Laser induced spherical bubble dynamics in partially confined geometry with acoustic feedback from container walls

Micro-jet formation induced by the interaction of a spherical and toroidal cavitation bubble

We investigate experimentally and numerically the interaction between a spherical cavitation bubble and a wall-bounded toroidal cavitation bubble. We demonstrate that shock wave focusing following toroidal bubble initiation induces the formation of micro-jets that pierce the spherical bubble in the torus-axis direction away from the surface, strongest in the anti-phase scenario. The velocity of micro-jets is determined by the initial standoff distance of the spherical bubble from the wall and thus from the toroidal bubble, with peak jet velocities approaching 1000m/s. The micro-jets are triggered by the complex interaction between the torus shock wave and the surface of the spherical bubble. Additionally, the formation of secondary cavitation appears to significantly enhance the micro-jets compared to scenarios without secondary cavitation. Following the formation of micro-jets, a subsequent broad jet pierces the spherical bubble, marking the onset of its collapse. After the collapse, we observe an amplified rebound phase resulting in a more than twofold increase of the bubble volume compared to the initial bubble.

Vapor Channel Oscillations in Laser Lithotripsy

OBJECTIVES

Laser-based endoscopic procedures present special challenges to deliver energy for ablation or coagulation of target tissues. When optical fiber-target quasi-contact (< 0.5 mm distance) cannot be maintained or is undesirable, the creation of intervening vapor bubbles and channels provide for the necessary transmission of laser energy to the target. This work investigates the characteristics and the dynamics of vapor channels that directly affect ablation efficiency and ablation rate and are known to effect stone movement, all of which impact procedure efficiency and safety.

METHODS

A simplified, experimental model for thulium fiber laser (1940 nm) lithotripsy consists of a water-filled cuvette and a vertically oriented laser fiber (200 μm core diameter) with its tip at 9 mm for "quasi-free" bubble generation and at vapor channel working distances 1-5 mm from and centered on the transparent cuvette bottom simulating a target's surface. Laser power transmission is recorded and synchronized with video frames from a high-speed camera (24,260 frames per second) to capture the induced vapor channels' and bubbles' development.

RESULTS

Laser-induced channel transmission from 0% to 100% for 1, 2, and 3 mm fiber-target distances undergoes oscillations with average periods of 0.32, 0.64, and 1.0 ms, respectively, for 500 W laser output power. For fixed fiber-target distances of 0.5, 1, and 2 mm, the variation of these average oscillation frequencies across laser powers from 500 to 1000 W is much smaller, not exceeding 14%. For fiber-target distances in the range of 1-5 mm, the fraction of the 500 W laser's total pulse energy delivered to the target for 1, 2, and 3 ms pulses linearly decreases from 0.78 to less than 0.2. The channel and bubble dynamics begin with a spherical seed bubble expansion centered on the distal fiber tip that evolves into a pear shape whose surface exhibits periodic irregularities attributable to laser beam interruption by water droplets within the developing bubble.

CONCLUSIONS

The study of laser-induced channel oscillations provides quantitative information relating fiber-target distance to channel oscillation frequency and energy transmission onto a target. These oscillations directly effect ablation efficiency and ablation rates that are important parameters for the optimization of a procedure's safety and duration. Insights that may lead to further reduction in retropulsion are also presented. Lasers Surg. Med. 00:00-00, 2024. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Secondary cavitation bubble dynamics during laser-induced bubble formation in a small container

We investigated secondary cavitation bubble dynamics during laser-induced bubble formation in a small container with a partially confined free surface and elastic thin walls. We employed high-speed photography to record the dynamics of sub-mm-sized laser-induced bubbles and small secondary bubble clouds. Simultaneous light scattering and acoustic measurements were used to detect the oscillation times of laser-induced bubbles. We observed that the appearance of secondary bubbles coincides with a prolonged collapse phase and with re-oscillations of the laser-induced bubble. We observed an asymmetric distribution of secondary bubbles with a preference for the upstream side of the focus, an absence of secondary bubbles in the immediate vicinity of the laser focus, and a migration of laser-induced bubble toward secondary bubbles at large pulse energies. We found that secondary bubbles are created through heating of impurities to form initial nanobubble nuclei, which are further expanded by rarefaction waves. The rarefaction waves originate from the vibration of the elastic thin walls, which are excited either directly by laser-induced bubble or by bubble-excited liquid-mass oscillations. The oscillation period of thin walls and liquid-mass were Twall = 116 µs and Tlm ≈ 160 µs, respectively. While the amplitude of the wall vibrations increases monotonically with the size of laser-induced bubbles, the amplitude of liquid-mass oscillation undulates with increasing bubble size. This can be attributed to a phase shift between the laser-induced bubble oscillation and the liquid-mass oscillator. Mutual interactions between the laser-induced bubble and secondary bubbles reveal a fast-changing pressure gradient in the liquid. Our study provides a better understanding of laser-induced bubble dynamics in a partially confined environment, which is of practical importance for microfluidics and intraluminal laser surgery.