Abstract: The present invention includes system, methods, and compositions for the generation of novel oxygen microbubbles, and in particular oxygen microbubbles with a longer acyl-chain phospholipid for increased circulation persistence and oxygen payload. The novel oxygen microbubbles of the invention may be particularly suited for the treatment of tumor hypoxia in radiation oncology.

Abstract: The inventive technology is directed to droplet compositions having novel endoskeletal and/or exoskeletal shell architectures configured to produce enhanced vaporization characteristics.

Abstract: A method for applying ultrasound to activate a cavitation enhancing agent in the presence of a therapeutic compound and a microbial biofilm is provided. The ultrasound energy causes the cavitation enhancing agent to cavitate in the ultrasound field. The cavitation of the resultant bubble causes fluid streaming and shear forces at and near the biofilm, causing enhanced penetration of the therapeutic compound into the biofilm, and resulting in improved efficacy of the therapeutic compound against the biofilm. The method further includes cavitation enhancing agents which can be loaded with oxygen gas or combined with microbubbles which carry oxygen gas, which further potentiate antibiotic efficacy against the biofilm.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are described to synthesize gas-filled microbubbles using a continuous flow chamber with a reaction volume and a sonicator positioned therein, by flowing a lipid solution at a first flow rate and gas at a first pressure into the reaction volume while ultrasonically agitating an interface between the lipid solution and the gas in the reaction volume using the sonicator member to generate a solution of gas-filled microbubbles, which solution can be concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution of microbubbles containing at least 23% of the core gas by volume.

Abstract: Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A system and methods for the delivery of oxygen through a body cavity of a subject using oxygen microbubbles. Through circulation of oxygen microbubbles through the body cavity, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange may occur. Overall improvement in extending survival rate time during emergency situations caused by pulmonary or similar oxygen-intake restricting injury and/or failure may be achieved through use of the invented system and methods.

Abstract: Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create the particle. The particle has a core consisting of a liquid and is an activatable phase change agent. The second substance includes a polymeric brush layer to prevent aggregation and coalescence.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved oxygen microbubble (OMB)-and-Cannabidiol (CBD) formulation that can be administered for medical and/or therapeutic purposes in any entry route and delivery method to improve bioavailability and half-life within the body. The dual CBD-OMB emulsion/formulation described herein may be a product capable of simultaneously delivering oxygen and CBD to a target tissue of interest to also further enhance blood flow to the target tissue site potentially increasing the uptake of CBD by the anatomy and thereby enhancing CBD's bioavailability in humans.

Abstract: The current inventive technology includes system, methods and compositions for the generation of a cloaked microbubble having buried-ligand architecture (BLA) that may allow the cloaked microbubble to circumvent potentially deleterious immunogenic, or other unwanted chemical responses in a host. The current inventive technology may also includes systems and methods to isolate monodisperse size populations of microbubbles for enhanced therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Abstract: An acoustically activatable particle of material includes a first substance that includes a component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A system and methods for the delivery of oxygen through a body cavity of a subject using oxygen microbubbles. Through circulation of oxygen microbubbles through the body cavity, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange may occur. Overall improvement in extending survival rate time during emergency situations caused by pulmonary or similar oxygen-intake restricting injury and/or failure may be achieved through use of the invented system and methods.

Abstract: Gas-filled microbubbles can be synthesized using a continuous flow chamber and a sonicator. The resulting microbubble solution can be size-sorted for a particular application, such as injection into a patient for gas delivery thereto. The microbubble solution may be concentrated to have greater than 50% volume gas while maintaining microbubble sizes below 10 ?m. Control of the microbubble generation process can yield highly stable microbubbles. The microbubbles may retain over half of their original gas payload for over three weeks while exhibiting minimal change in microbubble size. The systems, methods, and devices described herein thus allow for continuous or batch-wise continuous production of gas-filled microbubbles that readily release their gas payload when introduced into an under-saturated or de-saturated solution.

Abstract: A system and methods for the delivery of oxygen through a body cavity of a subject using oxygen microbubbles. Through circulation of oxygen microbubbles through the body cavity, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange may occur. Overall improvement in extending survival rate time during emergency situations caused by pulmonary or similar oxygen-intake restricting injury and/or failure may be achieved through use of the invented system and methods.

Abstract: Gas-filled microbubbles can be synthesized using a continuous flow chamber and a sonicator. The resulting microbubble solution can be size-sorted for a particular application, such as injection into a patient for gas delivery thereto. The microbubble solution may be concentrated to have greater than 50% volume gas while maintaining microbubble sizes below 10 ?m. Control of the microbubble generation process can yield highly stable microbubbles. The microbubbles may retain over half of their original gas payload for over three weeks while exhibiting minimal change in microbubble size. The systems, methods, and devices described herein thus allow for continuous or batch-wise continuous production of gas-filled microbubbles that readily release their gas payload when introduced into an under-saturated or de-saturated solution.

Abstract: Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Injectable or implantable drug delivery systems providing on-demand ultrasound-triggered drug release and methods for controlling the release of drug in a patient are provided herein. The on-demand drug delivery systems contain a drug depot and a drug encapsulated in an encapsulating material, where the encapsulating material is different from the depot. In the preferred embodiment, the depot also contains microbubbles that encapsulate one or more gases. The microbubbles enhance the drug release when ultrasound is applied compared to the same system in the absence of microbubbles. In a preferred embodiment, the drug delivery system, contains an encapsulating material, preferably liposomes, a drug to be delivered, microbubbles, and at least two hydrogel-forming precursor components. Following injection or implantation, the patient can control the time, location and dosage released by administering ultrasound.

Abstract: Acoustically activatable particles having low vaporization energy and methods for making and using same are disclosed. A particle of material includes a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. A second substance, different from the first substance, encapsulates the first substance to create a droplet or emulsion that is stable at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. At least some of the first substance exists in a gaseous phase at the time of encapsulation of the first substance within the second substance to form a bubble. After formation of the bubble, the bubble is condensed into a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into the droplet or emulsion having a core consisting of a liquid. The droplet or emulsion is an activatable phase change agent that remains a droplet having a core consisting of a liquid at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. The first substance has a boiling point below 25° C. at atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A hydrogel tissue engineering scaffold having microbubbles dispersed therein is disclosed. Also, a system for cell culturing including a controller and actuator to apply dynamic deformational loading to a hydrogel is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for producing hydrogels with microbubbles and for culturing cells using hydrogels with microbubbles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for opening a tissue to a target value are disclosed herein. In an exemplary method, a region of the tissue is targeted for opening, a size range of microbubbles corresponding to the target value is determined, microbubbles of the size range are positioned in proximity to the targeted region, and an ultrasound beam is applied to the targeted region such that the tissue is opened with the assistance of the microbubbles to the target value.

Abstract: A method of producing particles of materials includes, with a first substance that includes at least one component that is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, extruding or emulsifying the first substance into or in the presence of a second substance to create a bubble in which the first substance is encapsulated by the second substance and wherein at least some of the first substance is in a gaseous phase, and causing the first substance to condense to a liquid phase, which causes the bubble to transform into a droplet or emulsion. The droplet or emulsion so created is an activatable phase change agent that is stable at room temperature and pressure.