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Ultrasonic propagation in mammalian cell suspensions based on a shell model
1Physics Department, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Physics in Medicine and Biology
|September 1, 1989
Summary
This study models ultrasonic wave interactions with cells, finding thermal effects significantly impact attenuation, especially at lower frequencies. Cell membranes play a minor role in ultrasound attenuation across most frequencies.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Biophysics
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Understanding ultrasound interaction with biological cells is crucial for applications in medicine and research.
- Existing models often simplify cell structures or neglect thermal effects, limiting their predictive accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a computational model for ultrasound interaction with individual cells, considering thermal effects and cell membrane properties.
- To investigate the relative contributions of different physical phenomena (membrane, absorption, scattering, thermal effects) to ultrasonic attenuation in cell suspensions.
Main Methods:
- A computational model representing cells as viscous liquid spheres with viscoelastic membranes in a viscous fluid was developed.
- The model incorporated thermal wave propagation and required 22 input parameters, with specific procedures for parameter value selection discussed.
- Model predictions were compared against experimental measurements of ultrasonic attenuation in animal cell suspensions.
Main Results:
- The computational model demonstrated good agreement with experimental ultrasonic attenuation data, despite parameter uncertainties.
- The cell membrane's contribution to attenuation was found to be significant only between 0.5 and 30 MHz, accounting for less than 15%.
- Thermal effects were crucial, particularly below 1 MHz, and contributed substantially (approx. 65%) to attenuation at 100 MHz.
Conclusions:
- The developed model provides a valuable tool for studying ultrasound-cell interactions, highlighting the importance of including absorption and thermal effects.
- The cell membrane's role in ultrasound attenuation is frequency-dependent and less significant than thermal effects at higher frequencies.
- Accurate modeling of ultrasound attenuation in biological tissues requires careful consideration of thermal wave propagation and absorption mechanisms.