Characterization of Acoustic, Cavitation, and Thermal Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels for Use as Therapeutic Ultrasound Tissue Mimics.
Date
2022-06-01ICR Author
Author
Braunstein, L
Brüningk, SC
Rivens, I
Civale, J
Haar, GT
Type
Journal Article
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The thermal and mechanical effects induced in tissue by ultrasound can be exploited for therapeutic applications. Tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs), reflecting different soft tissue properties, are required for experimental evaluation of therapeutic potential. In the study described here, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were characterized. Hydrogels prepared using different concentrations (5%-20% w/w) and molecular weights of PVA ± cellulose scatterers (2.5%-10% w/w) were characterized acoustically (sound speed, attenuation) as a function of temperature (25°C-45°C), thermally (thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity) and in terms of their cavitation thresholds. Results were compared with measurements in fresh sheep tissue (kidney, liver, spleen). Sound speed depended most strongly on PVA concentration, and attenuation, on cellulose content. For the range of formulations investigated, the PVA gel acoustic properties (sound speed: 1532 ± 17 to 1590 ± 9 m/s, attenuation coefficient: 0.08 ± 0.01 to 0.37 ± 0.02 dB/cm) fell within those measured in fresh tissue. Cavitation thresholds for 10% PVA hydrogels (50% occurrence: 4.1-5.4 MPa, 75% occurrence: 5.4-8.2 MPa) decreased with increasing cellulose content. In summary, PVA cellulose composite hydrogels may be suitable mimics of acoustic, cavitation and thermal properties of soft tissue for a number of therapeutic ultrasound applications.
Collections
Subject
Acoustic properties
Cavitation thresholds
Focused ultrasound
High-intensity focused ultrasound
Phantom material
Poly(vinyl alcohol)
Therapeutic ultrasound
Thermal properties
Tissue mimic
Acoustics
Animals
Cellulose
Hydrogels
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Sheep
Temperature
Research team
Therapeutic Ultrasound
Language
eng
Date accepted
2022-02-06
License start date
2022-06-01
Citation
Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, 2022, 48 (6), pp. 1095 - 1109
Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC