Authors:

Ana S Hern

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About Paper:

Cardiovascular ultrasound imaging is critical for diagnosing and monitoring heart diseases. Nanobubbles (NBs) have been introduced as ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) to enhance image clarity and acoustic response. Despite recent advancements, limited research has been done to measure how the NB shell properties influence their detection by ultrasound (US). The goal of this project was to lessen this gap in research by evaluating the behavior of NBs as UCAs in response to alterations in shell composition. Building on previous studies about phospholipid-stabilized nanobubbles, which demonstrated the influence of membrane flexibility on the pressure threshold required for significant acoustic signal amplification, this project investigated how shell elasticity affects NB size distribution and echogenic behavior. The membrane elasticity was altered by adding differing ratios of propylene glycol and glycerol, due to their ability to modify the shell's elastic properties. Additionally, the lipid composition was altered by introducing a cis bond in the primary lipid, C-22. Size was quantified using DLS and the contrast was measured using qualitative image analysis of the US images. A key finding was that stiff NB-UCAs exhibited a longer shelf life but a low echogenic behavior while flexible NB-UCAs had more optimal echogenic behavior but a shorter shelf life. By optimizing the shell properties of UCA shells, this research aims to enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of cardiovascular ultrasound imaging. This research could lead to significant improvements in the accuracy and effectiveness of cardiovascular diagnoses, ultimately contributing to better patient outcomes. Keywords: Cardiovascular Ultrasound Imaging; Nanobubbles; Ultrasound Contrast Agents (UCAs); Shell Properties; Echiogenic

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

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Co-authors:

Ana S Hern