Ultrasound phacoemulsification: Physical mechanisms, cavitation, and thermal effects

To perform a comprehensive technical and biomedical analysis of ultrasound-induced effects during phacoemulsification cataract surgery (PCS) and assess the potential risks associated with ultrasound emulsification.

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Horw, Switzerland.

Computational modeling and laboratory bench testing.

Ultrasound wave propagation and intensity were simulated using the finite element method (FEM). The onset of cavitation was experimentally validated in a pressure chamber and observed using a high-speed camera. The thermal effects of ultrasound energy were estimated using established physical and thermal models and confirmed in a cuvette setup using thermistor probes.

At the distal end of the PCS tip, the ultrasound wave intensity reached 0.2 W/mm2, resulting in ocular tissue displacements in the anterior chamber below 2 µm. The temperature rise in the anterior chamber was less than 0.2 °C/s. Both observations indicate negligible mechanical and thermal risks to ocular tissues. High-speed imaging confirmed that cavitation was confined to the PCS tip region. The efficiency of emulsification was maintained even under conditions that suppressed cavitation, including elevated ambient pressures and cavitation-inhibiting fluids. The results indicate that mechanical fragmentation by tip oscillation ("jackhammer effect") is the only relevant emulsification mechanism, whereas cavitation plays a negligible role. Acoustic streaming was observed during the ultrasound excitation without a phaco sleeve. During phacoemulsification, the sleeve suppresses acoustic streaming into the anterior chamber.

These findings validate the safety of ultrasound-based PCS and confirm that lens fragmentation is primarily driven by the direct action of the oscillating tip.