Appeal No. 1999-1731
Application 08/411,815
examiner’s rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
Discussion
The present invention relates to the preparation of ultrasound contrast agents
comprising hollow microcapsules, and to the use of such microcapsules to enhance
ultrasound imaging techniques. More specifically, the invention relates to a process of
preparing microcapsules by spray-drying a wall-forming material into a gas in order to
obtain hollow microcapsules, and including a charge-altering material in or on the
microcapsules to adapt the microcapsules for selective targeting to an area of a human or
animal body. The present invention also relates to a method of generating an ultrasound
image of a region of a human or animal body by introducing the hollow microcapsules
formed by the above process into the region to be imaged, exposing the microcapsules to
ultrasonic energy, and creating an image from the reflection of the ultrasonic energy by the
microcapsules.
Independent claim 24, drawn to a process of preparing microcapsules, and
independent claim 46, drawn to a method for generating an ultrasound image, contain the
following limitation:
including at least one charge-altering material in or on said microcapsules to adapt
said microcapsules for selective targeting to an area of a human or animal body.
Having carefully reviewed the content of Mathiowitz, Glajch, Erbel, and Unger, we find that
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