Effects of tissue constraint on shock wave-induced bubble expansion in vivo

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Abstract
The collapse time of lithotripter shock wave-induced cavitation bubbles was found to be significantly reduced from in vitro (133–271 μs) to in vivo (34–99 μs), suggesting that bubble expansion in vivo could be severely constrained by the surrounding tissue. Calculations based on the Gilmore model for bubble dynamics suggest that inertial cavitation could be induced in blood, provided that appropriate nuclei are present. Without tissue constraint, the maximum bubble induced in blood by an HM-3 lithotripter was calculated in the range of 1.3 to 2.3 mm. These results suggest that intraluminal bubble expansion may cause the rupture of capillaries and small blood vessels during shock wave lithotripsy, especially when cavitation nuclei are introduced into the circulation.
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