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Ultrason Sonochem. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 January 1.

Published in final edited form as: Ultrason Sonochem. 2012 January ; 19(1): 198–208. doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2011.05.010.

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PRODUCTION OF UNIFORMLY SIZED SERUM ALBUMIN AND DEXTROSE MICROBUBBLES

Michael J. Borrelli1, William D. O’Brien Jr2, Laura J. Bernock1, Heather R. Williams1, Eric Hamilton1, Jonah Wu1, Michael L. Oelze2, and William C. Culp1 1Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street Slot #556, Little Rock, AR 72205

2Bioacoustics

Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 405 North Matthews, Urbana, IL 61801

Abstract

Uniformly-sized preparations with average microbubble (MB) diameters from 1 µm to 7 µm were produced reliably by sonicating decafluorobutane-saturated solutions of serum albumin and dextrose. Detailed protocols for producing and size-separating the MBs are presented, along with the effects that changing each production parameter (serum albumin concentration, sonication power, sonication time, etc.) had on MB size distribution and acoustic stability. These protocols can be used to produce MBs for experimental applications or serve as templates for developing new protocols that yield MBs with physical and acoustic properties better suited to specific applications. Size stability and ultrasonic performance quality control tests were developed to assure that successive MB preparations perform identically and to distinguish the physical and acoustic properties of identically sized MBs produced with different serum albumin-dextrose formulations and sonication parameters. MBs can be stored at 5°C for protracted periods (2 weeks to one year depending on formulation).

Keywords microbubble; ultrasound; contrast agent; production;...