In vitro measurements of inertial cavitation thresholds in human blood.

Inertial cavitation thresholds were measured in human blood exposed to pulsed ultrasound. Freshly drawn blood, bank blood and aqueous dilutions of both were used in this experimental study. Micrometer-sized polystyrene particles were used as extra potential nuclei in some samples. Focused transducers with megahertz center frequencies (2.5 MHz, 4.3 MHz) were employed to generate pulsed ultrasound to induce cavitation. Specially designed cells for hosting the blood samples were made to adapt to the experimental environment. Cavitation threshold measurements were achieved by using an active cavitation detection scheme which utilizes a highly focused transducer with a much higher center frequency (30 MHz). In 50% diluted blood samples, when no polystyrene particles were added to the samples, the threshold for cavitation was about 4.1 MPa at 2.5 MHz, while no cavitation was detected at 4.3 MHz. Generally, the measured thresholds decrease in samples with lower volume concentration of red blood cells or when polystyrene particles were added to the samples. Results show that the measured thresholds in some circumstances are in the range of output pressure of diagnostic ultrasound instrumentation; but for whole, freshly drawn blood, our apparatus was unable to detect cavitation, even at 6.3 MPa.