Light propagation in a turbid medium with insonified microbubbles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Acoustics
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Microbubbles are essential ultrasound contrast agents.
• Their interaction with light in turbid media is not fully understood.
• Understanding light propagation is key for multimodal imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate light propagation through turbid media with microbubbles.
• Quantify the effect of ultrasound on microbubble optical properties.
• Develop a model to simulate microbubble-enhanced optical attenuation.

Main Methods:

• Experimental measurements of optical attenuation in microbubble suspensions.
• Development of a Monte Carlo (MC) model incorporating microbubble dynamics.
• Modeling microbubble size changes using the Rayleigh-Plesset equation.
• Calculating optical scattering with Mie theory.

Main Results:

• Ultrasound insonification increases optical attenuation in microbubble suspensions.
• Enhanced attenuation is dependent on ultrasound pressure and microbubble concentration.
• The MC model accurately predicts microbubble-enhanced optical attenuation.
• Model results validated against diffusion equation models and experimental data.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound significantly alters light propagation in microbubble-laden turbid media.
• Microbubble-enhanced optical attenuation offers potential for advanced imaging techniques.
• The developed MC model provides a robust tool for simulating these complex interactions.