Neuroscience

MRI's magnetic field affects focused ultrasound technology

MRI-guided focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles can open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and allow therapeutic drugs to reach the diseased brain location under the guidance of MRI. It is a promising technique that ...

Medical research

Researchers destroy cancer cells with ultrasound treatment

An international research team led by Dr. Tali Ilovitsh of the Biomedical Engineering Department at Tel Aviv University developed a noninvasive technology platform for gene delivery into breast cancer cells. The technique ...

Biomedical technology

Blood bubbles reveal oxygen levels

Blood carries vital oxygen through our circulation system to muscles and organs. Acoustic tools can create small bubbles in our blood, capable of changing in response to oxygen and signifying oxygen levels.

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Microbubbles

Microbubbles are bubbles smaller than one millimetre in diameter, but larger than one micrometre. They are used in medical diagnostics as a contrast agent for ultrasound imaging. The gas-filled, e.g. air or perfluorocarbon, microbubbles oscillate and vibrate when a sonic energy field is applied and may reflect ultrasound waves. This distinguishes the microbubbles from surrounding tissues. In practice, because gas bubbles in liquid lack stability and would therefore quickly dissolve, microbubbles must be encapsulated with a solid shell. The shell is made from either a lipid or a protein such as Optison microbubbles which consist of perfluoropropane gas encapsulated by a serum albumin shell.

Microbubbles may also be used for drug delivery and water/waste water treatment purposes. .

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