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Rigid Hollow Microparticles for Enhanced Focused Ultrasound Treatment Under Optoacoustic Guidance
Nima Mahkam1,2,3, Yi Chen1,3, Héctor Estrada1,3
1Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|December 23, 2025
Summary
Rigid hollow microparticles enhance focused ultrasound (FUS) therapies by providing stable, responsive acoustic agents for precise thermal treatments. These microparticles improve safety and efficacy over traditional microbubbles in deep tissue ablation.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Acoustic Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Focused ultrasound (FUS) treatments offer therapeutic potential but require effective acoustic agents.
- Current agents like microbubbles have limitations including instability and cavitation risks.
- Enhanced acoustic agents are needed to improve FUS efficacy and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate rigid hollow microparticles as advanced acoustic agents for FUS thermal therapies.
- To compare the performance of these microparticles against traditional microbubbles.
- To investigate the mechanisms underlying their enhanced therapeutic effects.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication and characterization of rigid hollow microparticles.
- In vitro and in vivo assessment of acoustic responsiveness and thermal effects under FUS.
- Optoacoustic imaging and histological analysis for evaluating tissue ablation.
- Numerical simulations to understand acoustic interactions and heating mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Hollow microparticles demonstrated superior mechanical stability and prolonged circulation compared to microbubbles.
- FUS treatments with microparticles achieved a threefold increase in tissue ablation volume.
- Non-cavitational heating mechanisms led to predictable, dose-dependent thermal responses.
- Enhanced efficacy attributed to acoustic scattering and particle interactions.
Conclusions:
- Rigid hollow microparticles represent a stable and versatile class of acoustic agents for FUS.
- These microparticles significantly improve the precision, safety, and efficacy of FUS thermal therapies.
- They offer a promising alternative to microbubbles, advancing the clinical utility of FUS treatments.
