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Related Experiment Videos

Dynamics and fragmentation of thick-shelled microbubbles.

Donovan J May1, John S Allen, Katherine W Ferrara

  • 1University of California, Davis, Biomedical Engineering Department, 95616, USA.

IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control
|October 31, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Ultrasound can break apart specialized microbubbles for targeted chemotherapy delivery. These acoustically active lipospheres (AALs) offer larger payloads than nanoscale systems and fragment predictably based on size.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Acoustic Drug Delivery

Background:

  • Systemic toxicity of chemotherapy drugs necessitates localized delivery methods.
  • Microbubble-based drug carriers offer potential for targeted therapeutic delivery.
  • Acoustically Active Lipospheres (AALs) are microbubbles with lipid coatings, oil layers, and gas cores.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ultrasound-induced fragmentation of triacetin-based drug delivery vehicles.
  • To characterize the acoustic behavior and destruction mechanisms of AALs.
  • To compare the acoustic response of AALs with lipid-shelled contrast agents.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized ultrasound to induce fragmentation of AALs.
  • Analyzed the expansion, subharmonic emissions, and pulse length requirements for AAL destruction.

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  • Observed fragmentation mechanisms based on initial microbubble radius relative to resonance size.

    • Main Results:

    • Triacetin-based drug delivery vehicles fragment under ultrasound.
    • AALs exhibit similar initial expansion to contrast agents but require longer pulse lengths (≥5 cycles) for destruction.
    • Fragmentation mechanisms vary with initial radius: symmetric collapse for smaller bubbles, asymmetric oscillations, and pinch-off for larger bubbles.

    Conclusions:

    • Ultrasound provides a viable method for controlled fragmentation of AALs for drug delivery.
    • The size-dependent destruction mechanisms offer potential for tunable payload release.
    • AALs demonstrate promise as drug delivery agents with distinct acoustic properties compared to contrast agents.