Bubbles and Droplets in Biomedical Applications
When harnessed correctly, the interesting mechanical and chemical effects associated with strong bubble oscillations and collapse, as well as with phase-change events, can be beneficial in numerous applications in biomedicine. These include imaging (e.g., medical ultrasound) and therapy (e.g., drug delivery) using ultrasound or shock waves. We study the dynamics associated with:
- encapsulated micro-bubbles and micro-droplets or bubble-encapsulated droplets
- bubble interactions with vessels and soft tissues
- bubble clouds in lithotripsy using shock waves and high-intensity focused ultrasound
Microscope image of micrometric bubbles produced by mechanical agitation.
Simultaneous translation and Doppler imaging of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles (in collaboration with CU Boulder, University of Florence and Erasmus MC).