Bubble evolution in acoustic droplet vaporization.

Abstract

We present an overview of our recent theoretical and computational work on acoustic droplet vaporization within a confined tube and compare to our experimental data. This work is motivated by a developmental gas embolotherapy technique that involves injecting superheated transvascular liquid droplets and subsequently vaporizing the droplets with ultrasound to selectively form vascular microbubbles. The theoretical model describes the rapid phase transition from a superheated dodecafluoropentane (DDFP) droplet to the vapor phase via nucleation within the DDFP droplet. The theoretical results are compared to results from our computational models and high-speed camera experiments, and close agreement between the experimental bubble evolution and the prediction of the model is noted. Even though we consider bubbles that are small compared to the tube diameter, it is demonstrated that the tube affects the bubble evolution and resulting flow fields. [This work is supported by NIH Grant R01EB006476.]