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Acoustic Droplet Vaporization of Endoskeletal Droplets
Acoustic Droplet Vaporization (ADV) of perfluorocarbon (PFC) droplets has shown promising results in generating in-situ microbubbles which can then be used for various biomedical applications such as contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging, blood brain barrier opening and targeted drug delivery. For this process, ease of acoustic vaporization and tunability in the acoustic thresholds required for vaporization of droplets is crucial for in-vivo applications. Endoskeletal droplets could help solve this issue as they have been shown to reduce the vaporization temperature of PFC. This project aims to use this known attribute of endoskeletal droplets to reduce and/or tune the acoustic thresholds required to acoustically vaporize PFC droplets.
Currently, low boiling point fluorocarbons (eg. perfluorobutane, C4F10) are being used for ADV studies for the sole reason that it can be vaporized at physiologically relevant acoustic thresholds. But the use of higher chain fluorocarbon (like perfluoropentane, PFP, C5F12) would be ideal as they are much more stable in circulation. Unfortunately, pure PFP droplets require very high acoustic thresholds to vaporize. Recently, endoskeletal droplets using perfluoropentane have shown some promising results in this field. Endoskeletal droplets are a novel kind of micron-sized droplets that contain a solid endoskeleton embedded inside a liquid droplet. These droplets consisting of PFP as the liquid component and linear long chain hydrocarbons as the solid component have shown the ability to both reduce as well as tune the vaporization temperature of PFP. This project aims to use this property to reduce and/or tune the acoustic threshold required for ADV. Additionally, coupled with a high-speed camera, study of the vaporization dynamics by looking at vapor nucleation and bubble formation is expected.
Currently, low boiling point fluorocarbons (eg. perfluorobutane, C4F10) are being used for ADV studies for the sole reason that it can be vaporized at physiologically relevant acoustic thresholds. But the use of higher chain fluorocarbon (like perfluoropentane, PFP, C5F12) would be ideal as they are much more stable in circulation. Unfortunately, pure PFP droplets require very high acoustic thresholds to vaporize. Recently, endoskeletal droplets using perfluoropentane have shown some promising results in this field. Endoskeletal droplets are a novel kind of micron-sized droplets that contain a solid endoskeleton embedded inside a liquid droplet. These droplets consisting of PFP as the liquid component and linear long chain hydrocarbons as the solid component have shown the ability to both reduce as well as tune the vaporization temperature of PFP. This project aims to use this property to reduce and/or tune the acoustic threshold required for ADV. Additionally, coupled with a high-speed camera, study of the vaporization dynamics by looking at vapor nucleation and bubble formation is expected.
The main goal of this project is to achieve acoustic droplet vaporization of endoskeletal droplets using perfluoropentane as the liquid component and studying the vaporization dynamics using a high-speed camera system. The goals of the project can be summarized as the following:
1. Literature review on ADV processes and vaporization properties of endoskeletal droplets.
2. Generation of solid-in-liquid perlfuoropentane endoskeletal droplets using amalgamation or microfluidics.
3. Investigate the ADV properties and acoustic thresholds required to vaporize endoskeletal droplets and compare with pure perfluoropentane droplets.
4. Explore tunability in acoustic thresholds.
5. High speed imaging of acoustic vaporization
6. Substitute goal: High speed imaging and analysis of dynamics of bubble formation during vaporization of endoskeletal droplets without using acoustics.
The main goal of this project is to achieve acoustic droplet vaporization of endoskeletal droplets using perfluoropentane as the liquid component and studying the vaporization dynamics using a high-speed camera system. The goals of the project can be summarized as the following: 1. Literature review on ADV processes and vaporization properties of endoskeletal droplets. 2. Generation of solid-in-liquid perlfuoropentane endoskeletal droplets using amalgamation or microfluidics. 3. Investigate the ADV properties and acoustic thresholds required to vaporize endoskeletal droplets and compare with pure perfluoropentane droplets. 4. Explore tunability in acoustic thresholds. 5. High speed imaging of acoustic vaporization 6. Substitute goal: High speed imaging and analysis of dynamics of bubble formation during vaporization of endoskeletal droplets without using acoustics.
For further information please contact Dr. Gazendra Shakya. E-mail : gshakya@ethz.ch
For further information please contact Dr. Gazendra Shakya. E-mail : gshakya@ethz.ch