A NEW CONCEPT IN THE STABILIZATION OF INJECTABLE FLUOROCARBON EMULSIONS: THE USE OF MIXED FLUOROCARBON-HYDROCARBON DOWELS.

A new means of stabilizing fluorocarbon in water emulsions is reported. It uses mixed fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon amphiphiles, acting as molecular dowels, to reinforce the binding between the fluorocarbon phase and its surrounding lipidic membrane. In an example, perfluorooctylbromide/phospholipid emulsions (90/4 % w/v) stabilized by C8F17CH=CHC8H17 (2.8 % w/v) remain stable, with no significant increase in particle sizes (after the initital equilibration period) for 9 months at 40°C.