J. Carl Kumaradas

The measurement of ultrasound scattering from individual micron-sized objects and its application in single cell scattering

The measurement of the ultrasound backscatter from individual micron-sized objects such as cells is required for various applications such as tissue characterization. However, performing such a measurement remains a challenge. For example, the presence of air bubbles in a suspension of cells during the measurements may lead to the incorrect interpretation of the acoustic signals. This work introduces a technique for measuring the ultrasound backscatter from individual micron-sized objects by combining a microinjection system with a co-registered optical microscope and an ultrasound imaging device. This allowed the measurement of the ultrasound backscatter response from a single object under optical microscope guidance. The optical and ultrasonic data were used to determine the size of the object and to deduce its backscatter responses, respectively. In order to calibrate the system, the backscatter frequency responses from polystyrene microspheres were measured and compared to theoretical predictions. A very good agreement was found between the measured backscatter responses of individual microspheres and theoretical predictions of an elastic sphere. The backscatter responses from single OCI-AML-5 cells were also investigated. It was found that the backscatter responses from AML cells are best modeled using the fluid sphere model. The advantages, limitations, and future applications of the developed technique are discussed.

A study of high frequency ultrasound scattering from non-nucleated biological specimens

The high frequency backscatter from cells with a nucleus to cell volume ratio of 0.50 cannot be adequately modeled as a homogeneous sphere. It was hypothesized that the cytoplasm of such cells is of fluid nature. This work attempts to model the ultrasound backscatter (10-62 MHz) from some non-nucleated biological specimens. This was done by measuring the backscatter response from individual sea urchin oocytes and comparing it to theoretical predictions in both the time and frequency domains. A good agreement was found between the experimental and theoretical results suggesting that the non-nucleated oocytes are of fluid nature.

Surface modes and acoustic scattering of microspheres and ultrasound contrast agents.

Surface modes of spherical objects subject to ultrasound excitation have been recently proposed to explain experimental measurements of scattering from microspheres and ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs). In this work, the relationship between surface modes and resonance frequencies of microspheres and UCAs is investigated. A finite-element model, built upon the fundamentals of wave propagation and structural mechanics, was introduced and validated against analytical solutions (error <5%). Numerical results showed the existence of a systematic relationship between resonance frequencies and surface modes of a 30 μm microsphere driven at 1-70 MHz. On the contrary, for a 100 nm shelled, 4 μm diameter UCA, no clear relationship between the resonance frequencies and the surface modes was found in the frequency range examined. Instead, the UCA exhibited a collection of complex oscillations, which appear to be a combination of various surface modes and displacements. A study of the effects of varying the shell properties on the backscatter showed the presence of peaks in the backscatter of thick-shelled UCAs, which are not predicted by previous models. In summary, this work presents a systematic effort to examine scattering and surface modes from ultrasound contrast agents using finite-element models.

Steady flow through a constricted cylinder by multiparticle collision dynamics

The flow characterization of blood through healthy and diseased flow geometries is of interest to researchers and clinicians alike, as it may allow for early detection, and monitoring, of cardiovascular disease. In this paper, we use a numerically efficient particle-based flow model called multiparticle collision dynamics (MPC for short) to study the effect of compressibility and slip of flow of a Newtonian fluid through a cylinder with a local constriction. We use a cumulative averaging method to compare our MPC results to the finite-element solution of the incompressible no-slip Navier-Stokes equations in the same geometry. We concentrate on low Reynolds number flows [

The role of morphology and coupling of gold nanoparticles in optical breakdown during picosecond pulse exposures

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Towards the modeling of high‐frequency ultrasound scattering from cells

] and quantify important differences observed between the MPC results and the Navier-Stokes solution in constricted geometries. In particular, our results show that upstream recirculating zones can form with the inclusion of slip and compressibility, which are not observed in the flow of an incompressible Newtonian fluid using the no-slip assumption, but have been observed experimentally for blood. Important flow features are also presented that could be used as indicators to observe compressibility and slip in experimental data where near-wall data may be difficult to obtain. Finally, we found that the cumulative averaging method used is ideal for steady particle-based flow methods, as macroscopic no-slip is readily obtained using the MPC bounce-back rule. Generally, a small spurious slip is seen using other averaging methods such as weighted spatial averages or averages over several runs, and the bounce-back rule has to be modified so as to achieve macroscopic no-slip. No modifications of the bounce-back rule were required for our simulations.

Finite‐element modeling of microsphere surface modes and high‐frequency ultrasound scattering from a single cell

Plasmonic gold nanorods (AuNRs) coated with four different thickness silver shells (AuNR\Ags) were synthesized and tested for their efficiency in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) signal enhancement for biomedical applications. Both AuNRs and AuNR\Ags were prepared using a modified seed-mediated method and then characterized using TEM, XPS and UV-vis spectroscopy. All four bimetallic nanorods used in our experiments started from gold nanorod (AuNR) cores (of 36 nm length and 12 nm diameter) which were coated with a 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 nm thick layer of silver. SERS spectra were obtained for each thickness of AuNR\Ag Raman agent using a Raman reporter – organic molecule p-aminothiophenol (PATP). Moreover, to confirm experimental findings a numerical model was built using COMSOL Multiphysics and solved for a single AuNR\Ag interaction with light on a silica substrate. The highest SERS signal at the incident wavelength of 784 nm, was observed for AuNR\Ags coated with a 1 nm thick silver shell. The numerical model confirmed experimental findings and predicted the highest near-field enhancement in the vicinity of nanoparticles on top of a silica substrate at 784 nm wavelength, for an AuNR\Ag with the same 1 nm silver shell thickness.

Enhancing the Toxicity of Cancer Chemotherapeutics with Gold Nanorod Hyperthermia

Summary This paper presents a theoretical study of the interaction of a 6 ps laser pulse with uncoupled and plasmon-coupled gold nanoparticles. We show how the one-dimensional assembly of particles affects the optical breakdown threshold of its surroundings. For this purpose we used a fully coupled electromagnetic, thermodynamic and plasma dynamics model for a laser pulse interaction with gold nanospheres, nanorods and assemblies, which was solved using the finite element method. The thresholds of optical breakdown for off- and on-resonance irradiated gold nanosphere monomers were compared against nanosphere dimers, trimers, and gold nanorods with the same overall size and aspect ratio. The optical breakdown thresholds had a stronger dependence on the optical near-field enhancement than on the mass or absorption cross-section of the nanostructure. These findings can be used to advance the nanoparticle-based nanoscale manipulation of matter.