Deformation and rupture of lipid vesicles in the strong shear flow generated by ultrasound-driven microbubbles

Abstract

Considering the elastic response of the membrane of a lipid vesicle (artificial cell) in an arbitrary three-dimensional shear flow, we derive analytical predictions of vesicle shape and membrane tension for vesicles close to a spherical shape. Large amplitude deviations from sphericity are described using boundary integral numerical simulations. Two possible modes of vesicle rupture are found and compared favourably with experiments: (i) for large enough shear rates the tension locally exceeds a rupture threshold and a pore opens at the waist of the vesicle and (ii) for large elongations the local tension becomes negative, leading to buckling and tip formation near a pole of the vesicle. We experimentally check these predictions in the case of strong acoustic streaming flow generated near ultrasound-driven microbubbles, such as those used in medical applications.