Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
Multi-timescale Microscopy Methods for the Characterization of Fluorescently-labeled Microbubbles for Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Release
Published on: June 12, 2021
Computational optical streak microscopy of megahertz acoustic microbubble dynamics
Miguel Marquez1, Yingming Lai1, Miao Liu1
1Laboratory of Applied Computational Imaging, Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, 1650 Boulevard Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X1P7 Canada.
We developed compressed optical-streaking dark-field ultrahigh-speed microscopy (COSDUM) for real-time imaging of microbubble dynamics. This advanced technique reveals microbubble-cell interactions in blood, enhancing ultrasound therapy understanding.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Optical Microscopy
- Ultrasound Therapy
Background:
- Real-time microbubble imaging is vital for ultrasound therapy and understanding microscale biophysics.
- Existing optical imaging methods have limitations in speed, resolution, cost, and complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel, compact imaging platform, COSDUM, for high-speed microbubble dynamics.
- To overcome limitations of current time-resolved optical imaging techniques.
Main Methods:
- COSDUM combines compressed sensing, streak imaging, dark-field microscopy, and deep learning.
- Megahertz acoustic microbubble dynamics are captured over a wide field of view.
- A convolutional neural network reconstructs spatially resolved dynamics.
Main Results:
- COSDUM imaged microbubble dynamics including cavitation, nonlinear oscillations, and inertial collapse (0.5–2.1 μm radii).
- Observed microbubble-cell interactions in whole blood, including microbubble-driven platelet dynamics.
- Documented asymmetric microbubble deformation around red blood cells.
Conclusions:
- COSDUM offers a powerful tool for high-speed, high-resolution microbubble imaging.
- The platform provides new insights into microbubble-cell interactions relevant to ultrasound therapy.
- This technique advances the study of acoustic cavitation and its biological effects.
