Acusphere raises $7.5 million

Article

Ultrasound contrast agent developer Acusphere of Cambridge, MA, announced this month that it concluded a $7.5 million financing round led by Comdisco Ventures. The funds raised include $5 million in debt from Comdisco and $2.5 million in venture capital.

Ultrasound contrast agent developer Acusphere of Cambridge, MA, announced this month that it concluded a $7.5 million financing round led by Comdisco Ventures. The funds raised include $5 million in debt from Comdisco and $2.5 million in venture capital.

Acusphere plans to use the funds to develop AI-700, a gas-filled synthetic polymer ultrasound contrast agent. AI-700 expands the capabilities of echocardiograms to include the detection of myocardial perfusion. The firm plans to begin phase I clinical trials with AI-700 in early 1999.

In other Acusphere news, the company reported Nov. 17 that it has received two patents from the U.S. Patent Office. The first covers technology for incorporating sound-responsive gas-filled microspheres into ultrasound contrast agents. It addresses a problem that arises from the use of commercial agents: When injected into blood, the agents leak gas, which decreases their efficacy. Acusphere's newly patented technology better retains gas inside the contrast agent, reinforcing the diagnostic signal, according to the company.

The second patent covers technology that uses synthetic polymers in contrast agents, strengthening the agents' ability to function well under ultrasound power settings used for myocardial perfusion imaging.

Recent Videos
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Can AI Assessment of Longitudinal MRI Scans Improve Prediction for Pediatric Glioma Recurrence?
A Closer Look at MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy for Monitoring and Treating Glioblastomas
Incorporating CT Colonography into Radiology Practice
What New Research Reveals About Computed Tomography and Radiation-Induced Cancer Risk
What New Interventional Radiology Research Reveals About Treatment for Breast Cancer Liver Metastases
New Mammography Studies Assess Image-Based AI Risk Models and Breast Arterial Calcification Detection
Can Deep Learning Provide a CT-Less Alternative for Attenuation Compensation with SPECT MPI?
Employing AI in Detecting Subdural Hematomas on Head CTs: An Interview with Jeremy Heit, MD, PhD
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.