Characterization of Microbubbles and Nanobubbles Using Ultra-High Frequency Ultrasound
Microbubbles (MBs) and nanobubbles (NBs) are extensively used in various biomedical applications, and therefore must be accurately characterized. It has been shown that ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) backscatter is sensitive to the physical characteristics of micron-sized particles. Because UHFUS transducers are highly focused, particles must be placed within a small focal zone. Therefore, a microfluidic-based Acoustic Flow Cytometer (AFC) was developed and used to focus flow the bubbles for rapid interrogation to characterize them individually. Using the AFC, the scattering of MBs and NBs with three different shells to 375 MHz ultrasound was measured from which two parameters were extracted: slope and mid-band fit (MBF). It was found that changing the shell does not significantly affect the slope, but it affects the MBF. The bubble size affected the slope and MBF. These results indicate that UHFUS can be used for the rapid individual characterization of MBs and NBs.
History
Language
EnglishDegree
- Master of Applied Science
Program
- Biomedical Engineering
Granting Institution
Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLAC Thesis Type
- Thesis