Patent ID: 8349991

Claim:
An amphiphilic polymer, characterized by the structure of the general formula I: wherein R is a hydroxyl, O-alkyl, O-Acyl, O-Activating group, SH, S-alkyl, an acid activating group comprising halogen, O-vinyl, O-allyl, O-aryl, OCOalkyl, OCOaryl, OCH 2 CF 3 , or NH 2 ; R′ is OH, NH 2 , or SH; each R 1 group is, independently, a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 , a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , or each R 2 group is, independently, perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 , a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , or each R 3 group is, independently, a drug, a labeling agent, or a targeting moiety; or OR 3 is a fluorinated ether group; each R 4 group is, independently, an alkyl group, an alkylene group, a carboxylate group, a carboxylic acid group, an amino group, an ammonium group, an alkoxyl group, a hydroxyl group, or another nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur-containing group; each A group is, independently, O, NH, S, an acyl group, an aryl group, a linear or branched alkenyl group, or a linear or branched alkyl group, t, n, m, p, p′ and x are integers, such that the weight of a fraction of the polymer ranges between 0-5% or 6-99% or 50-100% of the weight of said polymer, wherein said fraction is represented by the structure: and q is an integer between 0-10; wherein comprises a molecular weight of from 60 to 10,000 Daltons; and wherein: x is greater than 0 and the R 1 or R 2 group consists of a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 or a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 , wherein any of said perfluorocarbons is further selected from the group consisting of (CF 2 ) z CF 3 wherein z is an integer, CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 8 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 6 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 4 CF 3 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 (CF 2 ) 11 CF 3 ; or m is greater than 0 and the OR 3 group consists of a fluorinated ether group, wherein said fluorinated ether group is further selected from the group consisting of CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 8 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 6 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 4 CF 3 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 (CF 2 ) 11 CF 3 , or the R 2 group consists of a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 or a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 wherein any of said perfluorocarbons is further selected from the group consisting of (CF 2 ) z CF 3 wherein z is an integer, CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 8 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 6 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 4 CF 3 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 (CF 2 ) 11 CF 3 ; or both x and m are greater than 0 and the R 1 or R 2 group consists of a perfluorocarbon, a perfluorocarbon-R 4 or a perfluorocarbon-OR 4 wherein any of said perfluorocarbons is further selected from the group consisting of (CF 2 ) z CF 3 wherein z is an integer, CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 8 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 6 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 4 CF 3 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 (CF 2 ) 11 CF 3 , the OR 3 group consists of a fluorinated ether group, wherein said fluorinated ether group is further selected from the group consisting of CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 8 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 6 CF 3 , CH 2 OCH 2 (CF 2 ) 4 CF 3 , and CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 (CF 2 ) 11 CF 3 .