Real-Time Monitoring of Cavitation Effect of Microbubbles by MRI: In Vitro Experiments

Hsiung-Hao Li¹, Chung-Hsin Wang¹, Chih-Kuang Yeh¹, Hsu-Hsia Peng¹

To increase the permeability of the bloodVbrain barrier (BBB), using focused ultrasound (FUS) in the presence of microbubbles (MBs) is a well-known strategy for local, non-invasive, transient, and reversible BBB disruption. Gas-filled MBs itself can potentially be used as a unique MR contrast agent because of their magnetic susceptibility effect and localized manipulation via FUS cavitation. The pulse sequence of Half Fourier Acquisition Single Shot Turbo Spin Echo (HASTE) was used to real-time monitoring of signal changes of MBs during performing FUS.Different signal changes with varied conditions of MBs concentration and FUS power were demonstrated.