In vivo detection of ultrasonically induced cavitation by a fibre-optic technique.

The measurement of cavitation events in tissue in vivo would greatly assist us to better understand how pulsed high energy ultrasound (PHEUS) interacts with living tissues, especially with regard to cancer therapy. To accomplish this, we designed and built a fibre-optic hydrophone. The principle was to couple the light of a laser diode into a lightfibre and to register the ultrasound induced modification of the refractive index in tissue. In this manner, the cavitation event could be quantitatively investigated both in water and in vivo. The structure of the bubble dynamic is in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions, and in vitro measurements. With the fibre-optic set-up, the pressure signal can also be detected. PHEUS was generated by an electromagnetic source adapted from a commercial lithotripter (Lithostar Siemens). As biological tissue we used the experimental R3327-AT1 Dunning prostate tumor growing subcutaneously in the thigh of male Copenhagen rats. The lifetime of the cavitation bubble in water increased with the energy level of the ultrasonic pulse from 250 microseconds at 13 kV capacitor voltage to 750 microseconds at 21 kV, while the lifetime inside the tumor tissue in vivo increased only from 100 microseconds at 13 kV to 220 microseconds at 21 kV capacitor voltage.