Nonlinear behaviors of contrast agents relevant to diagnostic and therapeutic applications

Interaction between cavitation microbubble and cell: A simulation of sonoporation using boundary element method (BEM)

Sonoporation has been widely accepted as a significant tool for gene delivery as well as some bio-effects like hemolysis, bringing in high demands of looking into its underlying mechanism. A two-dimensional (2D) boundary element method (BEM) model was developed to investigate microbubble-cell interaction, especially the morphological and mechanical characteristics around the close-to-bubble point (CP) on cell membrane. Based on time evolution analysis of sonoporation, detailed information was extracted from the model for analysis, including volume expansion ratio of the bubble, areal expansion ratio of the cell, jet velocity and CP displacement. Parametric studies were carried out, revealing the influence of different ultrasound parameters (i.e., driving frequency and acoustic pressure) and geometrical configurations (i.e., bubble-cell distance and initial bubble radius). This model could become a powerful tool not only for understanding bubble-cell interactions, but also for optimizing the strategy of sonoporation, such that it could be safer and of higher efficiency for biological and medical studies especially in clinics.

Effects of coupling, bubble size, and spatial arrangement on chaotic dynamics of microbubble cluster in ultrasonic fields

Microbubble clustering may occur when bubbles become bound to targeted surfaces or are grouped by acoustic radiation forces in medical diagnostic applications. The ability to identify the formation of such clusters from the ultrasound echoes may be of practical use. Nonlinear numerical simulations were performed on clusters of microbubbles modeled by the modified Keller-Miksis equations. Encapsulated bubbles were considered to mimic practical applications but the aim of the study was to examine the effects of inter-bubble spacing and bubble size on the dynamical behavior of the cluster and to see if chaotic or bifurcation characteristics could be helpful in diagnostics. It was found that as microbubbles were clustered closer together, their oscillation amplitude for a given applied ultrasound power was reduced, and for inter-bubble spacing smaller than about ten bubble radii nonlinear subharmonics and ultraharmonics were eliminated. For clustered microbubbles, as for isolated microbubbles, an increase in the applied acoustic power caused bifurcations and transition to chaos. The bifurcations preceding chaotic behavior were identified by Floquet analysis and confirmed to be of the period-doubling type. It was found that as the number of microbubbles in a cluster increased, regularization occurred at lower ultrasound power and more windows of order appeared.

Nonlinear response to ultrasound of encapsulated microbubbles

The acoustic backscatter of encapsulated gas-filled microbubbles immersed in a weak compressible liquid and irradiated by ultrasound fields of moderate to high pressure amplitudes is investigated theoretically. The problem is formulated by considering, for the viscoelastic shell of finite thickness, an isotropic hyperelastic neo-Hookean model for the elastic contribution in addition to a Newtonian viscous component. First and second harmonic scattering cross-sections have been evaluated and the quantitative influence of the driving pressure amplitude on the harmonic resonance frequencies for different initial equilibrium bubble sizes and for different encapsulating physical properties has been determined. Conditions for optimal second harmonic imaging have been also investigated and some regions in the parameters space where the second harmonic intensity is dominant over the fundamental have been identified. Results have been obtained for albumin, lipid and polymer encapsulating shells, respectively.

Acoustic microstreaming around an isolated encapsulated microbubble

An analytical theory has been developed to calculate microstreaming velocity inside and outside an encapsulated microbubble (EMB) in a viscous liquid produced by its oscillations driven by an ultrasound field, taking account of two predominant modes of the EMB's motion: a monopole (pulsation) and a dipole (translational harmonic vibrations). Analytical expressions of radial as well as tangential stresses are derived near the shell of the EMB. Numerical calculations in parameter regimes applicable to sonoporation are presented. For the calculation the following parameters unless specified otherwise are used: f=1 MHz, r(0)=2 microm, kappa=1.4, rho(L)=1000 kg/m(3), rho(s)=1100 kg/m(3), P(0)=100 kPa, micro(s)=0.05 Pa s, micro(L)=0.001 Pa s, sigma(1)=0.04 N/m, sigma(2)=0.005 N/m, and G(s)=15 MPa. The calculated results show that the streaming velocity and stresses near an EMB are functions of the mechanical properties of shell and gas. Overall, the streaming velocity and stresses for an EMB are found to be greater than those for a similar size free bubble under the same ultrasound excitation. This finding is consistent with the existing theory of acoustic streaming of an oscillating bubble near a boundary given by Nyborg (1958) [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 30, 329-339].

Ultrasound, cavitation bubbles and their interaction with cells

This article reviews the basic physics of ultrasound generation, acoustic field, and both inertial and non-inertial acoustic cavitation in the context of localized gene and drug delivery as well as non-linear oscillation of an encapsulated microbubble and its associated microstreaming and radiation force generated by ultrasound. The ultrasound thermal and mechanical bioeffects and relevant safety issues for in vivo applications are also discussed.

Experimental investigations of nonlinearities and destruction mechanisms of an experimental phospholipid-based ultrasound contrast agent

OBJECTIVES

We sought to characterize the acoustical behavior of the experimental ultrasound contrast agent BR14 by determining the acoustic pressure threshold above which nonlinear oscillation becomes significant and investigating microbubble destruction mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used a custom-designed in vitro setup to conduct broadband attenuation measurements at 3.5 MHz varying acoustic pressure (range, 50-190 kPa). We also performed granulometric analyses on contrast agent solutions to accurately measure microbubble size distribution and to evaluate insonification effects.

RESULTS

Attenuation did not depend on acoustic pressure less than 100 kPa, indicating this pressure as the threshold for the appearance of microbubble nonlinear behavior. At the lowest excitation amplitude, attenuation increased during insonification, while, at higher excitation levels, the attenuation decreased over time, indicating microbubble destruction. The destruction rate changed with pressure amplitude suggesting different destruction mechanisms, as it was confirmed by granulometric analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Microbubbles showed a linear behavior until 100 kPa, whereas beyond this value significant nonlinearities occurred. Observed destruction phenomena seem to be mainly due to gas diffusion and bubble fragmentation mechanisms.

Targeted Therapeutic Applications of Acoustically Active Microspheres in the Microcirculation

The targeted delivery of intravascular drugs and genes across the endothelial barrier with only minimal side effects remains a significant obstacle in establishing effective therapies for many pathological conditions. Recent investigations have shown that contrast agent microbubbles, which are typically used for image enhancement in diagnostic ultrasound, may also be promising tools in emergent, ultrasound-based therapies. Explorations of the bioeffects generated by ultrasound-microbubble interactions indicate that these phenomena may be exploited for clinical utility such as in the targeted revascularization of flow-deficient tissues. Moreover, development of this treatment modality may also include using ultrasound-microbubble interactions to deliver therapeutic material to tissues, and reporter genes and therapeutic agents have been successfully transferred from the microcirculation to tissue in various animal models of normal and pathological function. This article reviews the recent studies aimed at using interactions between ultrasound and contrast agent microbubbles in the microcirculation for therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, the authors present investigations involving microspheres that are of a different design compared to current microbubble contrast agents, yet are acoustically active and demonstrate potential as tools for targeted delivery. Future directions necessary to address current challenges and advance these techniques to clinical practicality are also discussed.

Effect of shell type on the in vivo backscatter from polymer-encapsulated microbubbles

This study compared in vivo enhancement from four different polymer-encapsulated ultrasound (US) contrast agents. The agents were produced with a rigid shell composed of the biodegradable block copolymer poly[D,L-lactide-co-glycolide] (PLGA) with the lactic and glycolic acid ratios 50:50, 75:25, 85:15 and 100:0 (i.e., increasingly hydrophobic shell compositions). Approximately the same bubble diameter (1.2 microm) and concentration (0.4 g/mL) were obtained for each agent. In four rabbits, audio Doppler signals were acquired from a 10 MHz cuff transducer placed around a surgically exposed vessel (contrast dose: 0.0125 to 0.15 mL/kg). In vivo dose responses were calculated off-line (in dB). Nine rabbit kidneys were imaged during contrast administration (0.1 mL/kg) in power Doppler and grey-scale pulse inversion harmonic (PIHI) modes using an HDI 5000 scanner (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA). Time-intensity curves were produced and the time-to-peak, peak intensity, slope, area under the curve (AUC) and total duration of enhancement for each agent were compared. All agents produced marked Doppler enhancement with increasing duration from the 50:50 agent (48 +/- 10 s) to the 75:25 agent (166 +/- 46 s), the 85:15 agent (403 +/- 83 s) and with the 100:0 agent (603 +/- 93 s) lasting longest (p < 0.02). No other parameters changed significantly, except the AUC of the 85:15 agent, which was greater than that of the 50:50 agent (190.75 vs. 61.58; p = 0.02). The in vivo dose-response curves were similar for all agents, with mean enhancement up to 20.6 +/- 1.11 dB (p = 0.17). In conclusion, contrast duration increases by an order of magnitude as the lactic acid component in the polymer-encapsulated bubbles increases and the shell, thus, becomes increasingly hydrophobic.