Ultrasound contrast agents have been used in the medical diagnostic field for a number of years and for very different purposes. These agents have been employed when echo images proved inadequate or when further information about the blood flow was required. Originally, contrast agents were home-made, being produced simply by passing saline through a three-way stopcock. Such bubbles were quite large and their use was limited, for example, to detect ventricular septal defects. Although Color Doppler has made it possible to visualize blood flow inside the heart's chambers, there has been a renewed interest in contrast agents in recent years. As a result, a number of firms have announced plans to extend their current product line, (Rontgen and/or magnetic resonance contrast agents) to the field of ultrasound imaging.

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N. Bom (Klaas)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
hdl.handle.net/1765/39138
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

de Jong, N. (1993, June 24). Acoustic properties of ultrasound contrast agents. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/39138