# ASSESSMENT OF CAVITATION FROM DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND

> **NIH NIH R01** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $137,572

## Abstract

The use of ultrasound in diagnostic medicine has grown at a phenomenal rate
in the last few years, and ultrasonic scanners are now readily available to
physicians and health care professionals.  Although there have been no
clinically established health risks associated with diagnostic ultrasound,
there has been some scientific evidence that even microsecond length pulses
of high intensity ultrasound can produce cavitation in liquids and in
biological systems (e.g. Drosophila larvae that have air-filled tracheae).
Since microsecond-length pulses can only produce bubbles on the scale of
single biological cells, it is necessary in assessing the likelihood of
cavitation from diagnostic ultrasound to develop methods for monitoring
this localized cavitation.  Two complementary methods are proposed.  In
one, the aqueous medium used in these in vitro tests is seeded with
superheated drops which will vaporize if cavitation occurs in or near
them.  These drop vaporizations [which are also employed in neutron
detection] serve to amplify the localized cavitation events so that they
can be measured with common acoustic techniques.  The second technique not
only measures the presence of cavitation but also the strength of a
cavitation event by monitoring photons produced from either
sonoluminescence or chemiluminescence (if luminol is disolved in the
sample).  By employing these techniques we will be able to delimit the
conditions of pressure amplitude, frequency, pulse duration, and pulse
repetition frequency in which cavitation can occur if gas nuclei of
appropriate size and concentration are present.  If some of these
conditions overlap with the operating conditions of commercial diagnostic
equipment, then we will determine if cavitation does indeed occur in vitro
using this equipment as an acoustic source.  Finally, if cavitation is
still observed, we will make suggestions for some extensions of the present
work to in vivo situations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3178260
- **Project number:** 5R01CA039374-03
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** FL6GV84CKN57
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT E APFEL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $137,572
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-09-01 → 1989-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3178260

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3178260, ASSESSMENT OF CAVITATION FROM DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND (5R01CA039374-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3178260. Licensed CC0.

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