Comparison of the acoustic streaming in amniotic fluid and water in medical ultrasonic beams.
OBJECTIVE
Acoustic streaming in amniotic fluid has been investigated under a variety of conditions relevant to the diagnostic use of ultrasound.


METHODS
An ultrasonic Doppler method has been used for measurement. Streaming velocities have been compared with those generated in water for the same exposure conditions. Beams were generated by laboratory equipment simulating beams from clinical systems. The fluids were insonated IN VITRO using 3.5 MHz, 5 MHz and 7.5 MHz transducers in continuous wave (CW) and pulsed mode.


RESULTS
Acoustic streaming was measured in both amniotic fluid and water at the power levels 50 mW and 140 mW. Enhancement of velocities due to non-linear effects in high amplitude pulses was demonstrated for amniotic fluid as well as for water. The potential and limitations of present numeric methods for the prediction of acoustic streaming were explored.


CONCLUSIONS
Pulsed ultrasound caused similar streaming velocities in amniotic fluid and water while continuous wave beams induced significantly faster streaming in amniotic fluid than in water.
Zauhar
G
G
Medical Physics Department, Royal United Hospital, Bath BA1 3NG, UK. gordz@mamed.medri.hr
Duck
F A
FA
Starritt
H C
HC
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*