Abstract
Cavitation is thought to be one mechanism for vessel rupture during shock wave lithotripsy treatment. However, just how cavitation induces vessel rupture remains unknown. In this work, a high-speed photomicrography system was set up to directly observe the dynamics of bubbles inside blood vessels in ex vivo rat mesenteries. Vascular rupture correlating to observed bubble dynamics were examined by imaging bubble extravasation and dye leakage. The high-speed images show that bubble expansion can cause vessel distention, and bubble collapse can lead to vessel invagination. Liquid jets were also observed to form. Our results suggest that all three mechanisms, vessel distention, invagination and liquid jets, can contribute to vessel rupture.
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Acknowledgments
Work supported by NIH grants EB000350, AR053652, DK043881 and DK070618.
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Proceedings paper from the 3rd International Urolithiasis Research Symposium, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 3–4 December 2009.
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Chen, H., Brayman, A.A., Bailey, M.R. et al. Blood vessel rupture by cavitation. Urol Res 38, 321–326 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-010-0302-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-010-0302-5