Cardiovascular bubble dynamics.

Gas bubbles can form in the cardiovascular system as a result of patho-physiological conditions or can be intentionally introduced for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. The dynamic behavior of these bubbles is caused by a variety of mechanisms, such as inertia, pressure, interfacial tension, viscosity, and gravity. We review recent advances in the fundamental mechanics and applications of cardiovascular bubbles, including air embolism, ultrasound contrast agents, targeted microbubbles for drug delivery and molecular imaging, cavitation-induced tissue erosion for ultrasonic surgery, microbubble-induced angiogenesis and arteriogenesis, and gas embolotherapy.