Acoustically-Stimulated Nanobubbles: Opportunities in Medical Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy

Frontiers in Physics

Yiran Zou¹  Naomi Matsuura²  Brandon Helfield³ 

[1] Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;Insititute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada;Department of Physics, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada;Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada;

关键词: nanobubble;    ultrasound imaging and therapy;    ultrasound contrast agent;    focused ultrasound;    submicron bubble;    bubble cavitation;    non-linear dyanamics;    scattering;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fphy.2021.654374

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Medical ultrasound is one of the most widely used imaging modalities worldwide. Microbubbles, typically ~1–8 μm in diameter, are ultrasound contrast agents confined to the vasculature due to their size. Microbubbles have broadened the scope of medical ultrasound, permitting real-time imaging of the microvasculature for blood flow assessment, molecular imaging, and even non-invasive site-specific therapy. Recently, there has been increasing interest in developing submicron, “nanoscale” agents to extend the utility of medical ultrasound. In this review, we discuss the development of lipid-encapsulated, acoustically responsive, nanobubbles (~200–800 nm in diameter), a next-generation ultrasound contrast agent. First, medical ultrasound and bubble-based contrast agents are introduced, followed by the advantages of scaling down bubble size from an acoustic and biological viewpoint. Next, we present how lipid-encapsulated nanobubbles can be developed toward meeting clinically meaningful endpoints, from agent synthesis and characterization to in vivo considerations. Finally, future opportunities of nanobubbles for advanced applications in ultrasound diagnostic and therapeutic medicine are proposed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY