Article
Article
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Laser-ultrasonic cavitation
Article By:
Murray, Todd W. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Roy, Ronald A. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Affholter, Kathleen A. Department of Geological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Last reviewed:2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB084010
- Synergistic effects, combining light and sound
- Ultrasound therapy
- Laser therapy and imaging
- Nanoparticles
- Related Primary Literature
- Additional Reading
Transient illumination of light-absorbing nanoparticles using pulsed laser sources can produce rapid and highly localized heating. If a particle in a liquid medium absorbs a sufficient amount of laser energy, then vaporization of a layer of liquid blanketing the particle ensues and the hot vapor bubble goes through an expansion phase followed by a subsequent collapse. This phenomenon, termed optical cavitation, can be utilized for a number of biomedical applications. The localized increase in temperature and mechanical disruption associated with the bubble collapse have been used for the targeting of individual cells, producing selective damage in, for example, cancer cells and viruses infused with particles. Gas bubbles can also be stimulated to increase the echo generation in a nanoparticle-targeted region of tissue, thereby improving the contrast in diagnostic ultrasound imaging.
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