Foam Fortification: Effect of Perfluorocarbon Gases on the Stability of Sclerosing Agent Foams

To evaluate the impact of incorporating perfluorocarbons (PFCs), specifically octafluoropropane (C₃F₈) and perfluorobutane (C₄F₁₀), on the stability of sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS)-based foams.

Tessari method was employed to generate foams. C₃F₈ and C₄F₁₀ were compared with room air due to their known characteristic as gas vesicle stabilizers. Each trial set encompassed ratios of 4, 3, 2, 1.5:1 mL of gas-to-STS. Foam decay (1 - percent foam remaining in syringe) was monitored using a 4K camera over 1 hour, followed by hourly snapshots for 3 hours. All trials were repeated in triplicate. Statistical analysis was carried out via 1-way analysis of variance and, where appropriate, Student t-test.

PFC-stabilized foams exhibited greater stability than room air-stabilized foams, with C₄F₁₀ demonstrating the highest stability. Room air-stabilized foams fully decayed within 30 minutes, whereas PFCs maintained over 70% foam volume for up to 45 minutes. Notably, a significant decrease in foam stability was observed in the 4:1 PFC:STS of C₃F₈ between 60 and 180 minutes, a decline that was not observed in C₄F₁₀ foams (P < .001). Although decreasing the room air:STS ratio diminished foam stability for room air, it enhanced stability in PFC-stabilized foams. Specifically, the 4:1 PFC:STS ratio sustained approximately 15% more foam than the 1.5:1 gas:STS ratio over 180 minutes, aside from the substantial decrease in C₃F₈ foams. These findings suggest that PFCs improve the stability of sclerosing foams.

C₃F₈ and C₄F₁₀ showed greater stability with STS compared with room air, and C₄F₁₀ exhibited better stability over time than C₃F₈.