Improvements in or relating to contrast agents

摘要

Contrast agents comprising microbubble-generating carbohydrate microparticles having a surfactant admixed within the microparticulate structure (with the proviso that the surfactant is not a saturated C10-20 fatty acid when the microparticulate carbohydrate is galactose) exhibit useful levels of contrast efficiency and/or stability and may be used in diagnostic applications such as ultrasound and MR imaging.