Acoustic Cavitation
Acoustic Cavitation
Acoustic Cavitation
BY ACOUSTIC CAVITATION
A Thesis
Presented to
The Academic Faculty
by
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Bioengineering
BY ACOUSTIC CAVITATION
Approved: I
- » \i
William D. Hunt
Feng B. Dong
to my wife.
Ill
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many whom I would like to acknowledge and so I will inevitably leave
someone off of this list but let me begin by thanking Hector Guzman, Thomas Lewis,
Robyn Schlicher, Esi Ghartey-Tagoe, Paul Canatella and Steve Woodard for technical
assistance and helpful discussions. I also thank many of the others in lab who helped to
make my stay there an enjoyable one. I would like to especially thank my thesis advisor,
Dr. Mark Prausnitz, who found funding for me and brought me into his lab. He was
always available for quick questions and strongly encouraged me to think independently.
In times when I was confused about which direction to take, he was there to guide me in
which experiments to conduct or which analysis method was better. I really appreciate
all that he did for me. The time that I spent here enriched me not only professionally but
personally as well.
I also thank the following organizations for their support of this work: the
National Science Foundation, the Whitaker Foundation and the National Institutes of
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hi
LISTS OF TABLES vi
LISTS OF FIGURES vii
SUMMARY viii
CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Objectives 3
1.3 Overview of the Thesis 3
4.1 Introduction 22
4.2 Heterogeneous molecular uptake 22
V
5.1 Conclusions 36
5.2 Recommendations 37
APPENDICES 39
REFERENCES 49
vi
LISTS OF TABLES
LISTS OF FIGURES
SUMMARY
Ultrasound has been shown to transiently disrupt cell membranes and thereby
load drugs and genes into viable cells. In this study, we quantified the number of calcein
molecules delivered and the loss of viability in prostate cancer cells exposed to 24 kHz
ultrasound over a range of different pulse lengths (1-100 ms), total exposure times (0.1-
10 s) and pressures (1.0-9.8 atm). Bioeffects were observed to increase with pulse length,
total exposure time and pressure. Using this large data set, we established a correlation
between bioeffects and the amount of light produced by sonoluminescence. These results
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
One of the critical elements of drug therapy is effective and targeted delivery of
drugs into cells and tissue (Park 1997; Langer 1998). The lipid bilayer cell membrane
poses the primary barrier to transport of molecules into cells (e.g., gene therapy (Rolland
1998)), into tissues (e.g., targeted chemotherapy of tumors (Mir and Orlowski 1999)) and
across tissues (e.g., transdermal drug delivery (Bronaugh and Maibach 1999)). Some
targeting drug delivery involves using ultrasound to transiently disrupt cell membranes
(Fechheimer et al. 1987; Mitragotri et al. 1995; Liu et al. 1998). The advantage of this
method is that as a physical, rather than chemical, approach, the enhancement is likely to
be broadly applicable (i.e., can be applied to many cell types and many drugs, without
modifying drug structure) and can be readily targeted, based on the established ability of
reversible manner and thereby load viable cells with molecules of interest. These studies
have demonstrated delivery of small molecules, such as drugs (Saad et al. 1992;
Mitragotri et al. 1995), as well as DNA for transfection (Fechheimer et al. 1987; Bao et
al. 1997; Wyber et al. 1997). This "proof-of-principle" that ultrasound can be used for
drug and gene delivery motivates our study, in which we strive to better elucidate
In this study, we sought to bridge the gap between simply seeing the bioeffects
and being able to control them. Our approach to controlling ultrasound's biological
Using a similar approach, Liu et al. (1998) correlated observed bioeffects (red blood cell
associated with cavitation, i.e., subharmonic frequency (f/2). This correlation could be
used to determine the effects a given exposure of ultrasound had on cells based only on a
Wyber et al. (1997) correlated ultrasound's bioeffects (cell viability) with an iodine-based
measurement of cavitation. Although assay of this technique is more time intensive and
unlikely to be used in vivo, it further validates the idea of using physical measures of
observed bioeffects (molecular uptake and cell viability) with another physical
1.2 Objectives
sonoluminescence and
background and theories behind acoustic cavitation as well as the relevance of this study.
In chapter 3, the materials and methods that were used in this study are described in
detail. Results and discussion then follow in chapter 4. Lastly, in chapter 5, conclusions
The cell membrane poses a difficult barrier across which to deliver drugs into
cells or tissues for targeted drug therapy. There is a need for new and innovative
technology that is able to transiently disrupt the cell membrane in a controllable fashion.
Ultrasound-induced cavitation has been shown to disrupt cell membranes and provides an
attractive solution if its effects can be controlled. It is believed that there exist methods
associated with acoustic cavitation, and molecular uptake and cell viability. In order to
build a foundation for this study, some background must be given on acoustics, acoustic
Acoustic waves are mechanical energy waves that create changes in the density of
the medium as they travel through it. These waves are considered longitudinal waves
because particles are displaced parallel or anti-parallel to the plane of motion. Over the
cycle of an acoustic wave there exists a compression stage, where the particles are
5
pressed together, and a rarefaction stage, where the particles are spread apart. A more
detailed explanation of the physical phenomenon that occurs with the passage of an
compressions and rarefactions occur. In this study, the waves oscillate at a frequency of
24 kHz and are therefore considered to be ultrasonic, i.e. above the normal threshold of
human hearing, 20 kHz (Pierce 1989). There are other ways to describe acoustic waves
and some of the terms used to characterize them are: frequency, pulse length, incident
Terms Defined
• Total exposure time - the pulse length multiplied by the total number of pulses
during an exposure.
acoustic cavitation.
• Duty cycle - the ratio of the time that the transducer generates acoustic waves to
phenomenon that occurs in many places (Munson et al., 1994). For example, people who
design propellers for boats have to understand how the propeller will cut through the
6
water and if it will induce regions of cavitation. In other applications, people who design
artificial heart valves have to consider the pressures their valve generates in blood flow
and if it will induce cavitation as well. The term, cavitation, has been used to describe
the creation as well as the dynamics of bubbles. Cavitation occurs when liquid that was
at high pressure enters a region of low pressure, resulting in the "tearing" apart of the
liquid and formation of a cavity or bubble. When this bubble reenters a region of high
pressure, it can result in the violent collapse of the bubble. This violent phenomenon can
generate, grow, and subsequently collapse bubbles in liquid media. The size of the
bubbles generated in liquid media is inversely related to the driving frequency. One of
the interesting aspects of acoustic cavitation is that acoustic waves can be focused and
thereby target areas where cavitation activity would be useful. Focusing could play an
important role in situations where only a small region of the body should be affected
ruptured by ultrasound. The violent bubble collapse that occurs during cavitation creates
extremely high local temperatures (thousands of degrees Kelvin) and pressures (hundreds
1994, Apfel 1997). Light can also be generated as a result of the extremely high
to point out that the resonant bubbles created in water at 24 kHz have been shown to be
-150 microns (Leighton, 1994), which is approximately 10 times the size of the cells we
utilized. During our experiments, we measured changes in molecular uptake and cell
sonoluminescence - should correlate with these bioeffects over the many ultrasound
conditions examined.
Given the violent nature of acoustic cavitation, it can be deduced that there are
several ways that acoustic cavitation could reversibly or irreversibly damage cell
membranes. A cell in close proximity to one of these violent collapses could be damaged
in a variety of ways. Some cells might avoid damage, others might be reversibly
damaged and still others might be fatally damaged. As will be explained in the Results
section, this range of damage is often what is seen among cells exposed to ultrasound.
In this study, we do not attempt to identify which of the physical events caused by
cavitation leads to the bioeffects that we see. Instead, we are attempting to correlate the
quantitative measurement of acoustic cavitation, its effects can be monitored and thereby
acoustic cavitation; its ability to kill cells and its ability to deliver a model drug, calcein,
to living cells. Depending on the acoustic conditions utilized, these occurrences are
into cells more efficiently. Acoustic cavitation is the mechanism that we propose to use
to transiently disrupt cell membranes and thereby accomplish this goal. Ultrasound-
induced cavitation is especially attractive because of its ability to target local regions in
the body. For example, tumors could be targeted and made more permeable to
caused by acoustic cavitation. To that end, we monitored one of the physical measures of
feedback mechanism with which to monitor and control molecular uptake and cell
viability.
CHAPTER III
viability, and to correlate those effects with sonoluminescence, cavitation was induced in
sonoluminescent light output was measured using a photo-multiplier tube (PMT) (Figure
1). The exposure chamber was similar to that described by Liu et al. (1998) with the
addition of a lens and PMT (R5600U Series, Hamamatsu, Bridgewater, NJ) attached to
the bottom of the chamber. The exposure chamber was filled with 200 mL deionized
water that was degassed for 3 hr at -650 mmHg gage pressure using a vacuum chamber
(Nalgene, Rochester, NY) and pump (KNF Neuberger, Trenton, NJ). Degassing the
water bath removes nucleation bubble sites and therefore limits the majority of cavitation,
Cell Sample
l
Transducer Mr~ Input Function
Generator
& Amplifier
PMT
ultrasound. At the base of the exposure chamber is a photo-multiplier tube (PMT) which
Crown Audio, Elkhart, IN), matching transformer (MT-56R, Krohn-Hite, Avon, MA),
and transducer (24kHz, Channel Industries, Santa Barbara, CA). This system controlled
the frequency, duty cycle, incident pressure, and pulse length. The total exposure time
Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, CA) equipped with a HPIB interface module (54650A)
allowing the voltage applied to the transducer and the voltage produced by the PMT to be
downloaded to a PC and stored for analysis. The voltage applied to the transducer was
measured and converted to an incident pressure using the method of Liu et al (1998).
This approach determines the voltage-pressure correlation under conditions where there
is no cavitation and then linearly extrapolates this correlation out to higher pressures.
This approximation will be an overestimate of the actual pressure but provides a better
measure of the total acoustic input. According to this analysis, the following correlation
was established: P = 0.0083 V, where P is incident pressure (atm) and V is voltage (V)
applied to the transducer. To be sure this correlation was developed in the absence of any
cavitation, the acoustic spectrum was monitored using a FFT spectrum analyzer (SR 670,
Stanford Research Systems) and incident pressure measurements were only used if there
In order to verify that the light we gathered during the ultrasound exposure was
coming from the cell sample and not from the water bath, we performed a series of
experiments. The first set of experiments performed included setting up the apparatus
exactly like we would for any other experiment, the only difference being that the water
was not degassed and there was no cell sample. We then ran the apparatus through the
different ultrasound conditions and recorded the light output, as shown in Figure 2.
The second set of experiments was similar to the first except this time we
degassed the water bath thereby reducing the number of cavitation nucleation sites (again
no cell sample used). Again we tested the range of different ultrasound conditions and
from these two sets of experiments, we concluded that the light generated was indeed
coming from the cell sample and not from the water bath itself.
DU 145 prostate cancer cells (American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, MD) were
1) Growth media over the cell monolayer was removed using a pipette.
2+ 2+
2) Monolayer was washed with 15 mL PBS (Cellgro) without Ca / Mg for 1-2
6.E-02
0 4 6 8 10
Pressure (atm)
the light output from the sample and the light output from the water bath. The integrated
light output from a sample was five times or more the light output generated from the
tightened down. The flask was gently shaken to ensure full coverage of the monolayer by
the trypsin. The flask was then placed in the incubator (Model 3110, Forma Scientific,
4) The flask was then removed from the incubator. The trypsin was known to have
successfully dislodged the cells when the monolayer could be seen to slide off the flask
wall. The flask was tapped gently to ensure that all cells were suspended in the trypsin.
30 mL of full growth media were added to the cell suspension to deactivate the trypsin.
After harvest, the cells were spun down (1000 x g, Model BS-15R, Beckman
centrifuge) and resuspended in growth media. The cell concentration was determined
using a cell counter (Coulter Multisizer II) and then diluted to a final concentration of
750,000 cells/mL. The sample chambers (Sedi-Pet transfer pipette, 241, SAMCO, San
suspension of 750,000 cells/mL in a 10 |LiM solution of calcein (623 Da, r = 0.6 nm,
Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR). Calcein (Figure 3) was used as a model drug because it
is of similar size to many drugs in common use and is unable to readily penetrate the cell
membrane. The suspension was introduced into the chambers using a 22-gauge needle
and 3 mL syringe (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ). A meniscus was left at the
top of the pipette stem and a 1/16" stainless steel rod was inserted 2 mm into the stem.
Overflow of solution was allowed to ensure no visible air bubbles were trapped in the
sample.
o o
II II
(HOCCH2)2NCH2 CH2N(CH2COH)2
The sample was positioned in the cylindrical water bath exposure chamber so that
the center of the sample was in the radial and axial center of the transducer. Pulsed
ultrasound at 24 kHz and 10% duty cycle was applied to the cell sample using
combinations of 3 pulse lengths (1-100 ms), 3 total exposure times (0.1-10 s), and 10
different pressures (1.0-9.8 atm). After ultrasound application, the cells remained at
room temperature for approximately 5 min to allow cell recovery. Cell samples were
(Cellgro, Herndon, VA), and kept on ice until analysis the same day.
The samples were assayed using flow cytometry to quantify cell viability and the
number of calcein molecules taken up by each cell. To assess viability, we added to each
Molecular Probes, 488/515, lot #5881-2), which were used as an internal volumetric
Systems, San Jose, CA) was utilized to measure green calcein fluorescence associated
with molecular uptake and red propidium iodide fluorescence associated with non-viable
cells. At least 10,000 viable cells were collected from each sample. The samples were
excited using a 488 nm argon laser. The fluorescence of propidium iodide (675/20 nm
bandpass filter for emission collection) was used to distinguish between viable and non-
viable cells. Viable cells were analyzed to determine their mean fluorescence intensity of
average number of calcein molecules per cell using calibration beads (Quantum 25, Flow
Cytometry Standards Corporation, Fishers, IN, d = 7.2 um, lot #B00136) with known
population of cells can be represented by a histogram (Figure 4). These histograms from
flow cytometry data were initially analyzed with WinMDI 2.8 (Windows Multiple
determine the fraction of cells that were viable and, among the viable cells, the number of
molecules per cell. Then, molecular uptake data were imported to a Microsoft Excel
(version 9.0) spreadsheet using Ldata (Robinson and Kelly, 1998), a numerical
conversion formula; reformatted; and finally imported to the statistical software package,
MiX 3.1 (Ichthus Data Systems, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) where histograms of
percentages of cells in the three sub-populations, we first had to decide how many
adequately describes histograms. In other cases, two sub-populations are evident: one at
the same position as the single population and another over a broad distribution at higher
levels of fluorescence (Figure 4 B). Finally, three sub-populations are sometimes needed
to describe the data, which include the previously mentioned two distributions, with a
Although one could visually identify when multiple sub-populations were present,
population and identified the value below, which the fluorescence of 97% of cells fell.
This value was considered the maximum fluorescence of control (i.e., the "cut-off).
background fluorescence. (B) Cells exposed to ultrasound at 1.9 atm show a large sub-
population with essentially no effect and smaller group of cells with higher fluorescence,
indicating uptake of calcein. (C-E) Ultrasound applied at increasing pressure (2.9, 3.9
and 4.9 atm) causes increasingly more cells to take up calcein molecules. Because these
separated each population into nominal uptake (NUP), low uptake (LUP) and high uptake
(Guzman et al. submitted). Ultrasound exposures were performed for 2 sec total
"cut-off fluorescence. If this value was less than 5%, then that sample was classified as
one population (i.e., no different from control); if it was greater than 5% but less than
15% then it was classified as two populations (unless we could see from the uptake
distribution that it was clearly three populations); and lastly if cells with fluorescence
above the "cut-off represented 15% or more of the cells then we classified that sample
as having three populations. The selection of 5% and 15% criteria is somewhat arbitrary.
selected these criteria because they classified the samples in a manner consistent with our
visual classification. Once we had classified all of the sample histograms, then we could
properly analyze them with the MiX 3.1 software, which cannot determine how many
sub-populations are present but will find the distribution among a known number of sub-
populations.
Light output gathered by the digital oscilloscope (Hewlett Packard, 54603B) was
downloaded to a computer (Ginstar Computer, Norcross, GA) for analysis. Light output
generated during all ultrasound pulses applied to a given cell sample were combined to
yield an average light-vs.-time trace for each sample. Although the light data had
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could be correlated with integrated light output (i.e., total area under the curve), light
output above a threshold (i.e., area under the curve above a threshold level) or peak light
CHAPTER IV
4.1 Introduction
This study examined the effects of pressure, pulse length, and total exposure time
on calcein uptake and cell viability, and sought to correlate those effects with
sonoluminescence. Prostate cancer cells were exposed to 24 kHz ultrasound and then
analyzed using flow cytometry to determine the number of calcein molecules taken up
pressure was varied, while pulse length and total exposure time were held constant. Each
viable cells. The control sample (Figure 4 A) shows a single peak with weak background
within single populations of cells. Although the distribution shape depended on pressure,
23
pulse length, and total exposure time (see below), the existence of a low-fluorescence
peak, a high-fluorescence peak and a broad valley in between was seen in most samples
divided each uptake histogram into three sub-populations: nominal uptake population
from controls; low uptake population (LUP), which corresponds to the broad valley
between the peaks interpreted as cells with varying amounts of uptake; and high uptake
with the maximum possible uptake (i.e., achieved equilibrium with extracellular
environment).
remained the same order of magnitude. Graphically, this means that the heights of the
peaks changed, but their positions did not vary much. For all of the ultrasound conditions
examined in this study, the average number of molecules taken up by NUP cells was 3.53
x 104 ± 4.08 x 104, LUP cells was 2.55 x 106 ± 4.74 x 105, HUP cells was 8.70 x 106 ±
8.77 x 105 (average ± standard error of the mean). Based on a cell volume of 2xl0"9 ml
per cell (data not shown), the average calcein concentration within HUP cells was 7 JLIM.
Because calcein was supplied extracellularly at 10 uM, this supports the interpretation
The effects of pressure, pulse length, and total exposure time on molecular uptake
and cell viability are shown in Figure 6. The overall height of each bar represents cell
viability, while the three stripes within each bar represents the fraction of cells in NUP
(gray), LUP (white) and HUP (black). Each graph shows the effect of pressure, while
each row corresponds to a different pulse length and each column to a different total
exposure time.
These graphs show that as pressure increases, cell viability generally decreases.
Similarly, as pressure increases, NUP cells also decrease in number. However, the
fraction of LUP and HUP cells (i.e., cells with significant levels of uptake) does not
atm. Except when cell viability is extremely low, the sum of LUP and HUP cells in each
Figure 7 replots the data shown in Figure 6 to better display the effects of total
exposure time and pulse length. In each graph, pressure is held constant and the effects
of three different pulse lengths are examined at three different total exposure times.
Scanning across each graph shows that as total exposure time increases, cell viability
generally decreases.
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parameter that would correlate with uptake and viability for all of the ultrasound
generated by cavitation. Our hypothesis was that since cavitation is believed to cause the
correlate with these bioeffects over the broad range of ultrasound conditions used in this
study.
To test this hypothesis, we have replotted the uptake and viability data not as a
multiplier tube mounted at the base of the ultrasound exposure chamber. Figure 8 shows
that molecular uptake, viability and the fraction of cells in NUP, LUP, and HUP all
correlate with sonoluminescence. The many graphs shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be
reduced to the set of single curves shown in Figure 8. As mentioned above, molecular
uptake in each of the sub-populations shows scatter, but is generally of the same order of
apparent threshold at an integrated light output near 10"2 Vxsec, above which, cell
viability drops steeply. However, at lower levels of integrated light output, viability
remains high and a significant fraction of cells (e.g., 20 - 30 %) are in the LUP or HUP
sub-populations.
Effects on cells are seen to correlate with total integrated light output, which is
defined as the average integrated light output during a pulse (e.g., the integral of one of
the curves shown in Figure 5) multiplied by the total number of pulses applied during the
given exposure. We also looked for correlations with other features of the measured
sonoluminescence, but none correlated as well as integrated light output. For example,
we tried to correlate bioeffects with the peak level of light output (see Figure 5), since the
creation of bioeffects may be a catastrophic event that only requires achieving some peak
level of cavitation, even for just an instant. However, the data were extremely scattered
using this approach (Figure 9 A), suggesting that this interpretation was incorrect.
Similarly, correlation of peak light output multiplied by the number of pulses (i.e., the
number of times the peak was achieved) also yielded a poor correlation (Figure 9 B).
threshold, since weak cavitation that created low levels of sonoluminescence might not
produce bioeffects. However, correlation of bioeffects with light output integrated above
as the threshold was lowered (Figure 9 C), but the best correlation remained when the
threshold was zero (i.e., total integrated light output shown in Figure 8). This suggests
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1.E-08 1.E-07 1.E-06 1.E-05 1.E-04 1.E-03 1.E-02 1.E-01 1.E+00
Integrated Light Above 10 mV Threshold (V*sec)
Figure 9. Cell viability correlations with other sonoluminescent parameters show a more
scattered relationship. (A) Correlation with peak light output, (B) Correlation with peak
light output times the number of pulses, (C) Correlation with integrated light output
4.5 Discussion
The most significant observation from this study is the overarching correlation
this is the first time such a correlation has been demonstrated. In a related study, Liu et
al. (1998) showed that disruption of red blood cells correlated with another measure of
Combined, these and other observations suggest that cavitation is the mechanism by
The observed correlations also suggest possible applications for drug and gene
feedback about the cavitation and its associated bioeffects generated by a given
ultrasound exposure. For example, a tissue in the body or solution of cells in the lab
Once the total integrated light output reached a desired level (e.g., 10" V-sec for the
system used here), sonication could be stopped. In this way, a constant dose of cavitation
A notable observation from this study is that there was a broad distribution of
cells with different amounts of uptake characterized by two peaks and a broad valley in
between. This type of distribution has been observed before using a similar protocol, but
involving ultrasound applied at 500 kHz (Guzman et al. submitted), which leads us to
ultrasound-induced cavitation. In either scenario, one can imagine some cells being
damaged to the point of cell death, some that are extensively disrupted but nevertheless
survive (HUP), some with fewer disruptions (LUP), and some with essentially no
interpretation of the observed heterogeneity and its implications for drug and gene
delivery applications.
This study also presented data on the dependence of uptake and viability on
ultrasound parameters. Generally, greater pressures and longer total exposure times
yielded greater effects on the cells, which is similar to previous observations (Liu et al.
1998; Bao et al. 1997; Miller et al. 1996; Miller et al. 1999). This result is consistent
increasing pressure and increases in duration with longer exposure times (Leighton
1994).
which generate only 24 acoustic cycles, may not be sufficiently long to nucleate, grow
and collapse cavitation bubbles powerful enough to disrupt cell membranes. However,
10 ms pulses, which produce 240 cycles per pulse, may be long enough to generate
length for disruption of red blood cells (Ciaravino et al. 1981; Kober et al. 1989; Liu et al.
1998). In contrast, Guzman et al. (submitted) did not observe a dependence on pulse
length for prostate cancer cells exposed to 500 kHz ultrasound for pulse lengths between
20 JJLS (10 cycles) and 60 ms (30,000 cycles). This apparent inconsistency may be
explained by the presence of stabilized gas bubbles (i.e., Optison) in the work of Guzman
et al., which served as nucleation sites and thereby facilitated more rapid onset of
CHAPTER V
5.1 Conclusions
The main obstacle to delivering therapeutic drugs to cells is the cell membrane.
In this study, we sought to overcome that barrier by using mechanical energy in the form
of ultrasonic waves. The primary impetus of this study was to evaluate the effects of
relationship between acoustic cavitation and these effects. The acoustic cavitation
pressure. Also, at the same time that cell viability was decreasing, molecular
uptake was often increasing, shown by the increasing percentages of cells with
calcein uptake.
bioeffects at the higher total exposure times. There was not such a notable
acoustic cavitation and bioeffects (cell viability and molecular uptake), and therefore we
measured the amount of light generated during ultrasound exposures. We utilized several
correlation techniques but the best relationship materialized when the integrated light
called the total integrated light output. From this correlation, we accomplished the
cavitation, sonoluminescence.
The last objective was to identify regions of sonoluminescent light output where
there was both high molecular uptake and high cell viability. This objective was
accomplished by treating the nominal uptake population, low uptake population, and the
high uptake population as a single population using a weighted average. With this
representation we were able to locate a region where there was both high molecular
5.2 Recommendations
An interesting study might include observing not only the amount of light during
ultrasound exposure but the location of the light generation as well. This might isolate
whether the light is generated near cells and thereby further determine that acoustic
cavitation is responsible for the bioeffects that are seen. This could be accomplished
through a camera device mounted on the bottom of the device. Another study might
include disseminating the spectrum of light generated during routine ultrasound exposure.
Perhaps the water bath and the cell sample emit spectrum that are different enough to be
distinguished.
Further studies could also be done to see if the bioeffects that we observe would
correlate with any other acoustic cavitation phenomenon, such as the generation of free
primarily responsible for the bioeffects that we see. A free radical scavenger that
fluoresces could be used to detect the presence of hydroxide radicals and through the
analysis used in this thesis or a similar one perhaps a relationship would materialize.
One shortcoming of the device is that only the average light output during a total
exposure can be observed instead of gathering the light output singly from each pulse.
With a different data acquisition device, one might be able to gather each pulse and
APPENDIX A
IN GREATER DETAIL
40
100 I 1
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75
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41
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100
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APPENDIX B
IN GREATER DETAIL
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