title: Mechanical clot damage from cavitation during sonothrombolysis.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) accelerates thrombolysis for ischemic stroke. Although the mechanisms are not fully understood, cavitation is thought to play an important role. The goal of this paper is to investigate the potential for cavitation to cause mechanical damage to a blood clot. The amount of damage to the fiber network caused by a single bubble expansion and collapse is estimated by two independent approaches: One based on the stretch of individual fibers and the other based on the energy available to break individual fibers. The two methods yield consistent results. The energy method is extended to the more important scenario of a bubble outside a blood clot that collapses asymmetrically creating an impinging jet. This leads to significantly more damage compared to a bubble embedded within the clot structure. Finally, as an example of how one can apply the theory, a simulation of the propagation of HIFU waves through model calvaria of varying density is explored. The maximum amount of energy available to cause damage to a blood clot increases as the density of the calvaria decreases.
authors: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-1740, USA.
authors: Hope L
authors: HL
authors: Weiss
authors: Prashanth
authors: P
authors: Selvaraj
authors: Kohei
authors: K
authors: Okita
authors: Yoichiro
authors: Y
authors: Matsumoto
authors: Arne
authors: A
authors: Voie
authors: Thilo
authors: T
authors: Hoelscher
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Szeri
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D019220:High-Energy Shock Waves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation; D006801:Humans; D061185:Mechanical Thrombolysis / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009716:Numerical Analysis, Computer-Assisted; D011312:Pressure; D012886:Skull / Q000528:radiation effects; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors