Abstract
High-speed photomicrography was used to study the translational dynamics of single microbubbles in microvessels of ex vivo rat mesenteries. The microbubbles were insonated by a single 2 μs ultrasound pulse with a center frequency of 1 MHz and peak negative pressures spanning the range of 0.8-4 MPa. The microvessel diameters ranged from 10-80 μm. The high-speed image sequences show evidence of ultrasound-activated microbubble translation away from the nearest vessel wall; no microbubble showed a net translation toward the nearest vessel wall. Microbubble maximum translation displacements exceeded 20 μm. Microjets with the direction of the jets identifiable were also observed; all microjets appear to have been directed away from the nearest vessel wall. These observations appear to be characteristic of a strong coupling between ultrasound-driven microbubbles and compliant microvessels. Although limited to mesenteric tissues, these observations provide an important step in understanding the physical interactions between microbubbles and microvessels.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 2139-2148 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2011 |
Keywords
- Acoustic cavitation
- High speed photomicrography
- Inertial cavitation
- Mechanical bioeffects
- Mesentery blood vessels
- Microbubble dynamics
- Microbubble translation
- Microbubbles
- Microjets
- Microvessels
- Ultrasound
- Ultrasound contrast agent