Patent ID: 7011815

Claim:
A method of MR imaging of a mammal, said method comprising the steps of: (a) administering to said mammal a contrast agent or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, said contrast agent having the formula: IEM-[L m -{BHEM s -PPBM o } p ] q , wherein m, s, o, p, and q are one; wherein said IEM is an image enhancing moiety selected from the group consisting of: wherein one of R 1 –R 11 is -[L m -{BHEM s -PPBM o } p ] and the R 1 –R 11 groups that are not -[L m -{BHEM s -PPBM o } p ] are hydrogen; wherein R 12 , R 13 , and R 14 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of O − and NH 2 ; wherein R 15 is H, CH 2 CH(OH)CH 3 , hydroxy alkyl, or CH 2 COR 12 ; wherein said M is a paramagnetic metal ion selected from the group consisting of Gd(III), Fe(III), Mn(II), Mn(III), Cr(III), Cu(II), Dy(III), Tb(III), Ho(III), Er(III), and Eu(III); wherein said L is a linker consisting of 1 to 4 —CH 2 — groups; wherein said BHEM is a phosphodiester moiety; and wherein said PPBM is an HSA binding moiety; and (b) subjecting said mammal to MR imaging.