The kinetics and mechanics of ultrasonically-induced cell lysis produced by non-trapped bubbles in a rotating culture tube.

The kinetics of ultrasonically-induced cell lysis are examined in terms of classical radiation biology target theory. A theoretical expression relating the concentration of intact cells remaining after a given period of sonication in a rotating culture tube to the number of non-trapped bubbles, l, which a cell must encounter in order to be lysed is obtained. The expression is compared to experimental results in order to determine the actual value of l. It is found that l equals one (1). The concentration of non-trapped bubbles which is responsible for the observed cell lysis is calculated to be 250-500 cm-3. Finally, it is proposed that non-trapped bubbles tunnel into cells while undergoing stable cavitation and that cell lysis is produced by one or more transient events inside the cell.