IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,673,121
Granted Patent B2
US 12,673,121 · App. 18/524,929 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Radiopaque nanoparticles for medical imaging

Inventor: Bashir Akhavan Tafti (Encino, CA)
Assignee: TRANSLATIONAL AND FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES INSTITUTE LLC
A61K49/0438A61K9/5031A61K9/5123A61K9/5138A61K9/5153A61K9/5161A61K9/5169
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,673,121
App. No.
18/524,929
Filed
Nov 30, 2023
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1618
USPC
424/9.4
Abstract

The present disclosure features imaging media including a contrast agent encapsulated within a biodegradable nanoparticle matrix. The particles are sized such that they avoid excretion via urinary excretion (e.g., at least 5 nm in diameter) during an imaging procedure or an image-guided procedure. Instead, the particles are predominantly removed from circulation by the reticuloendothelial system of the liver. This results in a buildup of contrast agent in the liver, allowing for a highly specific imaging modality for liver imaging. Further, the bulk of the imaging media is excreted into the bowel, reducing in-vivo toxicity of the imaging media. Finally, because of their size, the nanoparticles of the imaging media have a higher circulation half-life.

Claims (34)

1 . An imaging media comprising:

a) a nanoparticle comprising a diameter of from about 10 nm to about 650 nm and a biodegradable matrix, wherein the biodegradable matrix does not comprise a metal matrix; and

b) a plurality of sub-nanoparticles encapsulated within an interior of the biodegradable matrix of the nanoparticle, wherein each sub-nanoparticle of the plurality of sub-nanoparticles comprises:

(i) a biodegradable matrix; and

(ii) a contrast agent within an interior of the biodegradable matrix of the sub-nanoparticle,

wherein:

the contrast agent is a nonionic or ionic contrast agent comprising iodine as the sole contrast agent and the concentration of the contrast agent in the imaging media is from 5 mg of iodine per 1 mL of the imaging media to 200 mg of iodine per 1 mL of the imaging media.

2 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable matrix of the nanoparticle comprises a polymer matrix.

3 . The imaging media of claim 2 , wherein the polymer matrix is or comprises hyaluronic acid (HA), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), Collagen, Gelatin, carboxymethyl chitosan (CCN), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), phospholipids, a polysaccharide, or a combination thereof.

4 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle is spherical, elliptical, rod-shaped, cylindrical, prismatic, or irregular.

5 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle further comprises a coating on the exterior surface of the biodegradable matrix.

6 . The imaging media of claim 5 , wherein the coating is hydrophilic.

7 . The imaging media of claim 5 , wherein the coating is a polymer coating.

8 . The imaging media of claim 7 , wherein the polymer coating is polyglucose sorbitol carboxymethyl ether or polyethylene glycol (PEG).

9 . The imaging media of claim 5 , wherein the coating is from about 1 nm to about 100 nm thick.

10 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable matrix of the sub-nanoparticle comprises hyaluronic acid (HA), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), Collagen, Gelatin, carboxymethyl chitosan (CCN), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), phospholipids, a polysaccharide, or a combination thereof.

11 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the sub-nanoparticle and the nanoparticle comprise an identical material.

12 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the sub-nanoparticle is spherical, elliptical, rod-shaped, cylindrical, prismatic, or irregular.

13 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the sub-nanoparticle is substantially spherical and the diameter of the sub-nanoparticle is from about 1 nm to about 30 nm.

14 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the contrast agent is a nonionic contrast agent selected from iodixanol, iohexol, iohexol related compound B, diatrizoic acid, or a combination thereof.

15 . The imaging media of claim 1 , wherein the contrast agent is an ionic contrast agent selected from the group consisting of a diatrizoate salt or an iothalamate salt.

16 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the imaging media of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

17 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 16 , wherein the excipient is a polyol, a polyether, salcaprozate sodium, or sodium caprate, and wherein the polyether is polyethylene glycol.

18 . A method of imaging biological tissue in a subject comprising administering to the subject the imaging media of claim 1 or a pharmaceutical composition comprising the imaging media and detecting the imaging media in the biological tissue.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the biological tissue is an organ, wherein the organ is the liver.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the imaging media or pharmaceutical composition is administered directly to the biological tissue or administered intravascularly.

21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the detecting comprises using X-ray imaging, wherein the X-ray imaging is fluoroscopy or computed tomography (CT) imaging.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the imaging media provides an image contrast of at least 10 Hounsfield units in the biological tissue relative to imaging performed in the absence of the imaging media.

23 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising mixing the imaging media and an excipient at the time of administration.

24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the nanoparticle is provided as a lyophilized powder, and the method further comprises hydrating, suspending, or solvating the nanoparticle prior to administration.

25 . A kit comprising the imaging media of claim 1 or a pharmaceutical composition thereof.

26 . The kit of claim 25 , wherein the imaging media and the excipient are provided separately and the imaging media is provided as a lyophilized powder.

27 . The kit of claim 25 , further comprising a mixer and/or a puncture set.

28 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 16 , wherein the iodine is present in the pharmaceutical composition at a concentration from about 5 mg/mL to about 100 mg/mL.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2024
From: TAFTI, BASHIR AKHAVAN
To: TRANSLATIONAL AND FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES INSTITUTE LLC
Reel/Frame 069453/0670 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250177577A1 · Jun 5, 2025
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