EP0136812A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Reagents for enhancing the contrast in NMR images
Assignee: Technicare Corp
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Filing: 1984-08-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-08-24
Abstract
Abstract Reagents for enhancing the contrast of nuclear magnetic images of biological tissues. By contacting the tissues to be imaged with a complex comprising a macromolecule attached to a paramagnetic ion, wherein the macromolecule is tissue specific and the complex has a correlation time of reorientation or a correlation time of rotation of ligands comparable to the Larmor period, the target atom (proton) relaxation rates are altered and the contrast in the images produced by conventional nuclear magnetic resonance techniques is enhanced.
Inventors
- 👤 Hong-Ning Yeung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:56
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/44; G01R33/48; G01R33/54; G01R33/56; G01R33/5601
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A reagent for altering the nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation rate of a target atom associated with a specific tissue comprising a paramagnetic ion attached to a macromolecule selected in accordance with its ability, based on molecular weight, to cause the correlation time of the paramagnetic ion to be within an order of magnitude of the Larmor period of the target atom.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
A reagent for altering the nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation rate of a target atom associated with a specific tissue comprising a paramagnetic ion attached to a macromolecule selected in accordance with its ability, based on molecular weight, to cause the correlation time of the paramagnetic ion to be within an order of magnitude of the Larmor period of the target atom.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The reagent of claim 1, wherein the macromolecule is tissue specific or viability specific.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reagent of claim 2, wherein the macromolecule is an antibody or is derived therefrom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reagent of claim 3, wherein the macromolecule is the F(ab)' portion of an antibody.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The reagent of claim 2, wherein the macromolecule is a lipsome, enzyme, enzyme substrate, ATP, nucleic acid, nucleic acid probes, cell membrane component or molecule reactive therewith,or cellular organelle component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The reagent of claim 5, wherein the macromolecule is a substrate for an enzyme associated with a subset of a set of cells, the paramagnetic ion is attached to the macromolecule in such a way that the function of the macromolecule as an enzyme substrate is not substantially impeded, and the macromolecule, when acted on by the enzyme, forms a product containing the paramagnetic ion, which, in the product, has the required correlation time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The reagent of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the correlation time is from 10 -1 to 10 +1 times the Larmor period of the 1 H atom.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The reagent of any one of claims I to 7, wherein the paramagnetic ion is a transition metal ion having partially filled3d or 4d orbitals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The reagent of claim 8, wherein the transition metal is manganese, gadolinium, chromium, iron or copper.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The reagent of claim 9, wherein the transition metal is manganese.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The reagent of any one of claims 1 to 10 for use in enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance images of biological tissue.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The reagent of claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon for use in enhancing contrast in a nuclear magnetic resonance image between tissue for which the macromolecule is specific and tissue for which it is not specific.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The reagent of claim 6 or any claim dependent thereon for use in enhancing contrast in a nuclear magnetic resonance image between areas of enzyme activity and areas of lesser enzyme activity.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
Use of the reagent of any one of claims 1 to 10 in enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance images of biological tissue.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
Use of the reagent of claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon in enhancing contrast in a nuclear magnetic resonance image between tissue for which the macromolecule is specific and tissue for which it is not specific.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
Use of the reagent of claim 6 or any claim dependent thereon in enhancing contrast in a nuclear magnetic resonance image between areas of enzyme activity and areas of lesser enzyme activity.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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