Getting Up Close And Personal With Microbubbles

Since microbubbles are smaller than half the size of a red blood cell, seeing them with the naked eye isn’t an option. But Dr. Jonathan Lindner was able to capture and enhance the image of microbubbles moving through capillaries in the body.

Microbubbles are frequently used to enhance the clarity of ultrasounds, especially of the heart. Because the ribcage can obscure the heart as can conditions like obesity or lung disease, it isn’t always easy to get a clear cardiac picture. The picture on top shows a traditional cardiac ultrasound. The picture on the bottom is an ultrasound with microbubble enhancement. As you can see, it is much easier to see the heart when bubbles come into play.

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Credit courtesy Dr. Paul Grayburn

Another ultrasound advance with military roots is High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, or HIFU. It was intended to stop internal bleeding on the battlefield, but is now used to melt away certain kinds of tumors. Baylor’s Dr. Paul Grayburn explains.