Ultrasonic excitation of a bubble inside a deformable tube: implications for ultrasonically induced hemorrhage

Various independent investigations indicate that the presence of microbubbles within blood vessels may increase the likelihood of ultrasound-induced hemorrhage. To explore potential damage mechanisms, an axisymmetric coupled finite element and boundary element code was developed and employed to simulate the response of an acoustically excited bubble centered within a deformable tube. As expected, the tube mitigates the expansion of the bubble. The maximum tube dilation and maximum hoop stress were found to occur well before the bubble reached its maximum radius. Therefore, it is not likely that the expanding low pressure bubble pushes the tube wall outward. Instead, simulation results indicate that the tensile portion of the acoustic excitation plays a major role in tube dilation and thus tube rupture. The effects of tube dimensions (tube wall thickness 1-5 microm), material properties (Young's modulus 1-10 MPa), ultrasound frequency (1-10 MHz), and pressure amplitude (0.2-1.0 MPa) on bubble response and tube dilation were investigated. As the tube thickness, tube radius, and acoustic frequency decreased, the maximum hoop stress increased, indicating a higher potential for tube rupture and hemorrhage.