Real-Time Two-Dimensional Imaging of Microbubble Cavitation

Ultrasound cavitation of microbubble contrast agents has a potential for therapeutic applications, including sonothrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke. For safety, efficacy, and reproducibility of treatment, it is critical to evaluate the cavitation state (e. g. stable versus inertial forms of cavitation) and intensity in and around a treatment area. Acoustic Passive Cavitation Detectors (PCDs) have been used but do not provide spatial information. This paper presents a prototype of a 2D cavitation imager capable of producing images of the dominant cavitation state and intensity in a region of interest at a frame rate of 0.6Hz. The system is based on a modified ultrasound scanner (iE33, Philips) with a sector imaging probe (S5-1). Cavitation imaging is based on the spectral analysis of the acoustic signal radiated by the cavitating microbubbles: ultraharmonics of the excitation frequency indicate stable cavitation, while noise bands indicate inertial cavitation. The system demonstrates the capability to robustly identify stable and inertial cavitation thresholds of Definity microbubbles (Lantheus) in a vessel phantom through 3 ex-vivo human temporal bones, as well as to spatially map cavitation activities.