Generation and measurement of acoustic streaming in limited space

The aim of this work was to use the streaming phenomena to assist clot dissolution in blood vessel. Such treatment is called sonothrombolysis. Acoustic streaming is a steady flow in a fluid driven by the acoustic wave propagating in a lossy medium. It is a non-linear effect and it depends on ultrasound intensity, and sound absorption in the media. The source of ultrasound was a flat piezoceramic disc generating long pulses at 1 MHz frequency and 0.2 W/cm2 ITA acoustical intensity. The streaming was generated in a vessel simulating free space, and next repeated in a multi-well cell culture plate, and in the limited space inside the 8 mm diameter silicone tube positioned perpendicular to the ultrasonic beam. The tube was filled with a mixture of water, glycerol, and starch, so with acoustic properties similar to blood. The streaming velocity was recorded either by the Siemens Acuson Antares ultrasonic scanner operating in the color Doppler mode at 8.9 MHz, or by the custom built 20 MHz pulsed Doppler flowmeter. The results obtained using both systems were very similar. The recorded streaming velocities were 3.2 cm/s, 6.1 cm/s and 0.3 cm/s, respectively. They were an order of magnitude smaller than that calculated theoretically. However, the results obtained confirm existence of streaming, even very close to the source, in the limited space. This effect will be explored in in-vitro experiments of blood clot dissolution within the tube simulating a blood vessel

Estimation and measurements of resonance scattering on the gas filled polymer microspheres

The gas filled polymer spheres are used either as an ultrasonic contrast agents or controlled drug delivery microcapsules. The power spectrum of the ultrasonic backscattered signal was calculated from the resonance scattering theory for the gas bubbles surrounded by elastic shield. The size distribution of the measured microspheres was included in the calculations. In experiment, the backscattered power spectrum of measured sample was recorded by Siemens Antares ultrasonic scanner. Radio frequency (RF) data was recorded for 2.5 - 6.7 MHz transmitted ultrasonic frequencies. The backscattered spectra were calculated by Matlab software and subtracted from the transmitter spectrum, recorded as an echo from the perfect reflector. The particle size in measured sample was 12 µm mean š 8 µm sd. The resonance frequency, measured under the microscope, was 0.60 MHz for 45 µm diameter microsphere which corresponds to 2.25 MHz for 12 µm sphere. The sample volume was 10cm? and the mean quantity of scatterers was 6ź103/cm?. In conclusion, measured spectra matched those calculated from theory. The use of ultrasonic scanner with RF data output and the high sensitivity, wide bandwidth ultrasonic transducer allows to measure backscattered signal from the very small quantity of resonance scatterers with satisfactory results at 40 dB signal to noise ratio

Acoustic streaming generated by ultrasonic transducers, measurements by means of 32 MHz Doppler

An approximate solution for the streaming velocity generated by flat and weakly focused transducers was derived by directly solving the Dirichlet boundary conditions for the Poisson equation. The theoretical calculations were verified using a purpose-designed 32 MHz pulsed Doppler unit. The applied average acoustic power was changed from l µW to 6 mW. The experiments were done on 4 mm diameter flat and focused transducers. The streaming velocity was measured along the ultrasonic beam from 0 to 20 mm. Streaming was induced in a solution of water and com starch. The experimental results showed that for a given acoustic power the streaming velocity was independent of the starch density in water changed from 0.3 grams to 40 grams of starch in 1 litre of distilled water. For applied acoustic powers, the streaming velocity changed Iinearly from 0.2 to 40 mm/s. Both, the theoretical solutions for pIane and focused waves, and the experimental results were in good agreement

Multitone nonlinear coding

A new method that utilizes nonlinear properties of tissue (or another media) to improve ultrasound image resolution is presented. In our novel method the acoustic source is activated with two tones burst (2.2 and 4.4 MHz) with specially designed polarization of the individual tone burst. This new approach is called multi tone nonlinear coding MNC because the choice of polarization of the both tones (and their amplitudes) allowing optimization of the receiving properties depends on the nonlinear properties of tissue. The calculations were done for two tones bursts propagating in the tissue-like lossy medium with absorption of 7 Np/mźMHz. The concept of the Virtual Fields was introduced to explain abilities and properties of pulse inversion and MNC method and to compare both. Comparison of the spatial field distribution obtained using MNC and conventional harmonic imaging approach, in which the first harmonic is used to reconstruct the image are presented

Golay's codes sequences in ultrasonography

The issue of maximizing penetration depth with concurrent retaining or enhancement of image resolution constitutes one of the time invariant challenges in ultrasound imaging. Concerns about potential and undesirable side effects set limits on the possibility of overcoming the frequency dependent attenuation effects by increasing peak acoustic amplitudes of the waves probing the tissue. To overcome this limitation a pulse compression technique employing 16 bits Complementary Golay Code (CGS) was implemented at 4 MHz. In comparison with other, earlier proposed, coded excitation schemes, such as chirp, pseudo-random chirp and Barker codes, the CGS allowed virtually side lobe free operation. Computer simulation results for CGS pulse compression are presented. Next three different methods and algorithms used to calculate the pairs of Golay sequences of the different length are described. Experimental results are presented in the form, which in clear way illustrates the resolution, signal penetration and contrast dynamics of ultrasonic images obtained by using Golay coded excitation

Thermal Effects Induced in Liver Tissues by Pulsed Focused Ultrasonic Beams from Annular Array Transducer

Many therapeutic applications of pulsed focused ultrasound are based on heating of detected lesions which may be localized in tissues at different depths under the skin. In order to concentrate the acoustic energy inside tissues at desired depths a new approach using a planar multi-element annular array transducer with an electronically adjusted time-delay of excitation of its elements, was proposed. The 7-elements annular array transducer with 2.4 MHz center operating frequency and 20 mm outer diameter was produced. All its elements (central disc and 6 rings) had the same radiating area. The main purpose of this study was to investigate thermal fields induced in bovine liver in vitro by pulsed focused ultrasonic beams with various acoustic properties and electronically steered focal plane generated from the annular array transducer used. The measurements were performed for the radiating beams with the 20 mm focal depth. In order to maximize nonlinear effects introducing the important local temperature rise, the measurements have been performed in two-layer media comprising of a water layer, whose thickness was specific for the transducer used and equal to 13 mm, and the second layer of a bovine liver with a thickness of 20 mm. The thickness of the water layer was determined numerically as the axial distance where the amplitude of the second harmonics started to increase rapidly. The measurements of the temperature rise versus time were performed using a thermocouple placed inside the liver at the focus of the beam. The temperature rise induced in the bovine liver in vitro by beams with the average acoustic power of 1W, 2Wand 3Wand duty cycle of 1/5, 1/15 and 1/30, respectively, have been measured. For each beam used the exposure time needed for the local tissue heating to the temperature of 43.C (used in therapies based on ultrasonic enhancement of drug delivery or in therapies involving stimulation of immune system by enhancement of the heat shock proteins expression) and to the temperature of 56.C (used in HIFU therapies) was determined. Two sets of measurements were done for each beam considered. First, the thermocouple measurement of the temperature rise was done and next, the real-time monitoring of dynamics of growth of the necrosis area by using ultrasonic imaging technique, while the sample was exposed to the same acoustic beam. It was found that the necrosis area becomes visible in the ultrasonic image only for beams with the average acoustic power of 3 W, although after cutting the sample the thermo ablated area was visible with the naked eye even for the beams with lower acoustic power. The quantitative analysis of the obtained results allowed to determine the exposure time needed to get the necrosis area visible in the ultrasonic image

Application of ultrasound to noninvasive imaging of temperature distribution induced in tissue

Therapeutic and surgical applications of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) require monitoring of local temperature rises induced inside tissues. It is needed to appropriately target the focal plane, and hence the whole focal volume inside the tumor tissue, prior to thermo-ablative treatment, and the beginning of tissue necrosis. In this study we present an ultrasound method, which calculates the variations of the speed of sound in the locally heated tissue. Changes in velocity correspond to temperature change. The method calculates a 2D distribution of changes in the sound velocity, by estimation of the local phase shifts of RF echo-signals backscattered from the heated tissue volume (the focal volume of the HIFU beam), and received by an ultrasound scanner (23). The technique enabled temperature imaging of the heated tissue volume from the very inception of heating. The results indicated that the contrast sensitivity for imaging of relative changes in the sound speed was on the order of 0.06%; corresponding to an increase in the tissue temperature by about 2 °C

Noninvasive Imaging of Thermal Fields Induced in Soft Tissues In Vitro by Pulsed Focused Ultrasound Using Analysis of Echoes Displacement

Therapeutic and surgical applications of focused ultrasound require monitoring of local temperature rises induced inside tissues. From an economic and practical point of view ultrasonic imaging techniques seem to be the most suitable for the temperature control. This paper presents an implementation of the ultrasonic echoes displacement estimation technique for monitoring of local temperature rise in tissue during its heating by focused ultrasound The results of the estimation were compared to the temperature measured with thermocouple. The obtained results enable to evaluate the temperature fields induced in tissues by pulsed focused ultrasonic beams using non-invasive imaging ultrasound technique

The influence of the transducer bandwidth and double pulse transmission on the encoded imaging ultrasound

An influence effect of fractional bandwidth of ultrasound imaging transducer on the gain of compressed echo signal being the complementary Golay sequences (CGS) with different spectral widths is studied in this paper. Also, a new composing transmission method of CGS is discussed together with compression technique applied in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and penetration. The CGS with two different bit lengths, one-cycle and two-cycles are investigated. Two transducers with fractional bandwidth of 25% and 80% at centre frequency 6 MHz are used. The experimental results are presented, clearly proofing that increasing of the code length leads to compressed echo amplitude enhancement. The smaller the bandwidth is the larger is this effect; the pulse-echo sensitivity of the echo amplitude increases by 1.88 for 25% fractional bandwidth and 1.47 for 80% while preserving time resolution. The presented results of double transmission of short codes show the penetration and SNR improvement while maintaining dead zone

Rat cancer cells necrosis induced by ultrasound

Sonodynamic therapy is the ultrasound dependent enhancement of the cytotoxic activities of certain drugs called sonosensitizers. The study of therapeutic efficacy of ultrasound is always preceded by in-vitro tests. In this work, two in-vitro sonication procedures were compared. One with the transducer positioned bellow the cell colony, radiating upward, with standing wave reflected from the water-air surface, the second, in the free field conditions. Efficiency of the cancer cells necrosis caused by ultrasound was compared with acoustical field intensity ISPTA measured by a hydrophone. The standing wave conditions effectively increased the intensity of the ultrasonic wave at the level of cells. To achieve 50% of cell viability, the intensity ISATA, decreased from 5.8 W/cm2 to 0.3 W/cm2. In summary, sonication in the standing wave conditions can effectively and reproducibly destroy cells by ensuring the sterility and without the risk of overheating