Magnetic microstructures for magnetic resonance imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11324840-B2
Application number	US-201916291731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 3, 2009
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance structure with a cavity or a reserved space that provides contrast and the additional ability to frequency-shift the spectral signature of the NMR-susceptible nuclei such as water protons by a discrete and controllable characteristic frequency shift that is unique to each MRS design. The invention also relates to nearly uniform solid magnetic resonance T2* contrast agents that have a significantly higher magnetic moment compared to similarly-sized existing MRI contrast agents.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic resonance contrast agent comprising a plurality of solid disks of uniform size and magnetic moment, wherein each disk consists of a single magnetic material and a coating made of a non-magnetic material, and wherein each disk has a diameter of about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm and a thickness of 0.5 μm to 2 μm.

2. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 1 , wherein each disk has a magnetic moment from about 10 −14 A·m 2 to about 10 −11 A·m 2 .

3. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 1 , wherein each disk varies in size by less than about 5% of the average size of the plurality of disks.

4. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 3 , wherein each disk varies in magnetic moment by less than about 5% of the average magnetic moment of the plurality of disks.

5. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic material is iron.

6. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnetic material is gold or titanium.

7. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 6 , wherein the non-magnetic material is gold.

8. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 1 , wherein each disk has a diameter of about 1 μm to about 2 μm.

9. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic material is iron.

10. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 9 , wherein the non-magnetic material is gold.

11. A magnetic resonance contrast agent comprising a plurality of solid disks of uniform size and magnetic moment, wherein the disks consist of iron and a coating made of titanium, wherein each disk has a diameter of about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm and a thickness of about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm.

12. The magnetic resonance contrast agent of claim 11 , wherein each disk has a diameter of about 1 μm to about 2 μm and a thickness of about 0.5 μm to about 2 μm.

13. A magnetic resonance contrast agent comprising a plurality of solid disks of uniform size and magnetic moment, wherein each disk consists of a single magnetic material and a coating made of a non-magnetic material, wherein each disk has a diameter of about 1 μm to about 2 μm and a thickness of about 0.5 μm to about 2 μm, wherein the magnetic material is iron, and wherein the non-magnetic material is titanium.

Assignees

• The United States Of America As Represented By Secretary Dept Of Health And Human Services
• Us Commerce
• The Usa As Represented By The Secretary Dept Of Health And Human Services
• The Usa As Represented By The Secretary Of Commerce

Inventors

• Zabow Gary
• Dodd Stephen
• Koretsky Alan
• Moreland John

Classifications

• A61B5/055 Primary

  involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging · CPC title

• G01R33/281

  Means for the use of in vitro contrast agents (G01R33/282 takes precedence; involving use of a contrast agent in MR imaging G01R33/5601; in vivo contrast agents A61K49/0002) · CPC title

• G01R33/5601

  involving use of a contrast agent for contrast manipulation, e.g. a paramagnetic, super-paramagnetic, ferromagnetic or hyperpolarised contrast agent · CPC title

• G01R33/5635

  Angiography, e.g. contrast-enhanced angiography [CE-MRA] or time-of-flight angiography [TOF-MRA] · CPC title

• A61K49/18

  characterised by a special physical form, e.g. emulsions, microcapsules, liposomes · CPC title