Cavitation selectively reduces the negative-pressure phase of lithotripter shock pulses.
Measurements using a fiber-optic probe hydrophone, high-speed camera, and B-mode ultrasound showed attenuation of the trailing negative-pressure phase of a lithotripter shock pulse under conditions that favor generation of cavitation bubbles, such as in water with a high content of dissolved gas or at high pulse repetition rate where more cavitation nuclei persisted between pulses. This cavitation-mediated attenuation of the acoustic pulse was also observed to increase with increasing amplitude of source discharge potential, such that the negative-pressure phase of the pulse can remain fixed in amplitude even with increasing source discharge potential.
Pishchalnikov
Yuri A
YA
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635, Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA (Tele: 317-274-0548; FAX: 317-278-2040), yura@anatomy.iupui.edu.
Sapozhnikov
Oleg A
OA
Bailey
Michael R
MR
Pishchalnikova
Irina V
IV
Williams
James C
JC
McAteer
James A
JA