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Power density requirement of a 4 MHz micro-ultrasonic transducer for sonodynamic therapy

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Abstract

In this paper, we propose the use of micro-ultrasonic transducers (MUTs) for a therapeutic application in combination with a cancer drug. In particular, sonodynamic enhancement of doxorubicin cytotoxicity was investigated in vitro using human prostate cancer cells (PC3). Cells in suspensions were found to be two to three times more prone to the cytotoxic effect of ultrasound than adherent cells. With 60 s of tone-burst ultrasound (4 MHz, 50 ms repetition period, and 25% duty cycle) at 40 Watt/cm2 (spatial average–temporal average), cytotoxicity of doxorubicin treatment of adherent cells increased from 27 to 91%. The threshold ultrasonic power density required for any cytotoxicity enhancement to be observable was found to be 15 Watt/cm2 for PC3 cells with doxorubicin and tone burst ultrasound at 4 MHz. This is a level achievable by MUTs. The long term vision is to design implantable MUTs for sonodynamic therapy with the goal of improving treatment efficacy.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mr. J. Jackson and Dr. H. Burt at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC for their continuous support in laboratory work and advice on this project. We also thank the Biomedical Engineering Department staff at the UBC Hospital for lending us the ultrasound power meter. This project is supported in part by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (202095), National Science and Engineering Research Council Discovery Program (288229-04) and the Faculty of Applied Sciences, UBC (11R41755). MC is supported by Canada Research Chairs Tier 2 Program in MEMS and Nanotechnology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 6250 Applied Science Lane, UBC, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1ZT, Canada

    Tung Siu, Robert N. Rohling & Mu Chiao

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Robert N. Rohling

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  1. Tung Siu
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  2. Robert N. Rohling
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  3. Mu Chiao
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Correspondence to Mu Chiao.

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Siu, T., Rohling, R.N. & Chiao, M. Power density requirement of a 4 MHz micro-ultrasonic transducer for sonodynamic therapy. Biomed Microdevices 10, 89–97 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-007-9113-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-007-9113-z

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