery via contrast microbubbles is another contrast media concept and provides the potential for earlier detection and characterization of disease.
Targeted contrast imaging provides a higher sensitivity and specificity than obtained with a nontargeted contrast agent.
The detection of disease-indicative molecular signatures may allow early assessment of pathology on a molecular level.
Molecular imaging should be an efficient and less invasive technique to obtain three-dimensional localization of pathology.
Ultrasound agents typically remain within the vascular space, and therefore possible targets include molecular markers on thrombus, endothelial cells, and leukocytes. Targeted contrast agents permit noninvasive detection of thrombus, cancer, inflammation, or other sites where specific integrins or other adhesion molecules are expressed. Adhesion molecules such as monoclonal antibodies, peptides, asialoglycoproteins, or polysaccharides are incorporated into the shell of the microbubble or liposome. After injection into the bloodstream, the targeted agent accumulates via adhesion receptors at the affected site, enhancing detection with an ultrasound system.

See also Acoustically Active Lipospheres, and Tissue-Specific Ultrasound Contrast Agent.

(AALs) Acoustically active lipospheres and ultrasound are under development to deliver bioactive molecules to the vascular endothelium. The AALs are similar to both ultrasound contrast agents and drug-delivering liposomes. They can carry bioactive substances using biologically inert shells and deliver those substances when disrupted by ultrasound.
The lipospheres consist of a small gas microbubble surrounded by a thick oil shell and are enclosed by an outermost lipid layer. The gas bubble contained in these vehicles makes them acoustically active, similar to ultrasound contrast agents. Acoustically active lipospheres can be nondestructively deflected using ultrasound radiation force, and fragmented with high intensity ultrasound pulses. Their lipid-oil complex can carry bioactive substances at high concentrations. An optimized sequence of ultrasound pulses can deflect the AALs toward a vessel wall then disrupt them, painting their contents across the vascular endothelium.

See also Filling Gas, and MRX 115.

The Germany-based pharmaceutical company is the result of the take-over of Schering AG by Bayer AG in 2006. The Bayer Schering Pharma AG is part of the Bayer HealthCare AG, which represents the pharmaceutical part of the Bayer Group.
The company makes ultrasound, x-ray and MRI contrast media, drugs for treating cancer, multiple-sclerosis, heart and nervous system disorders and severe skin conditions.
In general, its activities are focused on four business areas: Fertility control & hormone therapy, diagnostics & radiopharmaceuticals, dermatology as well as specialized therapeutics for disabling diseases in the fields of the central nervous system, oncology and cardiovascular system.
Currently, Bayer Schering Pharma discontinued the manufacturing and development of ultrasound contrast agents.

Ultrasound Contrast Agents:

The definition of imaging is the visual representation of an object. Medical imaging is a broad term that encompasses various imaging modalities and techniques used in the field of medicine to visualize and study the body's anatomy and physiology. It includes both diagnostic and non-diagnostic imaging procedures, where diagnostic imaging specifically refers to the subset of medical imaging techniques that are primarily focused on diagnosing diseases or conditions. Medical imaging techniques are employed to obtain images or visual representations of the internal organs, tissues, and structures, aiding in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of medical conditions.
The field of medical imaging has significantly evolved since the discovery of X-rays by Konrad Roentgen in 1896. Initially, radiological imaging involved focusing X-rays on the body and capturing the images on a single piece of film within a specialized cassette. Subsequent advancements introduced the use of fluorescent screens and special glasses for real-time visualization of X-ray images.
A significant breakthrough came with the application of contrast agents, enhancing image contrast and improving organ visualization. In the 1950s, nuclear medicine studies utilizing gamma cameras demonstrated the uptake of low-level radioactive chemicals in organs, enabling the observation of biological processes in vivo. Currently, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technologies play pivotal roles in clinical research and the diagnosis of biochemical and physiological processes. Additionally, the advent of the x-ray image intensifier in 1955 facilitated the capture and display of x-ray movies.
In the 1960s, diagnostic imaging incorporated the principles of sonar, using ultrasonic waves generated by a quartz crystal. These waves, reflecting at the interfaces between different tissues, were received by ultrasound machines and translated into images through computer algorithms and reconstruction software. Ultrasound (ultrasonography) has become an indispensable diagnostic tool across various medical specialties, with immense potential for further advancements such as targeted contrast imaging, real-time 3D or 4D ultrasound, and molecular imaging. The first use of ultrasound contrast agents (USCA) dates back to 1968.
Digital imaging techniques were introduced in the 1970s, revolutionizing conventional fluoroscopic image intensifiers. Godfrey Hounsfield's pioneering work led to the development of the first computed tomography (CT) scanner. Digital images are now electronic snapshots represented as grids of dots or pixels. X-ray CT brought about a breakthrough in medical imaging by providing cross-sectional images of the human body with high contrast between different types of soft tissue. These advancements were made possible by analog-to-digital converters and computers. The introduction of multislice spiral CT technology dramatically expanded the clinical applications of CT scans.
The first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices were tested on clinical patients in 1980. With technological improvements, such as higher field strength, more open MRI magnets, faster gradient systems, and novel data-acquisition techniques, MRI has emerged as a real-time interactive imaging modality capable of providing detailed structural and functional information of the body.
Today, imaging in medicine offers a wide range of modalities, including:

These imaging modalities have become integral components of modern healthcare. With the rapid advancement of digital imaging, efficient management has become important, leading to the expansion of radiology information systems (RIS) and the adoption of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) for digital image archiving. In telemedicine, real-time transmission of all medical image modalities from MRI to X-ray, CT and ultrasound has become the standard. The field of medical imaging continues to evolve, promising further innovations and advancements in the future, ultimately contributing to improved patient care and diagnostics.

See also History of Ultrasound Contrast Agents, and History of Ultrasound.

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.'