title: Synthesis and characterization of transiently stable albumin-coated microbubbles via a flow-focusing microfluidic device.
abstract: We describe a method for synthesizing albumin-shelled, large-diameter (>10 μm), transiently stable microbubbles using a flow-focusing microfluidic device (FFMD). The microfluidic device enables microbubbles to be produced immediately before insonation, thus relaxing the requirements for stability. Both reconstituted fractionated bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fresh bovine blood plasma were investigated as shell stabilizers. Microbubble coalescence was inhibited by the addition of either dextrose or glycerol and propylene glycol. Microbubbles were observed to have an acoustic half-life of approximately 6 s. Microbubbles generated directly within a vessel phantom containing flowing blood produced a 6.5-dB increase in acoustic signal within the lumen. Microbubbles generated in real time upstream of in vitro rat aortic smooth muscle cells under physiologic flow conditions successfully permeabilized 58% of the cells on insonation at a peak negative pressure of 200 kPa. These results indicate that transiently stable microbubbles produced via flow-focusing microfluidic devices are capable of image enhancement and drug delivery. In addition, successful microbubble production with blood plasma suggests the potential to use blood as a stabilizing shell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Johnny L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Ali H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Dhanaliwala
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Klibanov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. Electronic address: jh7fj@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hossack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000295:instrumentation; D004355:Drug Stability; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D045423:Microbubbles; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D051381:Rats; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003287:Contrast Media; D012709:Serum Albumin
keywords: Albumin shell; Flow-focusing microfluidic device; Monodisperse microbubbles; Sonoporation; Ultrasound-mediated drug delivery