Antibubbles in an ultrasound field
Résumé
Antibubbles are gas bubbles with liquid cores. Antibubbles have specific acoustic properties that allow for clinical imaging of blood flow and localised drug delivery. The goal of this research was to investigate these acoustic properties. Pre-recorded footage of bubbly media under the influence of ultrasound was analysed. Two media containing antibubbles and one containing bubbles were evaluated. Image segmentation and processing was used to analyse the footage and quantify the changes in individual (anti)bubble size throughout sonication. It was found that at low acoustic amplitudes micron-sized antibubbles are more stable and predictable than their bubble counterparts. It was also found that only a single pulse of ultrasound at a higher, but still clinically safe, amplitude was enough to cause an antibubble to rupture. This indicates that at lower acoustic amplitudes antibubbles can be carefully controlled and used in diagnostics, and at higher acoustic amplitudes they can be made to rupture and release their — therapeutic — contents.
Domaines
Acoustique [physics.class-ph]
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)