Interaction of microbubbles with high intensity pulsed ultrasound

Abstract

High intensity pulsed ultrasound, interacting with microbubble contrast agents, is potentially useful for drug delivery, cancer treatment, and tissue ablation, among other applications. To establish the fundamental understanding on the interaction of a microbubble (in an infinite volume of water) with an ultrasound pressure field, a numerical study is performed using the boundary element method. The response of the bubble, in terms of its shape at different times, the maximum bubble radius obtained, the oscillation time, the jet velocity, and its translational movement, is studied. The effect of ultrasound intensity and initial bubble size is examined as well. One important outcome is the determination of the conditions under which a clear jet will be formed in a microbubble in its interaction with a specific sound wave. The high speed jet is crucial for the aforementioned intended applications. © 2008 Acoustical Society of America.