Cavitation-induced streaming in shock wave lithotripsy.

Cavitation generated by lithotripter shock waves (SWs) in non-degassed water was studied using a 60 frames-per-second camcorder-recording the migration of microbubbles over successive SWs. Lithotripter SWs were produced using a Dornier DoLi-50 electromagnetic lithotripter at 0.5 and 2 Hz pulse repetition frequency (PRF). Cavitation was affected by PRF and by the power level (PL) of the lithotripter. At slow PRF, such as shots fired many seconds apart, cavitation was relatively sparse and bubble clouds flowed in the direction of SW propagation. When PRF was increased, the bubble clouds generated by one SW were amplified by subsequent SWs. Cloud amplification was accompanied by an apparent change in the pattern of bubble migration. Whereas bubbles continued to enter the field of view from the prefocal side, the main bubble cloud remained near the focal point. This was due to a streaming of bubbles opposite to the direction of SW propagation. Increasing the PL grew the cavitation field and enhanced the flow of bubbles opposite to the direction of SW propagation. Stepping up the PL acted to push the broad cloud progressively prefocally (toward the SW source), shifting the position of the plane at which the opposing directional bubble flows collided. (NIH DK43881).