Optical and acoustical observations of the effects of ultrasound on contrast agents

Optimal use of encapsulated microbubbles for ultrasound contrast agents and drug delivery requires an understanding of the complex set of phenomena that affect the contrast agent echo and persistence. With the use of a video microscopy system coupled to either an ultrasound flow phantom or a chamber for insonifying stationary bubbles, we show that ultrasound has significant effects on encapsulated microbubbles. In vitro studies show that a train of ultrasound pulses can alter the structure of an albumin-shelled bubble, initiate various mechanisms of bubble destruction or produce aggregation that changes the echo spectrum. In this analysis, changes observed optically are compared with those observed acoustically for both albumin and lipid-shelled agents. We show that, when insonified with a narrowband pulse at an acoustic pressure of several hundred kPa, a phospholipid-shelled bubble can undergo net radius fluctuations of at least 15%; and an albumin-shelled bubble initially demonstrates constrained expansion and contraction. If the albumin shell contains air, the shell may not initially experience surface tension; therefore, the echo changes more significantly with repeated pulsing. A set of observations of contrast agent destruction is presented, which includes the slow diffusion of gas through the shell and formation of a shell defect followed by rapid diffusion of gas into the surrounding liquid. These observations demonstrate that the low-solubility gas used in these agents can persist for several hundred milliseconds in solution. With the transmission of a high-pulse repetition rate and a low pressure, the echoes from, contrast agents can be affected by secondary radiation force. Secondary radiation force is an attractive force for these experimental conditions, creating aggregates with distinct echo characteristics and extended persistence. The scattered echo from an aggregate is several times stronger and more narrowband than echoes from individual bubbles.     

Optical and acoustical interrogation of submicron contrast agents

Unlike conventional ultrasound contrast agents with a diameter of several microns, in this paper we explore the use of submicron contrast agents for the detection and localization of lymph nodes. The submicron agents are gas-filled, double-walled microspheres that rupture when exposed to ultrasound energy at megahertz frequencies. In this study, three experimental systems are combined with model predictions to assist in understanding the response of these unique agents to a range of signal transmission parameters. Optical experimental results for each agent delineate the relative expansion as a function of acoustical peak negative pressure, pulse length, and center frequency. The optical images demonstrate an order of magnitude expansion in radius during the pulse rarefaction, in which the expansion magnitude is dependent on the transmitted pressure and frequency. Simulations using a modified Rayleigh-Plesset model predict an increasing relative expansion for the microbubbles (initial bubble radius ranging from 0.3-1.3 /spl mu/m) with increasing pressure and decreasing initial radius. Acoustically recorded frequency spectra reveal the presence of harmonics for a range of transmitted pulses. In addition, in-vivo results from a normal canine model demonstrate marked contrast enhancement of first order lymph nodes. We hope to offer an alternative to present intra-operative procedures for sentinel node detection.     

Water modelling of effects of pouring basin and sprue geometry on entrance of air bubbles into mould

Abstract

It has been shown that passing of air through molten metal can have a great contribution to the formation of oxide defects in casting of aluminium alloys. In gravity casting of these alloys, the design of gating system has a considerable effect on the formation of air bubbles and their behaviour afterwards. This paper is aimed to study the effect of pouring basin and sprue design on the quantity of air bubbles entering the mould cavity. In order to do this, water modelling of pouring into several gating systems varying in pouring basin and sprue design was conducted, and quantified results were used to compare the designs in terms of the ability to prevent bubble formation and entrainment. It was concluded that the offset basin with a 1 in. high barrier in bottom is the most efficient design in preventing bubble entrainment.     

气泡对纤维混凝土阻尼性能的影响

利用自主开发的三点弯曲梁阻尼测试装置对不同掺量引气剂纤维混凝土的阻尼性能进行了测试,通过含气量测定仪和压汞仪研究不同掺量引气剂对纤维混凝土气孔结构的影响,利用扫描电镜观察了引气前后纤维混凝土的微观形貌。结果表明,随着引气剂掺量的增加,纤维混凝土的阻尼能力提高,但是当引气剂掺量达到0.015%后,阻尼能力不再有明显提高。一定掺量的引气剂在纤维混凝土内部引入大量丰富的气泡,当混凝土材料遭受外界的振动时,这些气孔起到了柔性缓冲包的作用,可提高混凝土材料的阻尼能力。     

Behavior of air bubbles during subcooled water boiling

The data of video filming of the behavior of air bubbles near the heating surface during boiling of subcooled water are presented. The effects the regime parameters (heat flow rate and water subcooling relative to the saturation temperature) have on the characteristics of the vapor-air-water mixture are described.     

Visualization of air bubbles by magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of water can be used to locate and measure air bubbles inside complex fluid-processing equipment, such as water filters, blood filters, and kidney dialysis modules. Importantly, not only can the bubble itself be studied, but it is also possible to investigate the effect of the bubble on the proper functioning of the item of the equipment in question.     

On the thermal effects associated with radiation force imaging of soft tissue

Several laboratories are investigating the use of acoustic radiation force to image the mechanical properties of tissue. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is one approach that uses brief, high-intensity, focused ultrasound pulses to generate radiation force in tissue. This radiation force generates tissue displacements that are tracked using conventional correlation-based ultrasound methods. The tissue response provides a mechanism to discern mechanical properties of the tissue. The acoustic energy that is absorbed by tissue generates radiation force and tissue heating. A finite element methods model of acoustic heating has been developed that models the thermal response of different tissues during short duration radiation force application. The beam sequences and focal configurations used during ARFI imaging are modeled herein; the results of these thermal models can be extended to the heating due to absorption associated with other radiation force-based imaging modalities. ARFI-induced thermal diffusivity patterns are functions of the transducer f-number, the tissue absorption, and the temporal and spatial spacing of adjacent ARFI interrogations. Cooling time constants are on the order of several seconds. Tissue displacement due to thermal expansion is negligible for ARFI imaging. Changes in sound speed due to temperature changes can be appreciable. These thermal models demonstrate that ARFI imaging of soft tissue is safe, although thermal response must be monitored when ARFI beam sequences are being developed.     

The pressure of light on gas bubbles: Compensation of the buoyancy force

We have calculated the pressure of light on a gas bubble in a liquid medium. The conditions of optical immersion are analyzed, under which the bubble in the liquid occurs in the state of a stable equilibrium. Peculiarities and the possible applications of the optical immersion effect are considered.     

Measurements of radiation characteristics of fused quartz containing bubbles

We report experimental measurement of radiation characteristics of fused quartz containing bubbles over the spectral region from 1.67 to 3.5 microm. The radiation characteristics were retrieved by an inverse method that minimizes the quadratic difference between the measured and the calculated spectral bidirectional transmittance and reflectance for different sample thicknesses. The theoretical spectral transmittances and reflectances were computed by solving the one-dimensional radiative transfer equation by the discrete-ordinates method for a nonemitting, homogeneous, and scattering medium. The results of the inversion were shown to be independent of the sample thickness for samples thicker than 3 mm and clearly demonstrate that bubbles have an effect on the radiation characteristics of fused quartz.     

微构件所受超声辐射力理论研究

为了将超声波俘获技术应用到微机电系统中,以达到对微构件进行无损、非接触遥操纵的目的,开展了微构件在超声波场中所受辐射力的理论研究．计算机仿真结果表明：微构件的材料与尺寸、介质的密度、超声波的声学参数等都对微构件所受辐射力产生影响,同时,利用超声驻波场技术实现对微构件的操纵是可行的．     

Solidification of phase change material on vertical cylindrical surface in holdup air bubbles

Solidification of phase change material around a vertical cylindrical surface was studied to investigate the performance of ice storage system and stored thermal energy. Air bubbles were generated in the phase change material at various air flow rate as a gas holdup to enhance the heat transfer rate and accelerate the ice layer growth at the solid–liquid interface. The test tube surface was cooled by ethylene glycol–water solution at a flow rate of 40% concentration by weight. The ice layer growth and solidification front velocity at solid–liquid interface were estimated from the temperature–time recorded data of a set of thermocouples fixed in a radial position perpendicular to cooled surface. The ice layer growth at the first instants of solidification process is much higher. Thereafter it decreased gradually according to the increasing of thermal resistance of ice layer. The increasing of ethylene glycol–water solution mass flow rate seems to accelerate the solidification process with small rate. The effect of air bubbles agitation was found to increase the ice layer growth rate and solidification front velocity by about of 20–45%. As a consequence the stored thermal energy was increased by about 55–115% with increasing air bubbles flow according to the attribute of generates turbulence at the solid–liquid interface. The measured data showed that with stirring the bulk water in energy storage tank, the storage time can be reduced by 10–35% of that without stirring.     

Modeling radiation characteristics of semitransparent media containing bubbles or particles

Modeling of radiation characteristics of semitransparent media containing particles or bubbles in the independent scattering limit is examined. The existing radiative properties models of a single particle in an absorbing medium using the approaches based on (1) the classical Mie theory neglecting absorption by the matrix, (2) the far field approximation, and (3) the near field approximation are reviewed. Comparison between models and experimental measurements are carried out not only for the radiation characteristics but also for hemispherical transmittance and reflectance of porous fused quartz. Large differences are found among the three models predicting the bubble radiative properties when the matrix is strongly absorbing and/or the bubbles are optically large. However, these disagreements are masked by the matrix absorption during calculation of radiation characteristics of the participating medium. It is shown that all three approaches can be used for radiative transfer calculations in an absorbing matrix containing bubbles.     

户式空调新风引入方式对室内热环境的影响

选择典型的装有分体空调的居室和办公室,对多种新风不同引入方式下室内的环境参数作了测试,比较并分析了新风引入方式对室内热环境的影响,提出了采用低位大新风量高风速引入方式室内温度场不平均度最小,即温度环境最好,并对所得结果进行了的理论分析。     

Role of oceanic air bubbles in atmospheric correction of ocean color imagery

Ocean color is the radiance that emanates from the ocean because of scattering by chlorophyll pigments and particles of organic and inorganic origin. Air bubbles in the ocean also scatter light and thus contribute to the water-leaving radiance. This additional water-leaving radiance that is due to oceanic air bubbles could violate the black pixel assumption at near-infrared wavelengths and be attributed to chlorophyll in the visible. Hence, the accuracy of the atmospheric correction required for the retrieval of ocean color from satellite measurements is impaired. A comprehensive radiative transfer code for the coupled atmosphere--ocean system is employed to assess the effect of oceanic air bubbles on atmospheric correction of ocean color imagery. This effect is found to depend on the wavelength-dependent optical properties of oceanic air bubbles as well as atmospheric aerosols.     

Generation of acoustic oscillations during the growth and breakoff of air bubbles

Problems associated with boiling and bubbling processes are investigated. It is established that acoustic signals occurring in the process of bubble generation are produced by pressure variations at the instant of growth and breakoff of bubbles.     

Excited-state spectroscopy on an individual quantum dot using atomic force microscopy

We present a new charge sensing technique for the excited-state spectroscopy of individual quantum dots, which requires no patterned electrodes. An oscillating atomic force microscope cantilever is used as a movable charge sensor as well as gate to measure the single-electron tunneling between an individual self-assembled InAs quantum dot and back electrode. A set of cantilever dissipation versus bias voltage curves measured at different cantilever oscillation amplitudes forms a diagram analogous to the Coulomb diamond usually measured with transport measurements. The excited-state levels as well as the electron addition spectrum can be obtained from the diagram. In addition, a signature which can result from inelastic tunneling by phonon emission or a peak in the density of states of the electrode is also observed, which demonstrates the versatility of the technique.