Nonlinearities in the bioeffects of ultrasound

Abstract

Biological effects of ultrasound involve nonlinear phenomena (1) in the propagation of sound itself, (2) in the generation of acoustic cavitation, and (3) in the biochemistry, physiology, and pathology of the biological system. Most nonthermal bioeffects of interest to users of diagnostic ultrasound require acoustic pressures great enough that the wave can become distorted by nonlinear propagation. Under limiting conditions this process can increase the absorption parameter of weakly absorbing media by orders of magnitude and make the absorption parameter of a material such as water as great as the linear absorption coefficient of liver tissue. At low amplitudes the response of the bubbles is dominated by the acoustic pressure. At a critical acoustic pressure, however, the inertia of the surrounding medium becomes controlling. At this threshold of acoustic pressure a 10% or 20% increase in acoustic pressure leads to an increase in the collapse pressure in the bubble by orders of magnitude. The rates of biochemical processes, including denaturation of biological macromolecules, are exponential functions of the temperature. Whether the physical process of heating by ultrasound is linear or nonlinear, this leads to a very strong nonlinear dependence of thermal tissue damage and teratological effects upon the levels of ultrasound.