Tom Matula, Ph.D.
Applied Physics Laboratory
E-mail: matula@apl.washington.edu


TITLE:

"The Mechanical Interaction Between Ultrasound Contrast Agents and Blood Vessels"


ABSTRACT:

Microbubbles are used in diagnostic ultrasound to improve image visualization. They average
only a couple of microns in diameter, so they must be coated with a shell to prevent
dissolution. The most popular shell is a lipid monolayer. Injected into the bloodstream, they
travel through the vasculature, manifesting as hyperechoic signals on the diagnostic ultrasound
system. Current research is focused on using these microbubbles as targeting and drug delivery
vehicles. This talk will describe ultrasound contrast agents, how these agents are
characterized, and how they mechanically interact with blood vessels, especially when
insonified by ultrasound pulses.