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Kaushik A, Khan AH, Pratibha, Dalvi SV, Shekhar H. Effect of temperature on the acoustic response and stability of size-isolated protein-shelled ultrasound contrast agents and SonoVue. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 153:2324. [PMID: 37092939 DOI: 10.1121/10.0017682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Limited work has been reported on the acoustic and physical characterization of protein-shelled UCAs. This study characterized bovine serum albumin (BSA)-shelled microbubbles filled with perfluorobutane gas, along with SonoVue, a clinically approved contrast agent. Broadband attenuation spectroscopy was performed at room (23 ± 0.5 °C) and physiological (37 ± 0.5 °C) temperatures over the period of 20 min for these agents. Three size distributions of BSA-shelled microbubbles, with mean sizes of 1.86 μm (BSA1), 3.54 μm (BSA2), and 4.24 μm (BSA3) used. Viscous and elastic coefficients for the microbubble shell were assessed by fitting de Jong model to the measured attenuation spectra. Stable cavitation thresholds (SCT) and inertial cavitation thresholds (ICT) were assessed at room and physiological temperatures. At 37 °C, a shift in resonance frequency was observed, and the attenuation coefficient was increased relative to the measurement at room temperature. At physiological temperature, SCT and ICT were lower than the room temperature measurement. The ICT was observed to be higher than SCT at both temperatures. These results enhance our understanding of temperature-dependent properties of protein-shelled UCAs. These findings study may guide the rational design of protein-shelled microbubbles and help choose suitable acoustic parameters for applications in imaging and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Kaushik
- Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Aaqib H Khan
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Pratibha
- Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Sameer V Dalvi
- Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Himanshu Shekhar
- Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
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2
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Stiepel RT, Duggan E, Batty CJ, Ainslie KM. Micro and nanotechnologies: The little formulations that could. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10421. [PMID: 36925714 PMCID: PMC10013823 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The first publication of micro- and nanotechnology in medicine was in 1798 with the use of the Cowpox virus by Edward Jenner as an attenuated vaccine against Smallpox. Since then, there has been an explosion of micro- and nanotechnologies for medical applications. The breadth of these micro- and nanotechnologies is discussed in this piece, presenting the date of their first report and their latest progression (e.g., clinical trials, FDA approval). This includes successes such as the recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) as well as the most popular nanoparticle therapy, liposomal Doxil. However, the enormity of the success of these platforms has not been without challenges. For example, we discuss why the production of Doxil was halted for several years, and the bankruptcy of BIND therapeutics, which relied on a nanoparticle drug carrier. Overall, the field of micro- and nanotechnology has advanced beyond these challenges and continues advancing new and novel platforms that have transformed therapies, vaccines, and imaging. In this review, a wide range of biomedical micro- and nanotechnology is discussed to serve as a primer to the field and provide an accessible summary of clinically relevant micro- and nanotechnology platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca T. Stiepel
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Eliza Duggan
- North Carolina School of Science and MathematicsDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Cole J. Batty
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kristy M. Ainslie
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of PharmacyUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Joint Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State UniversityChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of MedicineUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
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Koo B, Liu Y, Abboud M, Qin B, Wu Y, Choi S, Kozak D, Zheng J. Characterizing how size distribution and concentration affect echogenicity of ultrasound contrast agents. ULTRASONICS 2023; 127:106827. [PMID: 36063769 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the effects of UCA gas bubble size distribution and concentration on the generated ultrasound echogenicity signal. Gas bubble size characterization using Coulter Counter and cryogenic-SEM revealed the hollow structure and rare presence of microbubbles >10 µm in a commercial UCA product, Lumason™. Volume-weighed size and concentration were observed to be more sensitive to changes in UCA bubble stability than number-weighted size and concentration. Size distribution measurements showed that the force (e.g., shaking/agitation energy) used to redisperse the sample did not affect the size distribution, concentration, or echogenicity of the UCA sample. The ultrasound backscattering coefficient (BSC) of size fractionated and serial diluted microbubbles showed that the echogenicity signal correlates most with UCA bubble concentration, especially volume-weighted concentration. Findings from this study may be used to support demonstrating the equivalence of a generic UCA product to the reference listed drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonhye Koo
- Division of Therapeutic Performance, Office of Research and Standards, Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States; Division of Biology, Chemistry and Materials Science, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Yunbo Liu
- Division of Applied Mechanics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Monica Abboud
- Division of Applied Mechanics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Bin Qin
- Division of Therapeutic Performance, Office of Research and Standards, Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Yong Wu
- Division of Biology, Chemistry and Materials Science, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Stephanie Choi
- Division of Therapeutic Performance, Office of Research and Standards, Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States
| | - Darby Kozak
- Division of Therapeutic Performance, Office of Research and Standards, Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States.
| | - Jiwen Zheng
- Division of Biology, Chemistry and Materials Science, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, United States.
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4
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Kumar M, Kumar D, Chopra S, Mahmood S, Bhatia A. Microbubbles: Revolutionizing Biomedical Applications with Tailored Therapeutic Precision. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:3532-3545. [PMID: 38151837 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128282478231219044000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past ten years, tremendous progress has been made in microbubble-based research for a variety of biological applications. Microbubbles emerged as a compelling and dynamic tool in modern drug delivery systems. They are employed to deliver drugs or genes to targeted regions of interest, and then ultrasound is used to burst the microbubbles, causing site-specific delivery of the bioactive materials. OBJECTIVE The objective of this article is to review the microbubble compositions and physiochemical characteristics in relation to the development of innovative biomedical applications, with a focus on molecular imaging and targeted drug/gene delivery. METHODS The microbubbles are prepared by using various methods, which include cross-linking polymerization, emulsion solvent evaporation, atomization, and reconstitution. In cross-linking polymerization, a fine foam of the polymer is formed, which serves as a bubble coating agent and colloidal stabilizer, resulting from the vigorous stirring of a polymeric solution. In the case of emulsion solvent evaporation, there are two solutions utilized in the production of microbubbles. In atomization and reconstitution, porous spheres are created by atomising a surfactant solution into a hot gas. They are encapsulated in primary modifier gas. After the addition of the second gas or gas osmotic agent, the package is placed into a vial and sealed after reconstituting with sterile saline solution. RESULTS Microbubble-based drug delivery is an innovative approach in the field of drug delivery that utilizes microbubbles, which are tiny gas-filled bubbles, act as carriers for therapeutic agents. These microbubbles can be loaded with drugs, imaging agents, or genes and then guided to specific target sites. CONCLUSION The potential utility of microbubbles in biomedical applications is continually growing as novel formulations and methods. The versatility of microbubbles allows for customization, tailoring the delivery system to various medical applications, including cancer therapy, cardiovascular treatments, and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India
| | - Devesh Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India
| | - Shruti Chopra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India
| | - Syed Mahmood
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Amit Bhatia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, Punjab 151001, India
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Plazonic F, LuTheryn G, Hind C, Clifford M, Gray M, Stride E, Glynne-Jones P, Hill M, Sutton JM, Carugo D. Bactericidal Effect of Ultrasound-Responsive Microbubbles and Sub-inhibitory Gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms on Substrates With Differing Acoustic Impedance. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:1888-1898. [PMID: 35798625 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this research was to explore the interaction between ultrasound-activated microbubbles (MBs) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, specifically the effects of MB concentration, ultrasound exposure and substrate properties on bactericidal efficacy. Biofilms were grown using a Centre for Disease Control (CDC) bioreactor on polypropylene or stainless-steel coupons as acoustic analogues for soft and hard tissue, respectively. Biofilms were treated with different concentrations of phospholipid-shelled MBs (107-108 MB/mL), a sub-inhibitory concentration of gentamicin (4 µg/mL) and 1-MHz ultrasound with a continuous or pulsed (100-kHz pulse repetition frequency, 25% duty cycle, 0.5-MPa peak-to-peak pressure) wave. The effect of repeated ultrasound exposure with intervals of either 15- or 60-min was also investigated. With polypropylene coupons, the greatest bactericidal effect was achieved with 2 × 5 min of pulsed ultrasound separated by 60 min and a microbubble concentration of 5 × 107 MBs/mL. A 0.76 log (83%) additional reduction in the number of bacteria was achieved compared with the use of an antibiotic alone. With stainless-steel coupons, a 67% (0.46 log) reduction was obtained under the same exposure conditions, possibly due to enhancement of a standing wave field which inhibited MB penetration in the biofilm. These findings demonstrate the importance of treatment parameter selection in antimicrobial applications of MBs and ultrasound in different tissue environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Plazonic
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gareth LuTheryn
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK; National Biofilms Innovation Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Charlotte Hind
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Melanie Clifford
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Michael Gray
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Glynne-Jones
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Martyn Hill
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - J Mark Sutton
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK; Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dario Carugo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK.
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6
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Azami RH, Aliabouzar M, Osborn J, Kumar KN, Forsberg F, Eisenbrey JR, Mallik S, Sarkar K. Material Properties, Dissolution and Time Evolution of PEGylated Lipid-Shelled Microbubbles: Effects of the Polyethylene Glycol Hydrophilic Chain Configurations. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:1720-1732. [PMID: 35697583 PMCID: PMC9357055 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.04.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is often added to the lipid coating of a contrast microbubble to prevent coalescence and improve circulation. At high surface density, PEG chains are known to undergo a transition from a mushroom configuration to an extended brush configuration. We investigated the effects of PEG chain configuration on attenuation and dissolution of microbubbles by varying the molar ratio of the PEGylated lipid in the shell with three (0%, 2% and 5%) in the mushroom configuration and two (10% and 20%) in the brush configuration. We measured attenuation through the bubble suspensions and used it to obtain the characteristic rheological properties of their shells according to two interfacial rheological models. The interfacial elasticity was found to be significantly lower in the brush regime (∼0.6 N/m) than in the mushroom regime (∼1.3 N/m), but similar in value within each regime. The dissolution behavior of microbubbles under acoustic excitation inside an air-saturated medium was studied by measuring the time-dependent attenuation. Total attenuation recorded a transient increase because of growth resulting from air influx and an eventual decrease caused by dissolution. Microbubble shell composition with varying PEG concentrations had significant effects on dissolution dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roozbeh H Azami
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mitra Aliabouzar
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jenna Osborn
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Krishna N Kumar
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Flemming Forsberg
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John R Eisenbrey
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sanku Mallik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
| | - Kausik Sarkar
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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7
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Spiekhout S, Voorneveld J, van Elburg B, Renaud G, Segers T, Lajoinie GPR, Versluis M, Verweij MD, de Jong N, Bosch JG. Time-resolved absolute radius estimation of vibrating contrast microbubbles using an acoustical camera. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 151:3993. [PMID: 35778226 DOI: 10.1121/10.0011619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) contrast agents consist of microbubbles ranging from 1 to 10 μm in size. The acoustical response of individual microbubbles can be studied with high-frame-rate optics or an "acoustical camera" (AC). The AC measures the relative microbubble oscillation while the optical camera measures the absolute oscillation. In this article, the capabilities of the AC are extended to measure the absolute oscillations. In the AC setup, microbubbles are insonified with a high- (25 MHz) and low-frequency US wave (1-2.5 MHz). Other than the amplitude modulation (AM) from the relative size change of the microbubble (employed in Renaud, Bosch, van der Steen, and de Jong (2012a). "An 'acoustical camera' for in vitro characterization of contrast agent microbubble vibrations," Appl. Phys. Lett. 100(10), 101911, the high-frequency response from individual vibrating microbubbles contains a phase modulation (PM) from the microbubble wall displacement, which is the extension described here. The ratio of PM and AM is used to determine the absolute radius, R0. To test this sizing, the size distributions of two monodisperse microbubble populations ( R = 2.1 and 3.5 μm) acquired with the AC were matched to the distribution acquired with a Coulter counter. As a result of measuring the absolute size of the microbubbles, this "extended AC" can capture the full radial dynamics of single freely floating microbubbles with a throughput of hundreds of microbubbles per hour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Spiekhout
- Biomedical Engineering, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jason Voorneveld
- Biomedical Engineering, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin van Elburg
- Physics of Fluids Group, Department of Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Renaud
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Tim Segers
- Biomedical and Environmental Sensor Systems (BIOS) Lab-on-a-Chip Group, Max Planck Center for Complex Fluid Dynamics, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Guillaume P R Lajoinie
- Physics of Fluids Group, Department of Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Versluis
- Physics of Fluids Group, Department of Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Martin D Verweij
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Nico de Jong
- Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes G Bosch
- Biomedical Engineering, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Myers JZ, Navarro-Becerra JA, Borden MA. Nanobubbles are Non-Echogenic for Fundamental-Mode Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1106-1113. [PMID: 35476906 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Microbubbles (1-10 μm diameter) have been used as conventional ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) for applications in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging. Nanobubbles (<1 μm diameter) have recently been proposed as potential extravascular UCAs that can extravasate from the leaky vasculature of tumors or sites of inflammation. However, the echogenicity of nanobubbles for CEUS remains controversial owing to prior studies that have shown very low ultrasound backscatter. We hypothesize that microbubble contamination in nanobubble formulations may explain the discrepancy. To test our hypothesis, we examined the size distributions of lipid-coated nanobubble and microbubble suspensions using multiple sizing techniques, examined their echogenicity in an agar phantom with fundamental-mode CEUS at 7 MHz and 330 kPa peak negative pressure, and interpreted our results with simulations of the modified Rayleigh-Plesset model. We found that nanobubble formulations contained a small contamination of microbubbles. Once the contribution from these microbubbles is removed from the acoustic backscatter, the acoustic contrast of the nanobubbles was shown to be near noise levels. This result indicates that nanobubbles have limited utility as UCAs for CEUS.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Z Myers
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - J Angel Navarro-Becerra
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Mark A Borden
- Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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9
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Riemer K, Rowland EM, Broughton-Venner J, Leow CH, Tang M, Weinberg PD. Contrast Agent-Free Assessment of Blood Flow and Wall Shear Stress in the Rabbit Aorta using Ultrasound Image Velocimetry. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:437-449. [PMID: 34876322 PMCID: PMC8843088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Blood flow velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) influence and are influenced by vascular disease. Their measurement is consequently useful in the laboratory and clinic. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound image velocimetry (UIV) can estimate them accurately but the need to inject contrast agents limits utility. Singular value decomposition and high-frame-rate imaging may render contrast agents dispensable. Here we determined whether contrast agent-free UIV can measure flow and WSS. In simulation, accurate measurements were achieved with a signal-to-noise ratio of 13.5 dB or higher. Signal intensity in the rabbit aorta increased monotonically with mechanical index; it was lowest during stagnant flow and uneven across the vessel. In vivo measurements with contrast-free and contrast-enhanced UIV differed by 4.4% and 1.9% for velocity magnitude and angle and by 9.47% for WSS. Bland-Altman analysis of waveforms revealed good agreement between contrast-free and contrast-enhanced UIV. In five rabbits, the root-mean-square errors were as low as 0.022 m/s (0.81%) and 0.11 Pa (1.7%). This study indicates that with an optimised protocol, UIV can assess flow and WSS without contrast agents. Unlike contrast-enhanced UIV, contrast-free UIV could be routinely employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Riemer
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ethan M Rowland
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Chee Hau Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mengxing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - P D Weinberg
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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10
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Nanomaterials as Ultrasound Theragnostic Tools for Heart Disease Treatment/Diagnosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031683. [PMID: 35163604 PMCID: PMC8835969 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of different nanomaterials (NMs) such as microbubbles (MBs), nanobubbles (NBs), nanodroplets (NDs), and silica hollow meso-structures have been tested as ultrasound contrast agents for the detection of heart diseases. The inner part of these NMs is made gaseous to yield an ultrasound contrast, which arises from the difference in acoustic impedance between the interior and exterior of such a structure. Furthermore, to specifically achieve a contrast in the diseased heart region (DHR), NMs can be designed to target this region in essentially three different ways (i.e., passively when NMs are small enough to diffuse through the holes of the vessels supplying the DHR, actively by being associated with a ligand that recognizes a receptor of the DHR, or magnetically by applying a magnetic field orientated in the direction of the DHR on a NM responding to such stimulus). The localization and resolution of ultrasound imaging can be further improved by applying ultrasounds in the DHR, by increasing the ultrasound frequency, or by using harmonic, sub-harmonic, or super-resolution imaging. Local imaging can be achieved with other non-gaseous NMs of metallic composition (i.e., essentially made of Au) by using photoacoustic imaging, thus widening the range of NMs usable for cardiac applications. These contrast agents may also have a therapeutic efficacy by carrying/activating/releasing a heart disease drug, by triggering ultrasound targeted microbubble destruction or enhanced cavitation in the DHR, for example, resulting in thrombolysis or helping to prevent heart transplant rejection.
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11
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Ultrasound contrast agents: microbubbles made simple for the pediatric radiologist. Pediatr Radiol 2021; 51:2117-2127. [PMID: 34117892 PMCID: PMC9288183 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-021-05080-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ability to provide prompt, real-time, easily accessible and radiation-free diagnostic assessments makes ultrasound (US) one of the most versatile imaging modalities. The introduction and development of stable microbubble-based ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) in the early 1990s improved visualization of complex vascular structures, overcoming some of the limitations of B-mode and Doppler imaging. UCAs have been used extensively in the adult population to visualize vasculature and to evaluate perfusion and blood flow dynamics in organs and lesions. Since the first observations that air bubbles within a liquid can generate a strong echogenic effect, to the early makeshift approaches with agitated saline, and later to the development of industrially produced and federally approved UCAs, these agents have evolved to become both clinically and commercially viable. Perhaps the most exciting potential of UCAs is being uncovered by current research that explores the use of these agents for molecular imaging and therapeutic applications. As contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) becomes more widely available, it is important for pediatric radiologists to understand the physics of the interaction between the US signal and the microbubbles in order to properly utilize them for the highest level of diagnostic imaging and interventions. In this article we introduce the composition of UCAs and the physics of their behavior in US, and we offer a brief history of their development over the last decades.
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12
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Paknahad AA, Kerr L, Wong DA, Kolios MC, Tsai SSH. Biomedical nanobubbles and opportunities for microfluidics. RSC Adv 2021; 11:32750-32774. [PMID: 35493576 PMCID: PMC9042222 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra04890b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine is increasing in recent years, which is attributable to the array of therapeutic and diagnostic tools promised by developing bulk nanobubble technologies. From cancer drug delivery and ultrasound contrast enhancement to malaria detection and the diagnosis of acute donor tissue rejection, the potential applications of bulk nanobubbles are broad and diverse. Developing these technologies to the point of clinical use may significantly impact the quality of patient care. This review compiles and summarizes a representative collection of the current applications, fabrication techniques, and characterization methods of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine. Current state-of-the-art generation methods are not designed to create nanobubbles of high concentration and low polydispersity, both characteristics of which are important for several bulk nanobubble applications. To date, microfluidics has not been widely considered as a tool for generating nanobubbles, even though the small-scale precision and real-time control offered by microfluidics may overcome the challenges mentioned above. We suggest possible uses of microfluidics for improving the quality of bulk nanobubble populations and propose ways of leveraging existing microfluidic technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip platforms, to expand the experimental toolbox of researchers working to develop biomedical nanobubbles. The use of bulk nanobubbles in biomedicine is increasing in recent years. This translates into new opportunities for microfluidics, which may enable the generation of higher quality nanobubbles that lead to advances in diagnostics and therapeutics.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Paknahad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada
| | - Liam Kerr
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada
| | - Daniel A Wong
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Michael C Kolios
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Department of Physics, Ryerson University Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada .,Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1T8 Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto 209 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 1W8 Canada.,Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 Canada
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13
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Vaidya PB, Oeffinger BE, Patel R, Lacerda Q, Powell J, Eisenbrey JR, Wheatley MA. Shaping the synthesis of surfactant-stabilized oxygen microbubbles to accommodate encapsulated drug. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 208:112049. [PMID: 34454362 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.112049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We have developed oxygen filled microbubbles, SE61O2, for localized, ultrasound-triggered oxygen delivery to hypoxic tumors prior to radiation therapy. Microbubbles, created by sonication, have a shell composed of D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and sorbitan monostearate. Preliminary studies in mice with breast tumor xenographs showed that increases in oxygen partial pressure levels lasted less than 3 min, which is insufficient for most clinical applications. Hence, we investigated the potential of incorporating a hydrophobic antiglycolytic drug, modeled with Nile red. A new fabrication method was developed by first creating drug-loaded TPGS micelles. The resulting microbubbles had similar shell compositions, physical size, morphology, and acoustic properties as the original method. However, microbubble yield was more than doubled, resulting in twice the encapsulation efficiency. For the TPGS micelle method these include similar shell compositions (94.4 ± 0.6 % Montane 60), physical size post freeze-drying and reconstitution (1.57 ± 0.42 μm), morphology (spherical), and acoustic properties (maximum enhancement 19.92 ± 0.55 dB). However, microbubble yield was more than doubled, resulting in twice the encapsulation efficiency (up to 10.49 %). We propose that a nonideal mixture is formed when the surfactants are combined by the standard method, resulting in the formation of mixed micelles that are more stable, making microbubble creation more difficult during the sonication step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva B Vaidya
- School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Brian E Oeffinger
- School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Raj Patel
- School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Quezia Lacerda
- School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States; Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
| | - Jacob Powell
- Department of Chemistry, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - John R Eisenbrey
- Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States
| | - Margaret A Wheatley
- School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States.
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14
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Carugo D, Browning RJ, Iranmanesh I, Messaoudi W, Rademeyer P, Stride E. Scaleable production of microbubbles using an ultrasound-modulated microfluidic device. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 150:1577. [PMID: 34470259 DOI: 10.1121/10.0005911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Surfactant-coated gas microbubbles are widely used as contrast agents in ultrasound imaging and increasingly in therapeutic applications. The response of microbubbles to ultrasound can be strongly influenced by their size and coating properties, and hence the production method. Ultrasonic emulsification (sonication) is the most commonly employed method and can generate high concentrations of microbubbles rapidly, but with a broad size distribution, and there is a risk of contamination and/or degradation of sensitive components. Microfluidic devices provide excellent control over microbubble size, but are often challenging or costly to manufacture, offer low production rates (<106s-1), and are prone to clogging. In this study, a hybrid sonication-microfluidic or "sonofluidic" device was developed. Bubbles of ∼180 μm diameter were produced rapidly in a T-junction and subsequently exposed to ultrasound (71-73 kHz) within a microchannel, generating microbubbles (mean diameter: 1-2 μm) at a rate of >108s-1 using a single device. Microbubbles were prepared using either the sonofluidic device or conventional sonication, and their size, concentration, and stability were comparable. The mean diameter, concentration, and stability were found to be comparable between techniques, but the microbubbles produced by the sonofluidic device were all <5 μm in diameter and thus did not require any post-production fractionation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Carugo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Browning
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ida Iranmanesh
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Walid Messaoudi
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Rademeyer
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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15
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Wu L, Xu S, Wang J, Paguirigan AL, Radich JP, Qin Y, Chiu DT. Capillary-Mediated Single-Cell Dispenser. Anal Chem 2021; 93:10750-10755. [PMID: 34319086 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c01879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Single-cell manipulation, sorting, and dispensing into multiwell plates is useful for single-cell multiomics studies. Here, we develop a single-cell dispenser inspired by electrohydrodynamic jet printing that achieves accurate droplet generation and single-cell sorting and dispensing using fused silica capillary tubing as both the optical detection window and nozzle for droplet dispensing. Parameters that affect droplet dispensing performance-capillary inner and outer diameter, flow rate, applied voltage, and solution properties-were optimized systematically with COMSOL simulations and experimentation. Small (5-10 nL) droplets were obtained by using 100-μm inner diameter and 160-μm outer diameter capillary tubing and allowed efficient encapsulation and dispensing of single cells. We demonstrate an application of this easy-to-assemble single-cell dispenser by sorting and dispensing cells into multiwell plates for single-cell PCR analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226019, P. R. China
| | - Shihan Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jingang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Amy L Paguirigan
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Jerald P Radich
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Yuling Qin
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226019, P. R. China
| | - Daniel T Chiu
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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16
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Collado-Lara G, Heymans SV, Godart J, D'Agostino E, D'hooge J, Van Den Abeele K, Vos HJ, de Jong N. Effect of a Radiotherapeutic Megavoltage Beam on Ultrasound Contrast Agents. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2021; 47:1857-1867. [PMID: 33810887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Collateral damage to healthy surrounding tissue during conventional radiotherapy increases when deviations from the treatment plan occur. Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are a possible candidate for radiation dose monitoring. This study investigated the size distribution and acoustic response of two commercial formulations, SonoVue/Lumason and Definity/Luminity, as a function of dose on clinical megavoltage photon beam exposure (24 Gy). SonoVue samples exhibited a decrease in concentration of bubbles smaller than 7 µm, together with an increase in acoustic attenuation and a decrease in acoustic scattering. Definity samples did not exhibit a significant response to radiation, suggesting that the effect of megavoltage photons depends on the UCA formulation. For SonoVue, the influence of the megavoltage photon beam was especially apparent at the second harmonic frequency, and can be captured using pulse inversion and amplitude modulation (3.5-dB decrease for the maximum dose), which could eventually be used for dosimetry in a well-controlled environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Collado-Lara
- Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Sophie V Heymans
- Department of Physics, KU Leuven Campus Kulak, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Jeremy Godart
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jan D'hooge
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Hendrik J Vos
- Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nico de Jong
- Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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17
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Jangjou A, Meisami AH, Jamali K, Niakan MH, Abbasi M, Shafiee M, Salehi M, Hosseinzadeh A, Amani AM, Vaez A. The promising shadow of microbubble over medical sciences: from fighting wide scope of prevalence disease to cancer eradication. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:49. [PMID: 34154581 PMCID: PMC8215828 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00744-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbubbles are typically 0.5-10 μm in size. Their size tends to make it easier for medication delivery mechanisms to navigate the body by allowing them to be swallowed more easily. The gas included in the microbubble is surrounded by a membrane that may consist of biocompatible biopolymers, polymers, surfactants, proteins, lipids, or a combination thereof. One of the most effective implementation techniques for tiny bubbles is to apply them as a drug carrier that has the potential to activate ultrasound (US); this allows the drug to be released by US. Microbubbles are often designed to preserve and secure medicines or substances before they have reached a certain area of concern and, finally, US is used to disintegrate microbubbles, triggering site-specific leakage/release of biologically active drugs. They have excellent therapeutic potential in a wide range of common diseases. In this article, we discussed microbubbles and their advantageous medicinal uses in the treatment of certain prevalent disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetic condition, renal defects, and finally, their use in the treatment of various forms of cancer as well as their incorporation with nanoparticles. Using microbubble technology as a novel carrier, the ability to prevent and eradicate prevalent diseases has strengthened the promise of effective care to improve patient well-being and life expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Jangjou
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Meisami
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Kazem Jamali
- Trauma Research Center, Shahid Rajaee (Emtiaz) Trauma Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Niakan
- Trauma Research Center, Shahid Rajaee (Emtiaz) Trauma Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Milad Abbasi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Shafiee
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Majid Salehi
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cells Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Ahmad Hosseinzadeh
- Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Research Center, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Mohammad Amani
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ahmad Vaez
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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18
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Al-Jawadi S, Thakur SS. Ultrasound-responsive lipid microbubbles for drug delivery: A review of preparation techniques to optimise formulation size, stability and drug loading. Int J Pharm 2020; 585:119559. [PMID: 32574685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-shelled microbubbles have received extensive interest to enhance ultrasound-responsive drug delivery outcomes due to their high biocompatibility. While therapeutic effectiveness of microbubbles is well established, there remain limitations in sample homogeneity, stability profile and drug loading properties which restrict these formulations from seeing widespread use in the clinical setting. In this review, we evaluate and discuss the most encouraging leads in lipid microbubble design and optimisation. We examine current applications in drug delivery for the systems and subsequently detail shell compositions and preparation strategies that improve monodispersity while retaining ultrasound responsiveness. We review how excipients and storage techniques help maximise stability and introduce different characterisation and drug loading techniques and evaluate their impact on formulation performance. The review concludes with current quality control measures in place to ensure lipid microbubbles can be reproducibly used in drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Al-Jawadi
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sachin S Thakur
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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19
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Theoretical and Experimental Gas Volume Quantification of Micro- and Nanobubble Ultrasound Contrast Agents. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12030208. [PMID: 32121484 PMCID: PMC7150797 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12030208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The amount of gas in ultrasound contrast agents is related to their acoustic activity. Because of this relationship, gas volume has been used as a key variable in normalizing the in vitro and in vivo acoustic behavior of lipid shell-stabilized bubbles with different sizes and shell components. Despite its importance, bubble gas volume has typically only been theoretically calculated based on bubble size and concentration that is typically measured using the Coulter counter for microbubbles and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) for nanoscale bubbles. However, while these methods have been validated for the analysis of liquid or solid particles, their application in bubble analysis has not been rigorously studied. We have previously shown that resonant mass measurement (RMM) may be a better-suited technique for sub-micron bubble analysis, as it can measure both buoyant and non-buoyant particle size and concentration. Here, we provide validation of RMM bubble analysis by using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to experimentally measure the gas volume of the bubble samples. This measurement was then used as ground truth to test the accuracy of theoretical gas volume predictions based on RMM, NTA (for nanobubbles), and Coulter counter (for microbubbles) measurements. The results show that the headspace GC/MS gas volume measurements agreed well with the theoretical predictions for the RMM of nanobubbles but not NTA. For nanobubbles, the theoretical gas volume using RMM was 10% lower than the experimental GC/MS measurements; meanwhile, using NTA resulted in an 82% lower predicted gas volume. For microbubbles, the experimental gas volume from the GC/MS measurements was 27% lower compared to RMM and 72% less compared to the Coulter counter results. This study demonstrates that the gas volume of nanobubbles and microbubbles can be reliably measured using headspace GC/MS to validate bubble size measurement techniques. We also conclude that the accuracy of theoretical predictions is highly dependent on proper size and concentration measurements.
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20
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Hernandez C, Abenojar EC, Hadley J, de Leon AC, Coyne R, Perera R, Gopalakrishnan R, Basilion JP, Kolios MC, Exner AA. Sink or float? Characterization of shell-stabilized bulk nanobubbles using a resonant mass measurement technique. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:851-855. [PMID: 30601524 PMCID: PMC6350620 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr08763f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Nano-sized shell-stabilized gas bubbles have applications in various fields ranging from environmental science to biomedical engineering. A resonant mass measurement (RMM) technique is demonstrated here as a new and only method capable of simultaneously measuring the size and concentration of buoyant and non-buoyant particles in a nanobubble sample used as a next-generation ultrasound contrast agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Hernandez
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
| | - Eric C. Abenojar
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
| | | | - Al Christopher de Leon
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
| | - Robert Coyne
- Malvern Panalytical
,
Westborough
, MA
, 01581 USA
| | - Reshani Perera
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
| | | | - James P. Basilion
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
| | - Michael C. Kolios
- Department of Physics
, Ryerson University
,
Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada M5B 2K3
| | - Agata A. Exner
- Department of Radiology
, Case Western Reserve University
,
Cleveland
, OH
, 44106 USA
.
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21
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Song KH, Harvey BK, Borden MA. State-of-the-art of microbubble-assisted blood-brain barrier disruption. Theranostics 2018; 8:4393-4408. [PMID: 30214628 PMCID: PMC6134932 DOI: 10.7150/thno.26869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Focused ultrasound with microbubbles promises unprecedented advantages for blood-brain barrier disruption over existing intracranial drug delivery methods, as well as a significant number of tunable parameters that affect its safety and efficacy. This review provides an engineering perspective on the state-of-the-art of the technology, considering the mechanism of action, effects of microbubble properties, ultrasound parameters and physiological variables, as well as safety and potential therapeutic applications. Emphasis is placed on the use of unified parameters, such as microbubble volume dose (MVD) and ultrasound mechanical index, to optimize the procedure and establish safety limits. It is concluded that, while efficacy has been demonstrated in several animal models with a wide range of payloads, acceptable measures of safety should be adopted to accelerate collaboration and improve understanding and clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-Ho Song
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Brandon K. Harvey
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Mark A. Borden
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
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22
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Shekhar H, Smith NJ, Raymond JL, Holland CK. Effect of Temperature on the Size Distribution, Shell Properties, and Stability of Definity ®. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:434-446. [PMID: 29174045 PMCID: PMC5759968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Physical characterization of an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) aids in its safe and effective use in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of temperature on the size distribution, shell properties, and stability of Definity®, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved UCA used for left ventricular opacification. A Coulter counter was modified to enable particle size measurements at physiologic temperatures. The broadband acoustic attenuation spectrum and size distribution of Definity® were measured at room temperature (25 °C) and physiologic temperature (37 °C) and were used to estimate the viscoelastic shell properties of the agent at both temperatures. Attenuation and size distribution was measured over time to assess the effect of temperature on the temporal stability of Definity®. The attenuation coefficient of Definity® at 37 °C was as much as 5 dB higher than the attenuation coefficient measured at 25 °C. However, the size distributions of Definity® at 25 °C and 37 °C were similar. The estimated shell stiffness and viscosity decreased from 1.76 ± 0.18 N/m and 0.21 × 10-6 ± 0.07 × 10-6 kg/s at 25 °C to 1.01 ± 0.07 N/m and 0.04 × 10-6 ± 0.04 × 10-6 kg/s at 37 °C, respectively. Size-dependent differences in dissolution rates were observed within the UCA population at both 25 °C and 37 °C. Additionally, cooling the diluted UCA suspension from 37 °C to 25 °C accelerated the dissolution rate. These results indicate that although temperature affects the shell properties of Definity® and can influence the stability of Definity®, the size distribution of this agent is not affected by a temperature increase from 25 °C to 37 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Shekhar
- Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
| | - Nathaniel J Smith
- Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Jason L Raymond
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christy K Holland
- Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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23
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Leow CH, Tang MX. Spatio-Temporal Flow and Wall Shear Stress Mapping Based on Incoherent Ensemble-Correlation of Ultrafast Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound Images. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:134-152. [PMID: 29037843 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.08.930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a technique for high-frame-rate ultrasound imaging velocimetry (UIV) is extended first to provide more robust quantitative flow velocity mapping using ensemble correlation of images without coherent compounding, and second to generate spatio-temporal wall shear stress (WSS) distribution. A simulation model, which couples the ultrasound simulator with analytical flow solution, was implemented to evaluate its accuracy. It is shown that the proposed approach can reduce errors in velocity estimation by up to 10-fold in comparison with the coherent correlation approach. Mean errors (ME) of 3.2% and 8.6% were estimated under a steady flow condition, while 3.0% and 10.6% were found under a pulsatile condition for the velocity and wall shear rate (WSR) measurement, respectively. Appropriate filter parameters were selected to constrain the velocity profiles before WSR estimations and the effects of incorrect wall tracking were quantified under a controlled environment. Although accurate wall tracking is found to be critical in WSR measurement (as a 200 µm deviation from the wall may yield up to a 60% error), this can be mitigated by HFR imaging (of up to 10 kHz) with contrast agents, which allow for improved differentiation of the wall-fluid boundaries. In vitro investigations on two carotid bifurcation phantoms, normal and diseased, were conducted, and their relative differences in terms of the flow patterns and WSR distribution were demonstrated. It is shown that high-frame-rate UIV technique can be a non-invasive tool to measure quantitatively the spatio-temporal velocity and WSS distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Hau Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Mulvana H, Browning RJ, Luan Y, de Jong N, Tang MX, Eckersley RJ, Stride E. Characterization of Contrast Agent Microbubbles for Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy Research. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2017; 64:232-251. [PMID: 27810805 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2016.2613991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The high efficiency with which gas microbubbles can scatter ultrasound compared with the surrounding blood pool or tissues has led to their widespread employment as contrast agents in ultrasound imaging. In recent years, their applications have been extended to include super-resolution imaging and the stimulation of localized bio-effects for therapy. The growing exploitation of contrast agents in ultrasound and in particular these recent developments have amplified the need to characterize and fully understand microbubble behavior. The aim in doing so is to more fully exploit their utility for both diagnostic imaging and potential future therapeutic applications. This paper presents the key characteristics of microbubbles that determine their efficacy in diagnostic and therapeutic applications and the corresponding techniques for their measurement. In each case, we have presented information regarding the methods available and their respective strengths and limitations, with the aim of presenting information relevant to the selection of appropriate characterization methods. First, we examine methods for determining the physical properties of microbubble suspensions and then techniques for acoustic characterization of both suspensions and single microbubbles. The next section covers characterization of microbubbles as therapeutic agents, including as drug carriers for which detailed understanding of their surface characteristics and drug loading capacity is required. Finally, we discuss the attempts that have been made to allow comparison across the methods employed by various groups to characterize and describe their microbubble suspensions and promote wider discussion and comparison of microbubble behavior.
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Owen J, McEwan C, Nesbitt H, Bovornchutichai P, Averre R, Borden M, McHale AP, Callan JF, Stride E. Reducing Tumour Hypoxia via Oral Administration of Oxygen Nanobubbles. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168088. [PMID: 28036332 PMCID: PMC5201233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia has been shown to be a key factor inhibiting the successful treatment of solid tumours. Existing strategies for reducing hypoxia, however, have shown limited efficacy and/or adverse side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for reducing tumour hypoxia using an orally delivered suspension of surfactant-stabilised oxygen nanobubbles. Experiments were carried out in a mouse xenograft tumour model for human pancreatic cancer (BxPc-3 cells in male SCID mice). A single dose of 100 μL of oxygen saturated water, oxygen nanobubbles or argon nanobubbles was administered via gavage. Animals were sacrificed 30 minutes post-treatment (3 per group) and expression of hypoxia-inducible-factor-1α (HIF1α) protein measured by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis of the excised tumour tissue. Neither the oxygen saturated water nor argon nanobubbles produced a statistically significant change in HIF1α expression at the transcriptional level. In contrast, a reduction of 75% and 25% in the transcriptional and translational expression of HIF1α respectively (p<0.001) was found for the animals receiving the oxygen nanobubbles. This magnitude of reduction has been shown in previous studies to be commensurate with an improvement in outcome with both radiation and drug-based treatments. In addition, there was a significant reduction in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in this group and corresponding increase in the expression of arrest-defective protein 1 homolog A (ARD1A).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Owen
- Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Conor McEwan
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Nesbitt
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Phurit Bovornchutichai
- Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond Averre
- Avrox Technologies Ltd. Copgrove, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Borden
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Anthony P. McHale
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - John F. Callan
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Manta S, Delalande A, Bessodes M, Bureau MF, Scherman D, Pichon C, Mignet N. Characterization of Positively Charged Lipid Shell Microbubbles with Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing (TRPS) Method: A Technical Note. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2016; 42:624-630. [PMID: 26653937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles are polydisperse microparticles. Their size distribution cannot be accurately measured from the current methods used, such as optical microscopy, electrical sensing or light scattering. Indeed, these techniques present some limitations when applied to microbubbles, which prompted us to investigate the use of an alternative technique: tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS). This technique is based on the principle of the Coulter counter with the advantage of being more flexible compared to other methods using this principle, since the flow rate, the potential difference and the pore size can be modulated. The main limitation of TRPS is that more than one size of nanopore membrane is required to obtain the full size distribution of polydisperse microparticles. To evaluate this technique, the concentration and the size distribution of positively charged microbubbles were studied using TRPS and compared to data obtained using optical microscopy. We describe herein the parameters required for the accurate measurement of microbubble concentration and size distribution by TRPS and present a statistical comparison of the data obtained by TRPS and optical microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Manta
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Team vectors for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, CNRS UTCBS UMR8258, INSERM UTCBS U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Delalande
- Center for Molecular Biophysics (CBM), CNRS UPR4301, Orléans, France
| | - Michel Bessodes
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Team vectors for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, CNRS UTCBS UMR8258, INSERM UTCBS U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Michel Francis Bureau
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Team vectors for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, CNRS UTCBS UMR8258, INSERM UTCBS U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Scherman
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Team vectors for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, CNRS UTCBS UMR8258, INSERM UTCBS U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Chantal Pichon
- Center for Molecular Biophysics (CBM), CNRS UPR4301, Orléans, France
| | - Nathalie Mignet
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Team vectors for molecular imaging and targeted therapy, CNRS UTCBS UMR8258, INSERM UTCBS U1022, Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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Leow CH, Bazigou E, Eckersley RJ, Yu ACH, Weinberg PD, Tang MX. Flow Velocity Mapping Using Contrast Enhanced High-Frame-Rate Plane Wave Ultrasound and Image Tracking: Methods and Initial in Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2015; 41:2913-2925. [PMID: 26275971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound imaging is the most widely used method for visualising and quantifying blood flow in medical practice, but existing techniques have various limitations in terms of imaging sensitivity, field of view, flow angle dependence, and imaging depth. In this study, we developed an ultrasound imaging velocimetry approach capable of visualising and quantifying dynamic flow, by combining high-frame-rate plane wave ultrasound imaging, microbubble contrast agents, pulse inversion contrast imaging and speckle image tracking algorithms. The system was initially evaluated in vitro on both straight and carotid-mimicking vessels with steady and pulsatile flows and in vivo in the rabbit aorta. Colour and spectral Doppler measurements were also made. Initial flow mapping results were compared with theoretical prediction and reference Doppler measurements and indicate the potential of the new system as a highly sensitive, accurate, angle-independent and full field-of-view velocity mapping tool capable of tracking and quantifying fast and dynamic flows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Hau Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Bazigou
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J Eckersley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alfred C H Yu
- Medical Engineering Program, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Peter D Weinberg
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Ja'afar F, Leow CH, Garbin V, Sennoga CA, Tang MX, Seddon JM. Surface Charge Measurement of SonoVue, Definity and Optison: A Comparison of Laser Doppler Electrophoresis and Micro-Electrophoresis. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2015; 41:2990-3000. [PMID: 26318559 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Microbubble (MB) contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is a promising tool for targeted molecular imaging. It is important to determine the MB surface charge accurately as it affects the MB interactions with cell membranes. In this article, we report the surface charge measurement of SonoVue, Definity and Optison. We compare the performance of the widely used laser Doppler electrophoresis with an in-house micro-electrophoresis system. By optically tracking MB electrophoretic velocity in a microchannel, we determined the zeta potentials of MB samples. Using micro-electrophoresis, we obtained zeta potential values for SonoVue, Definity and Optison of -28.3, -4.2 and -9.5 mV, with relative standard deviations of 5%, 48% and 8%, respectively. In comparison, laser Doppler electrophoresis gave -8.7, +0.7 and +15.8 mV with relative standard deviations of 330%, 29,000% and 130%, respectively. We found that the reliability of laser Doppler electrophoresis is compromised by MB buoyancy. Micro-electrophoresis determined zeta potential values with a 10-fold improvement in relative standard deviation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chee Hau Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Valeria Garbin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Charles A Sennoga
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - John M Seddon
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Leow CH, Iori F, Corbett R, Duncan N, Caro C, Vincent P, Tang MX. Microbubble Void Imaging: A Non-invasive Technique for Flow Visualisation and Quantification of Mixing in Large Vessels Using Plane Wave Ultrasound and Controlled Microbubble Contrast Agent Destruction. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2015; 41:2926-2937. [PMID: 26297515 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing recognition of the influence of the flow field on the physiology of blood vessels and their development of pathology. Preliminary work is reported on a novel non-invasive technique, microbubble void imaging, which is based on ultrasound and controlled destruction of microbubble contrast agents, permitting flow visualisation and quantification of flow-induced mixing in large vessels. The generation of microbubble voids can be controlled both spatially and temporally using ultrasound parameters within the safety limits. Three different model vessel geometries-straight, planar-curved and helical-with known effects on the flow field and mixing were chosen to evaluate the technique. A high-frame-rate ultrasound system with plane wave transmission was used to acquire the contrast-enhanced ultrasound images, and an entropy measure was calculated to quantify mixing. The experimental results were cross-compared between the different geometries and with computational fluid dynamics. The results indicated that the technique is able to quantify the degree of mixing within the different configurations, with a helical geometry generating the greatest mixing, and a straight geometry, the lowest. There is a high level of concordance between the computational fluid dynamics and experimental results. The technique could also serve as a flow visualisation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Hau Leow
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Francesco Iori
- Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Corbett
- Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Neill Duncan
- Imperial College Renal and Transplant Centre, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Colin Caro
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Vincent
- Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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30
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Maciulevicius M, Tamosiunas M, Jurkonis R, Venslauskas MS, Satkauskas S. Analysis of Metrics for Molecular Sonotransfer in Vitro. Mol Pharm 2015; 12:3620-7. [PMID: 26312556 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound induced microbubble (MB) cavitation is used to significantly enhance cell membrane permeabilization, thereby allowing delivery of various therapeutic agents into cells. In order to monitor and quantitatively control the extent of cavitation the uniform dosimetry model is needed. In present study we have simultaneously performed quantitative evaluation of three main sonoporation factors: (1) MB concentration, (2) MB cavitation extent, and (3) doxorubicin (DOX) sonotransfer into Chinese hamster ovary cells. MB concentration measurement results and passively recorded MB cavitation signals were used for MB sonodestruction rate and spectral root-mean-square (RMS) calculations, respectively. Subsequently, time to maximum value of RMS and inertial cavitation dose (ICD) quantifications were performed for every acoustic pressure value. This comprehensive research has led not only to explanation of relation of ICD and MB sonodestruction rate but also to the development of a new sonoporation metric: the inverse of time to maximum value of RMS (1/time to maximum value of RMS). ICD and MB sonodestruction rate intercorrelation and correlation with DOX sonotransfer suggest inertial cavitation to be the key mechanism for cell sonoporation. All these metrics were successfully used for doxorubicin sonotransfer prediction (R(2) > 0.9, p < 0.01) and therefore shows feasibility to be applied for future dosimetric applications for ultrasound-mediated drug and gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mindaugas Tamosiunas
- Biophysical Research Group, Vytautas Magnus University , Kaunas 44248, Lithuania
| | - Rytis Jurkonis
- Biomedical Engineering Institute, Kaunas University of Technology , Kaunas 44249, Lithuania
| | | | - Saulius Satkauskas
- Biophysical Research Group, Vytautas Magnus University , Kaunas 44248, Lithuania
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31
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Yeh JSM, Sennoga CA, McConnell E, Eckersley R, Tang MX, Nourshargh S, Seddon JM, Haskard DO, Nihoyannopoulos P. A Targeting Microbubble for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129681. [PMID: 26161541 PMCID: PMC4498921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale Microbubbles conjugated with targeting ligands are used as contrast agents for ultrasound molecular imaging. However, they often contain immunogenic (strept)avidin, which impedes application in humans. Although targeting bubbles not employing the biotin-(strept)avidin conjugation chemistry have been explored, only a few reached the stage of ultrasound imaging in vivo, none were reported/evaluated to show all three of the following properties desired for clinical applications: (i) low degree of non-specific bubble retention in more than one non-reticuloendothelial tissue; (ii) effective for real-time imaging; and (iii) effective for acoustic quantification of molecular targets to a high degree of quantification. Furthermore, disclosures of the compositions and methodologies enabling reproduction of the bubbles are often withheld. Objective To develop and evaluate a targeting microbubble based on maleimide-thiol conjugation chemistry for ultrasound molecular imaging. Methods and Results Microbubbles with a previously unreported generic (non-targeting components) composition were grafted with anti-E-selectin F(ab’)2 using maleimide-thiol conjugation, to produce E-selectin targeting microbubbles. The resulting targeting bubbles showed high specificity to E-selectin in vitro and in vivo. Non-specific bubble retention was minimal in at least three non-reticuloendothelial tissues with inflammation (mouse heart, kidneys, cremaster). The bubbles were effective for real-time ultrasound imaging of E-selectin expression in the inflamed mouse heart and kidneys, using a clinical ultrasound scanner. The acoustic signal intensity of the targeted bubbles retained in the heart correlated strongly with the level of E-selectin expression (|r|≥0.8), demonstrating a high degree of non-invasive molecular quantification. Conclusions Targeting microbubbles for ultrasound molecular imaging, based on maleimide-thiol conjugation chemistry and the generic composition described, may possess properties (i)–(iii) desired for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Shue-Min Yeh
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
- Imaging Sciences Department, Medical Research Council, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles A. Sennoga
- Imaging Sciences Department, Medical Research Council, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ellen McConnell
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Eckersley
- Imaging Sciences Department, Medical Research Council, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Xing Tang
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sussan Nourshargh
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John M. Seddon
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dorian O. Haskard
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Petros Nihoyannopoulos
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiology, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Rademeyer P, Carugo D, Lee JY, Stride E. Microfluidic system for high throughput characterisation of echogenic particles. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:417-428. [PMID: 25367757 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01206b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Echogenic particles, such as microbubbles and volatile liquid micro/nano droplets, have shown considerable potential in a variety of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The accurate prediction of their response to ultrasound excitation is however extremely challenging, and this has hindered the optimisation of techniques such as quantitative ultrasound imaging and targeted drug delivery. Existing characterisation techniques, such as ultra-high speed microscopy provide important insights, but suffer from a number of limitations; most significantly difficulty in obtaining large data sets suitable for statistical analysis and the need to physically constrain the particles, thereby altering their dynamics. Here a microfluidic system is presented that overcomes these challenges to enable the measurement of single echogenic particle response to ultrasound excitation. A co-axial flow focusing device is used to direct a continuous stream of unconstrained particles through the combined focal region of an ultrasound transducer and a laser. Both the optical and acoustic scatter from individual particles are then simultaneously recorded. Calibration of the device and example results for different types of echogenic particle are presented, demonstrating a high throughput of up to 20 particles per second and the ability to resolve changes in particle radius down to 0.1 μm with an uncertainty of less than 3%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Rademeyer
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK.
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Vlašín M, Lukáč R, Kauerová Z, Kohout P, Mašek J, Bartheldyová E, Koudelka Š, Korvasová Z, Plocková J, Hronová N, Turánek J. Specific contrast ultrasound using sterically stabilized microbubbles for early diagnosis of thromboembolic disease in a rabbit model. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE RECHERCHE VETERINAIRE 2014; 78:133-139. [PMID: 24688175 PMCID: PMC3962276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Specific contrast ultrasound is widely applied in diagnostic procedures on humans but remains underused in veterinary medicine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of microbubble-based contrast for rapid ultrasonographic diagnosis of thrombosis in small animals, using male New Zealand white rabbits (average weight about 3.5 kg) as a model. It was hypothesized that the use of microbubble-based contrast agents will result in a faster and more precise diagnosis in our model of thrombosis. A pro-coagulant environment had been previously established by combining endothelial denudation and external vessel wall damage. Visualization of thrombi was achieved by application of contrast microbubbles [sterically stabilized, phospholipid-based microbubbles filled with sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) gas] and ultrasonography. As a result, rapid and clear diagnosis of thrombi in aorta abdominalis was achieved within 10 to 30 s (mean: 17.3 s) by applying microbubbles as an ultrasound contrast medium. In the control group, diagnosis was not possible or took 90 to 180 s. Therefore, sterically stabilized microbubbles were found to be a suitable contrast agent for the rapid diagnosis of thrombi in an experimental model in rabbits. This contrast agent could be of practical importance in small animal practice for rapid diagnosis of thrombosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jaroslav Turánek
- Address all correspondence to Dr. Jaroslav Turánek; telephone: (420) 5-3333-1311; fax: +420 5 4121 1229; e-mail:
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Shekhar H, Awuor I, Thomas K, Rychak JJ, Doyley MM. The delayed onset of subharmonic and ultraharmonic emissions from a phospholipid-shelled microbubble contrast agent. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2014; 40:727-38. [PMID: 24582298 PMCID: PMC3997117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing the non-linear response of microbubble contrast agents is important for their efficacious use in imaging and therapy. In this article, we report that the subharmonic and ultraharmonic response of lipid-shelled microbubble contrast agents exhibits a strong temporal dependence. We characterized non-linear emissions from Targestar-p microbubbles (Targeson Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) periodically for 60 min, at 10 MHz excitation frequency. The results revealed a considerable increase in the subharmonic and ultraharmonic response (nearly 12-15 and 5-8 dB) after 5-10 min of agent preparation. However, the fundamental and the harmonic response remained almost unchanged in this period. During the next 50 min, the subharmonic, fundamental, ultraharmonic, and harmonic responses decreased steadily by 2-5 dB. The temporal changes in the non-linear behavior of the agent appeared to be primarily mediated by gas-exchange through the microbubble shell; temperature and prior acoustic excitation based mechanisms were ruled out. Further, there was no measurable change in the agent size distribution by static diffusion. We envisage that these findings will help obtain reproducible measurements from agent characterization, non-linear imaging, and fluid-pressure sensing. These findings also suggest the possibility for improving non-linear imaging by careful design of ultrasound contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Shekhar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ivy Awuor
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Joshua J Rychak
- Targeson Inc., San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marvin M Doyley
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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Shekhar H, Rychak JJ, Doyley MM. Modifying the size distribution of microbubble contrast agents for high-frequency subharmonic imaging. Med Phys 2014; 40:082903. [PMID: 23927358 DOI: 10.1118/1.4813017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Subharmonic imaging is of interest for high frequency (>10 MHz) nonlinear imaging, because it can specifically detect the response of ultrasound contrast agents (UCA). However, conventional UCA produce a weak subharmonic response at high frequencies, which limits the sensitivity of subharmonic imaging. We hypothesized that modifying the size distribution of the agent can enhance its high-frequency subharmonic response. The overall goal of this study was to investigate size-manipulated populations of the agent to determine the range of sizes that produce the strongest subharmonic response at high frequencies (in this case, 20 MHz). A secondary goal was to assess whether the number or the volume-weighted size distribution better represents the efficacy of the agent for high-frequency subharmonic imaging. METHODS The authors created six distinct agent size distributions from the native distribution of a commercially available UCA (Targestar-P®). The median (number-weighted) diameter of the native agent was 1.63 μm, while the median diameters of the size-manipulated populations ranged from 1.35 to 2.99 μm. The authors conducted acoustic measurements with native and size-manipulated agent populations to assess their subharmonic response to 20 MHz excitation (pulse duration 1.5 μs, pressure amplitudes 100-398 kPa). RESULTS The results showed a considerable difference between the subharmonic response of the agent populations that were investigated. The subharmonic response peaked for the agent population with a median diameter of 2.15 μm, which demonstrated a subharmonic signal that was 8 dB higher than the native agent. Comparing the subharmonic response of different UCA populations indicated that microbubbles with diameters between 1.3 and 3 μm are the dominant contributors to the subharmonic response at 20 MHz. Additionally, a better correlation was observed between the subharmonic response of the agent and the number-weighted size-distribution (R2=0.98) than with the volume-weighted size distribution (R2=0.53). CONCLUSIONS Modifying the size distribution of the agent appears to be a viable strategy to improve the sensitivity of high-frequency subharmonic imaging. In addition, when the size distribution of the UCA has not been suitably modified, the number-weighted size distribution is a useful parameter to accurately describe the efficacy of the agent for high-frequency subharmonic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Shekhar
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
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Satinover SJ, Dove JD, Borden MA. Single-particle optical sizing of microbubbles. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2014; 40:138-147. [PMID: 24139917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Single-particle optical sizing techniques are being used to determine the size distributions of microbubble ultrasound contrast agents and to study the dynamics of individual microbubbles during ultrasound stimulation. The goal of this study was to compare experimental light obscuration and scattering measurements of microbubble size distributions with predictions from generalized Lorenz-Mie scattering theory (GLMT). First, we illustrate that a mono-modal size distribution can be misrepresented by single-particle light obscuration measurements as multi-modal peaks because of non-linearities in the extinction cross section-versus-diameter curve. Next, polymer bead standards are measured to provide conversion factors between GLMT calculations and experimental flow cytometry scatter plots. GLMT calculations with these conversion factors accurately predict the characteristic Lissajous-like serpentine scattering plot measured by flow cytometry for microbubbles. We conclude that GLMT calculations can be combined with optical forward and side scatter measurements to accurately determine microbubble size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Satinover
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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Mai L, Yao A, Li J, Wei Q, Yuchi M, He X, Ding M, Zhou Q. Cyanine 5.5 conjugated nanobubbles as a tumor selective contrast agent for dual ultrasound-fluorescence imaging in a mouse model. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61224. [PMID: 23637799 PMCID: PMC3630137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobubbles and microbubbles are non-invasive ultrasound imaging contrast agents that may potentially enhance diagnosis of tumors. However, to date, both nanobubbles and microbubbles display poor in vivo tumor-selectivity over non-targeted organs such as liver. We report here cyanine 5.5 conjugated nanobubbles (cy5.5-nanobubbles) of a biocompatible chitosan-vitamin C lipid system as a dual ultrasound-fluorescence contrast agent that achieved tumor-selective imaging in a mouse tumor model. Cy5.5-nanobubble suspension contained single bubble spheres and clusters of bubble spheres with the size ranging between 400-800 nm. In the in vivo mouse study, enhancement of ultrasound signals at tumor site was found to persist over 2 h while tumor-selective fluorescence emission was persistently observed over 24 h with intravenous injection of cy5.5-nanobubbles. In vitro cell study indicated that cy5.5-flurescence dye was able to accumulate in cancer cells due to the unique conjugated nanobubble structure. Further in vivo fluorescence study suggested that cy5.5-nanobubbles were mainly located at tumor site and in the bladder of mice. Subsequent analysis confirmed that accumulation of high fluorescence was present at the intact subcutaneous tumor site and in isolated tumor tissue but not in liver tissue post intravenous injection of cy5.5-nanobubbles. All these results led to the conclusion that cy5.5-nanobubbles with unique crosslinked chitosan-vitamin C lipid system have achieved tumor-selective imaging in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyi Mai
- Department of Nanomedicine & Biopharmaceuticals, National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Anna Yao
- Department of Nanomedicine & Biopharmaceuticals, National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qiong Wei
- Department of Nanomedicine & Biopharmaceuticals, National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ming Yuchi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoling He
- University Hospital, China University of Geoscience, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mingyue Ding
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qibing Zhou
- Department of Nanomedicine & Biopharmaceuticals, National Engineering Research Center for Nanomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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