Bioeffect Flashcards
Science of identifying and measuring sound beam potential for biological effects
Dosimetry
Dosimetric Quantities:
- pressure
- power
- intensity
unit for pressure
Pascal
*force per unit area
unit for power
Watts
*rate at which work is performed
unit for intensity
W/cm2 or mW/cm2
*power per unit area
Ultrasound system output control will determine sound beam intensity, and the sonographer is directly responsible for the prudent use of ultrasound.
T or F ?
T
*prudent - acting with or showing care and thought for the future
Acoustic Exposure is determined by:
- sound beam intensity
- exposure time
To avoid over-exposure, only perform exam…
- when medically indicated
- with proper equipment settings
- while limiting exposure time
Current FDA regulatory limit SPTA =
720 mW/cm2
*SPTA: The Spatial Peak Temporal Average (SPTA) is the average intensity over a time and area
*SPTA: most common measurement for u/s bioeffects
For biosafety, intensity is described 2 ways:
- spatial: intensity related to space or distance
- Spatial Peak (max.) – area of beam with highest I
- Spatial Average – average beam I.
- Temporal: intensity over time
- Temporal Peak (max.) – highest I during “on” time
- Temporal Average – average I during “on” and “off” time
Three Types of Research:
- In vivo
- In vitro
- epidemiological
Vivo
within a living body
i.e. plants or animal
Vitro
outside the living body in an artificial environment.
i.e.
“in-glass” test tubes/petri dishes
Very high intensities can cause genetic damage and cell death
Epidemiological
long-term studies of people who have had u/s -mostly human fetuses (birth weight, anomalies, IQ, cancer, etc.). -No known effects when compared to fetuses without exposure.
What are the mechanical effects?
Radiation forces
streaming
acoustic cavitation
Cavitation occurs where there are existing gas bodies such as…
lungs, intestines, contrast agents
Mechanical Effects produces free radicals: 2 forms of cavitation….
- stable cavitation
- transient cavitation
What is mechanical index (MI)?
- Used to describe output in terms of possible cavitation
- Relates to likelihood of harmful bioeffects from cavitation
If MI is < 1
low risk of cavitation
If MI is > 1
risk of cavitation must be weighed against benefits of exam
*Related to Temporal Peak; thus, longer exposure time at high intensities will produce mechanical index > 1 and possible cavitation
What is cavitaion?
interaction of soundbeam with microscopic bubbles in tissue
Intensities ______ mW/cm2 will induce cavitation.
> 3300
AIUM accepted SPTA intensities range from ____mW/cm2 depending on application (grayscale, color Doppler, M-mode, pulsed Doppler)
1-290
What is stable cavitation?
- bubbles stay same size (they do not burst) but can still cause tissue damage
- bubbles grow and oscillate at lower MI levels
- Results in microstreaming in fluid surrounding cells and in cell shear stresses
What is transient cavitation?
- bubbles expand and collapse violently (i.e., they burst). Pressures are created in the tissue producing stress and cell death
- bubbles expand and collapse causing implosion at higher MI levels
- Results in shock waves and colossal temperatures.
Not as much is known about non-thermal (Mechanical) bioeffects compared to thermal issues
T or F ?
T
Cavitation is related to the ________ pressure
peak rarefactional
(the highest negative pressure)
◦ Bubbles are largest at peak rarefactional pressure
________ frequencies increase risk of cavitation
Lower
To minimize non-thermal bioeffects…
Decrease output power
Decrease dwell time
No adverse non-thermal bioeffects have been reported below ______ in tissues with existing gas bodies
0.4 MPa (≈ MI < 0.4)
In tissues without existing gas bodies, no adverse non-thermal bioeffects have been reported with _____
MI < 1.9
With ultrasound contrast, no adverse non-thermal bioeffects have been reported with _______
MI < 0.4
High MI from _____ pressure and _____ frequency
high
low
MI is proportional to _____ and related to ______
peak rarefactional pressure
Temporal Peak (TP)
FDA max MI =
1.9