Science Of The Day
Out of context: Reply #172
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Microbubble contrast agents: a new era in ultrasound
"Contrast agents are widely used in imaging, but until recently they had little place in ultrasonography. This has changed with the introduction of microbubbles—small (typically 3 μm in diameter) gas filled bubbles that are usually injected intravenously. Injecting a gas into the circulation may seem potentially hazardous, but extensive clinical experience has shown that the tiny volume of air or gas given (under 200 μl) is not dangerous, and the safety of microbubbles compares well to that of conventional agents in radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.1 Although microbubbles were originally designed simply to improve conventional ultrasound scanning, recent discoveries have opened up powerful emerging applications. This article describes some of these applications in radiology and cardiology and discusses the potential of microbubbles for therapy."