Stride, Eleanor Phoebe Jane;
(2005)
Characterisation and design of ultrasound agent particles.
Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Ultrasound contrast agents, consisting of gas bubbles coated with a surfactant or polymer shell, offer benefits in a range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, their behaviour both in vitro and in vivo is by no means fully understood and there remains considerable scope for increasing their effectiveness. The aim of the work described in this thesis is to improve the characterisation of existing contrast agents and to determine how future agents might be designed in order to optimise their performance. Previous theoretical and experimental work relating to both contrast agents and free gas bubbles will be reviewed. This will be followed by an assessment of the validity of the assumptions underlying existing models for contrast agents. In particular, examination will be made of: the modelling of the material coating the contrast agent particles (CAPs), the influence of blood cells upon CAP dynamics and multiple scattering of ultrasound in CAP suspensions. The results from a combination of computer simulations and experimental testing will be used to derive a new, generalised model for CAP behaviour. The model will be used to carry out a sensitivity analysis in order to identify the most significant factors controlling CAP behaviour. Based on these findings, a number of new designs will be developed, with the aim of enhancing CAP detectability at low insonation pressures. The designs will be evaluated in terms of their performance, based on the results of experiments using scale models. Finally, an assessment of the areas for future work will be made.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Characterisation and design of ultrasound agent particles |
| Identifier: | PQ ETD:602760 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Thesis digitised by ProQuest. Third party copyright material has been removed from the ethesis. Images identifying individuals have been redacted or partially redacted to protect their identity. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Mechanical Engineering |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1446818 |
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