Influence of shock wave pressure amplitude and pulse repetition frequency on the lifespan, size and number of transient cavities in the field of an electromagnetic lithotripter.

Monitoring the generation of cavitation is of great interest for diagnostic and therapeutic use of ultrasound in medicine, since cavitation is considered to play a major role in nonthermal ultrasound interactions with tissue. Important parameters are the number of cavitation events and the energy released during the bubble collapse. This energy is correlated to the maximum bubble radius which is related to the cavitation lifespan. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the influence of the acoustic pressure amplitude and the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) in the field of a lithotripter (Lithostar, Siemens) on the number, size and lifespan of transient cavitation bubbles in water. We used scattered laser light recorded by a photodiode and stroboscopic photographs to monitor the cavitation activity. We found that PRF (range 0.5-5 Hz) had no influence on the cavitation bubble lifespan and size, whereas lifespan and size increased with the acoustic pressure amplitude. In contrast, the number of cavitation events strongly increased with PRF, whereas the pressure amplitude had no significant influence on the number of cavitation events. Thus, by varying the pressure amplitude and PRF, it might be possible to deliver a defined relative number of cavitations at a defined relative energy level in a defined volume. This seems to be relevant to further studies that address the biological effects of transient cavitation occurring in the fields of lithotripters.