Lumason® ultrasound contrast is an FDA-approved ultrasound contrast agent used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to improve visualization during certain diagnostic ultrasound examinations. Manufactured for Bracco Diagnostics, Lumason contains sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres and is used by hospitals, imaging centers, radiology departments, cardiology practices, and other healthcare facilities. Because CEUS adds real-time enhancement without ionizing radiation, it gives imaging teams another option for heart, liver, and pediatric urinary tract exams.
Read on for how Lumason works, how it compares with CT and MRI contrast, its FDA-approved CEUS applications, and the packaging options to weigh before you order. For healthcare facilities looking for a Lumason supplier, Lumason pricing, or ultrasound contrast media, Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. supplies contrast media, diagnostic imaging products, and medical supplies to customers throughout the United States and has done so for over 42 years.
Key Takeaways
- Lumason ultrasound contrast is an FDA-approved ultrasound enhancing agent made of sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres and manufactured for Bracco Diagnostics.
- In the United States, Lumason is indicated for echocardiography, characterization of focal liver lesions, and pediatric urinary tract ultrasonography for vesicoureteral reflux.
- Lumason contains no iodine or gadolinium, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) does not expose patients to ionizing radiation.
- Facilities can order Lumason as an all-inclusive injection kit or a 20-vial pack, and the right choice depends on procedure volume and workflow.
- Lumason carries a boxed warning, so staff should review the full prescribing information and confirm current pricing and availability with a qualified supplier before ordering.
Lumason Ultrasound Contrast Explained
Lumason (sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres) is an FDA-approved ultrasound contrast agent, sometimes referred to as an ultrasound enhancing agent. Its full generic name is sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres for injectable suspension.
Unlike traditional CT contrast media or gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents, Lumason is specifically designed for ultrasound imaging.
The product contains microspheres composed of sulfur hexafluoride gas surrounded by a lipid shell. When administered for an indicated examination, these microspheres interact with ultrasound waves and enhance the ultrasound signal, allowing clinicians to better visualize certain structures and blood flow.
Lumason is part of a growing imaging technique known as contrast-enhanced ultrasound, or CEUS.
Lumason Ultrasound Contrast and CEUS Imaging
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound combines conventional ultrasound imaging with an ultrasound contrast agent such as Lumason.
Traditional ultrasound imaging uses high-frequency sound waves to generate images inside the body. Adding an ultrasound-enhancing agent can improve visualization during certain examinations and provide clinicians with additional diagnostic information in real time.
One important characteristic of CEUS is that ultrasound imaging does not use ionizing radiation.
CEUS may therefore provide physicians with another diagnostic imaging option when evaluating certain patients and conditions. A CEUS exam also needs an ultrasound system with contrast-specific imaging modes and staff trained on the protocol, so many facilities review their ultrasound supplies and equipment when they start a program.
Lumason Uses and FDA-Approved Indications
In the United States, Lumason has FDA-approved applications in echocardiography, liver ultrasonography, and pediatric urinary tract ultrasonography. The table below shows each indication, the patient group, and how the agent is given.
| Application | Patients | Route | Clinical purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echocardiography | Adult and pediatric patients with suboptimal echocardiograms | Intravenous | Opacify the left ventricular chamber and improve delineation of the left ventricular endocardial border |
| Liver ultrasonography | Adult and pediatric patients | Intravenous | Characterize focal liver lesions |
| Urinary tract ultrasonography | Pediatric patients | Intravesical | Evaluate suspected or known vesicoureteral reflux |
Lumason for Echocardiography
Lumason is indicated for use in adult and pediatric patients with suboptimal echocardiograms to opacify the left ventricular chamber and improve delineation of the left ventricular endocardial border.
For cardiology practices, hospitals, and echocardiography laboratories, an ultrasound enhancing agent can therefore be useful when conventional echocardiographic images do not provide adequate visualization. Clearer border definition supports more confident assessment of wall motion and chamber size, which is why Lumason sits alongside other contrast media for cardiac imaging.
Lumason for Liver Ultrasound
Lumason is also indicated for ultrasonography of the liver for characterization of focal liver lesions in adult and pediatric patients.
During contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the liver, physicians can evaluate enhancement patterns in real time. This has made CEUS an important imaging option for facilities performing liver imaging and evaluating focal liver lesions. Because imaging is continuous, the sonographer can watch the arterial, portal venous, and late phases as they happen instead of capturing them at fixed scan times.
Lumason for Pediatric Urinary Tract Ultrasound
Lumason is also indicated for ultrasonography of the urinary tract for the evaluation of suspected or known vesicoureteral reflux in pediatric patients.
For this application, Lumason is administered intravesically rather than intravenously. This exam, often called contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography, lets pediatric teams assess reflux without the ionizing radiation of a fluoroscopic voiding cystourethrogram. Children’s hospitals that already manage pediatric contrast media protocols can add it to their ultrasound service.
How Lumason Works
Lumason contains sulfur hexafluoride gas microspheres with a lipid shell.
These microspheres respond differently to ultrasound waves than surrounding tissue. Ultrasound systems capable of contrast-enhanced imaging can detect these signals and use them to enhance visualization.
This allows clinicians to observe enhancement dynamically and in real time during the ultrasound examination. After intravenous injection, the microspheres stay inside the blood vessels, so Lumason behaves as a blood pool contrast agent that shows perfusion and flow. The sulfur hexafluoride gas is then cleared from the body through the lungs.
Lumason vs. CT and MRI Contrast Media
Lumason belongs to a different category of contrast media than the products commonly used for CT and MRI examinations. The table below compares the three.
| Feature | CT contrast media | MRI contrast media | Lumason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imaging modality | Computed tomography | Magnetic resonance imaging | Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| Active component | Iodine | Gadolinium-based compounds | Sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres |
| Ionizing radiation during the exam | Yes | No | No |
| Common route | Intravenous, with oral agents for some exams | Intravenous | Intravenous or intravesical |
The appropriate contrast agent and imaging modality depend on the examination, clinical indication, patient, and judgment of the healthcare provider. For more on the iodinated and gadolinium-based agents, see our CT contrast media and MRI contrast media pages.
Advantages of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound offers several characteristics that make CEUS useful in diagnostic imaging.
Ultrasound provides real-time imaging and does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation. CEUS can also provide information about blood flow and enhancement patterns during an examination. Ultrasound systems are also portable, so some CEUS exams can be performed at the bedside for patients who cannot easily travel to CT or MRI.
For certain clinical applications, these characteristics can make contrast-enhanced ultrasound a valuable complement to conventional ultrasound, CT, and MRI. Our article on emerging trends in contrast media applications covers where ultrasound contrast fits in modern imaging.
The appropriate imaging examination should always be determined by the treating healthcare professionals based on the individual patient and clinical circumstances.
Facilities That Use Lumason
Lumason may be purchased and used by a variety of healthcare organizations that perform contrast-enhanced ultrasound examinations, including:
- Hospitals and health systems
- Diagnostic imaging centers
- Radiology departments
- Cardiology practices
- Echocardiography laboratories
- Pediatric hospitals
- Outpatient imaging facilities
- Liver and hepatology programs
- Academic medical centers
As more healthcare facilities establish or expand CEUS programs, maintaining reliable access to ultrasound contrast media and related equipment, such as ultrasound probes, becomes another consideration for imaging and purchasing departments.
Lumason Packaging and Ordering Options
Lumason is available in different purchasing configurations, including an all-inclusive portable kit and a 20-vial pack.
| Configuration | What is included | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| Lumason injection kit (5 kits per box) | Each kit holds a 25 mg Lumason vial, a prefilled 0.9% sodium chloride syringe for reconstitution, and a transfer spike | Lower-volume or mobile CEUS services that want each dose packaged and ready to prepare |
| Lumason 20-vial pack (20 per box) | 20 Lumason 25 mg vials with transfer spikes | Higher-volume departments that prefer bulk ordering and manage their own reconstitution supplies |
The appropriate configuration can depend on a facility’s procedure volume, workflow, and purchasing requirements.
Facilities evaluating Lumason should work with their medical imaging supplier to determine current availability, packaging options, and ordering requirements.
Ordering and Managing Lumason Ultrasound Contrast for CEUS
A steady CEUS schedule depends on having Lumason on the shelf when the exam is booked. These ordering and inventory habits help keep supply in line with demand:
- Forecast by procedure volume. Count weekly echocardiography, liver, and pediatric urinary tract CEUS exams, then set a reorder point that covers your supplier’s lead time.
- Match the configuration to the workflow. Kits suit lower-volume or mobile services, while the 20-vial pack suits departments that manage their own reconstitution supplies.
- Rotate stock by expiration date. Use the first-expiring units first and check dates at every delivery.
- Store and prepare according to the label. Keep unopened product at the storage conditions listed in the prescribing information and use reconstituted suspension within the stated time window.
- Consolidate orders. Adding Lumason to the same standing order as CT and MRI contrast, saline, and injector supplies cuts the number of purchase orders and deliveries your team has to track.
Our guide on how often to order contrast media covers reorder points and par levels in more detail, and our contrast media packaging and handling checklist explains common pack formats.
Lumason Supplier for Hospitals and Imaging Centers
Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. supplies diagnostic imaging products, contrast media, and medical supplies to healthcare facilities nationwide.
With over 42 years of experience in the medical imaging industry, Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. works with hospitals, imaging centers, physician practices, and healthcare organizations to provide competitive pricing, responsive service, and dependable product availability.
Healthcare facilities looking to buy Lumason or request Lumason pricing can contact Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. to discuss current availability and purchasing options.
Our team can also help facilities source additional imaging and medical products, including:
- CT contrast media
- MRI contrast media
- Ultrasound contrast media
- Injector syringes and disposables
- Prefilled saline syringes
- Medical gloves
- Imaging accessories
- General medical and procedural supplies
For multi-location imaging groups and health systems, consolidating these products with a medical imaging supplier may also help simplify purchasing and supply management.
Important Safety Information
Lumason carries a boxed warning regarding serious cardiopulmonary reactions. Serious cardiopulmonary reactions, including fatalities, have occurred uncommonly during or following administration of ultrasound contrast agents, including sulfur hexafluoride lipid microspheres.
Healthcare professionals should review the current Lumason Full Prescribing Information, including indications, contraindications, boxed warning, precautions, dosing, administration instructions, and adverse reactions before use.
Lumason® is a registered trademark of Bracco Diagnostics Inc. Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. is not the manufacturer of Lumason. Product availability and pricing are subject to change. This article is intended for educational and healthcare purchasing information and is not medical advice.
Buy Lumason: Request Pricing and Availability
If your hospital, imaging center, cardiology practice, or healthcare facility currently uses Lumason or is developing a contrast-enhanced ultrasound program, Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. can assist with your purchasing needs. For over 42 years, our team has kept contrast media on the shelves of hospitals and imaging centers across the country, and we know that a late shipment can push back a full day of CEUS appointments. We will quote the injection kit, the 20-vial pack, or both, and confirm current availability before you commit to an order.
Our team works with healthcare facilities throughout the United States and can also review your existing imaging supply purchases to identify opportunities for competitive pricing and consolidated ordering. Many customers combine Lumason with their CT and MRI contrast, injector syringes, and saline so one partner handles the full imaging supply list.
Call Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. at (800) 859-6162 or request a Lumason quote online to get current pricing and availability for your facility.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lumason
What is Lumason used for?
Lumason is an ultrasound contrast agent with three FDA-approved uses in the United States. In adult and pediatric patients with suboptimal echocardiograms, it opacifies the left ventricular chamber and improves delineation of the left ventricular endocardial border. It is also indicated for characterizing focal liver lesions in adults and children. In pediatric patients, it is given intravesically to evaluate suspected or known vesicoureteral reflux.
Who makes Lumason, and what is its generic name?
Lumason is manufactured by Bracco Diagnostics Inc., which owns the Lumason® trademark. Its generic name is sulfur hexafluoride lipid-type A microspheres for injectable suspension. Outside the United States, the same agent is sold under the name SonoVue. Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. supplies Lumason to healthcare facilities but does not manufacture it.
Does Lumason contain iodine or gadolinium?
No. Lumason is neither an iodinated contrast agent nor a gadolinium-based contrast agent. It contains sulfur hexafluoride gas microspheres with a lipid shell, which places it in a separate category from CT and MRI contrast media. The right agent for any exam still depends on the clinical indication, the patient, and the judgment of the healthcare provider.
What is the boxed warning for Lumason?
Lumason carries a boxed warning for serious cardiopulmonary reactions, including fatalities, which have occurred uncommonly during or after administration of ultrasound contrast agents. Facilities should have resuscitation equipment and trained personnel available whenever Lumason is administered. Clinicians should review the full prescribing information, including contraindications and precautions, before use. This FAQ is general information and is not medical advice.
How can my facility buy Lumason?
Hospitals, imaging centers, cardiology practices, and other healthcare facilities can order Lumason through Spectrum Medical Imaging Co. Call (800) 859-6162 or use our contact sales form to request current pricing and availability. Our team can quote the 5-kit box or the 20-vial pack and help you match the configuration to your procedure volume. You can also add other contrast media and imaging supplies to the same order.
