Nucleation threshold of carbon black ultrasound contrast agent

Abstract Most ultrasound contrast agents used in ultrasonic imaging comprise shell-encapsulated microbubbles, whose ingredients have been associated with adverse bioeffects. In this study, we investigated the nucleation behaviour of carbon black dispersion, hydrophobic nanoparticles are intradermally. For a hypothetical, perfectly spherical particle surrounded by gaseous void, derived theoretical threshold only 1.3× resting radius. Carbon particles and aggregates thereof were using high-speed photography during 1.0 MHz sonication. The found experimentally is lower than Blake cavitation 2.0× radius free, unencapsulated microbubbles. Therefore, dispersion may be promising agent.