3D Printing and processing of miniaturized transducers with near-pristine piezoelectric ceramics for localized cavitation.

The performance of ultrasonic transducers is largely determined by the piezoelectric properties and geometries of their active elements. Due to the brittle nature of piezoceramics, existing processing tools for piezoelectric elements only achieve simple geometries, including flat disks, cylinders, cubes and rings. While advances in additive manufacturing give rise to free-form fabrication of piezoceramics, the resultant transducers suffer from high porosity, weak piezoelectric responses, and limited geometrical flexibility. We introduce optimized piezoceramic printing and processing strategies to produce highly responsive piezoelectric microtransducers that operate at ultrasonic frequencies. The 3D printed dense piezoelectric elements achieve high piezoelectric coefficients and complex architectures. The resulting piezoelectric charge constant, d33, and coupling factor, kt, of the 3D printed piezoceramic reach 583 pC/N and 0.57, approaching the properties of pristine ceramics. The integrated printing of transducer packaging materials and 3D printed piezoceramics with microarchitectures create opportunities for miniaturized piezoelectric ultrasound transducers capable of acoustic focusing and localized cavitation within millimeter-sized channels, leading to miniaturized ultrasonic devices that enable a wide range of biomedical applications.

Thermal Convection in a Central Force Field Mediated by Sound.

Convection in radial force fields is a fundamental process behind weather on Earth and the Sun, as well as magnetic dynamo action in both. Until now, benchtop experiments have been unable to study convection in radial force fields due to the inability to generate radial forces of sufficient strength. Recently, it has been appreciated that sound, when averaged over many cycles, exerts a force on density gradients in the gas it travels through. The acoustic radiation pressure on thermal gradients draws cooler gas to regions with large time-averaged acoustic velocity and can be modeled as an effective acoustic gravity. We have constructed a system which generates a high amplitude, spherically symmetric acoustic wave in a rotating spherical bulb containing weakly ionized sulfur gas. Without sound, the gas stratifies itself into an initial state with the warmest gas near the center of the bulb, and the coolest gas near the bulb surface. When the sound is initiated, the acoustic radiation pressure is not balanced and a convective instability is triggered. With high speed videography, we observe the initial shape and growth rate of the most unstable mode at various acoustic amplitudes. Acoustic and rotational forces both contribute to the detailed mode shape, which changes qualitatively at low amplitudes where acoustic forces no longer surpass rotational ones everywhere in the bulb.

Tumescent Injections in Subcutaneous Pig Tissue Disperse Fluids Volumetrically and Maintain Elevated Local Concentrations of Additives for Several Hours, Suggesting a Treatment for Drug Resistant Wounds.

PURPOSE: Bolus injection of fluid into subcutaneous tissue results in accumulation of fluid at the injection site. The fluid does not form a pool. Rather, the injection pressure forces the interstitial matrix to expand to accommodate the excess fluid in its volume, and the fluid becomes bound similar to that in a hydrogel. We seek to understand the properties and dynamics of externally tumesced (swollen) subcutaneous tissue as a first step in assessing whether tumescent antibiotic injections into wounds may provide a novel method of treatment. METHODS: Subcutaneous injections of saline are performed in live and dead pigs and the physical properties (volume, expansion ratio, residence time, apparent diffusion constant) of the resulting fluid deposits are observed with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and 3D scanning. RESULTS: Subcutaneous tissue can expand to a few times its initial volume to accommodate the injected fluid, which is dispersed thoroughly throughout the tumescent volume. The fluid spreads to peripheral unexpanded regions over the course of a few minutes, after which it remains in place for several hours. Eventually the circulation absorbs the excess fluid and the tissue returns to its original state. CONCLUSIONS: Given the evidence for dense fluid dispersal and several-hour residence time, a procedure is proposed whereby tumescent antibiotic injections are used to treat drug-resistant skin infections and chronic wounds that extend into the subcutaneous tissue. The procedure has the potential to effectively treat otherwise untreatable wounds by keeping drug concentrations above minimum inhibitory levels for extended lengths of time.

Prediction of Short Time Qubit Readout via Measurement of the Next Quantum Jump of a Coupled Damped Driven Harmonic Oscillator.

The dynamics of the next quantum jump for a qubit [two level system] coupled to a readout resonator [damped driven harmonic oscillator] is calculated. A quantum mechanical treatment of readout resonator reveals nonexponential short time behavior which could facilitate detection of the state of the qubit faster than the resonator lifetime.

Dynamics of strongly coupled two-component plasma via ultrafast spectroscopy.

A combination of ultrafast emission and transmission spectroscopy is presented that provides a model-independent temperature measurement and tracking of the expansion dynamics for a dense, strongly coupled plasma. For femtosecond laser breakdown of hydrogen gas at 10 bar, we observe a 30,000 K two-component plasma for hundreds of picoseconds where both electrons and protons have a strong coupling parameter value of $\Gamma \sim{0.5}$Γ∼0.5. Furthermore, the plasma's degree of ionization (45%) results in a condition where the Debye screening length (6 Å) is less than the interatomic spacing (13 Å). Plasma formation occurs under an isochoric initial condition, which simplifies hydrodynamic modeling of the plasma channel expansion. The channel radius is found to accelerate at a constant rate until the front is moving with the speed of sound. Comparing hydrogen and deuterium for the same breakdown conditions grants unique insight into the hydrodynamics of strongly coupled plasma due to their nearly identical electronic structure yet large mass difference. The ultimate goal of these experiments is to access a plasma regime where continuum mechanics become nonlocal, as compared with the hydrodynamic motion described by the Navier-Stokes equations.

Acoustic self-oscillation in a spherical microwave plasma.

We present a method of sound amplification and self-oscillation in high pressure partially ionized gas. Continuous microwaves incident on partially ionized gas may sustain and amplify an acoustic field if increased ionization during the sound field's adiabatic compression enhances rf power absorption. Amplifying sound in this way enables the generation of high amplitude sound in a cavity containing partially ionized gas without mechanical driving or precise knowledge of its resonance frequency. This method of amplification may open opportunities within thermoacoustics such as using three-dimensional geometries and volumetric gain mechanisms.

Sparks as sub-nanosecond, broadband light switches.

We evaluate spark micro-discharges as the working element of laser switches that can operate on sub-nanosecond timescales, function over a broad range of wavelengths, and handle high laser power. Sparks were generated in room temperature argon at 11-51 bar and xenon at 3-11.6 bar. A continuous 405 nm wavelength laser light was focused through the spark gap, and its transmission was recorded by a high-speed photodiode. We demonstrate that the transition to opacity at the higher pressures is faster than our detection circuit's 90%-10% fall time of 400 ps, indicating that the true fall time is 100 ps or shorter. The challenges to be overcome to improve device reliability are identified.

Acoustic resonances in gas-filled spherical bulb with parabolic temperature profile.

Acoustics is used to probe the temperature profile within a sulfur plasma lamp. A spherically symmetric temperature profile is assumed that drops with the square of the radius, consistent with a constant volumetric heating model. Acoustic resonance frequencies are calculated exactly in the case of an ideal gas. Experimental measurement of a few resonant frequencies allows determination of the temperature profile curvature. This technique can be viewed as an extension of ultrasonic resonant spectroscopy to systems that are highly non-uniform due to off-equilibrium energy flow.

Subcutaneous cefazolin to reduce surgical site infections in a porcine model.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a significant health and financial burden. A key aspect of appropriate prophylaxis is the administration of antibiotics intravenously (IV). However, subcutaneous administration of antibiotics is not well described in the literature. During surgery, we hypothesize that subcutaneous injection may provide better protection against SSIs. To better understand the kinetics after subcutaneous injection, we describe the serum concentrations of cefazolin in a porcine model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Juvenile mini-Yucatan pigs were administered 20 mL of 25 mg/kg cefazolin subcutaneously, and serial blood samples were taken for 3 h. Blood samples were analyzed for cefazolin concentration using chromatography. Pharmacokinetic data were calculated based on the blood serum concentrations. RESULTS: Maximum serum concentrations of cefazolin were achieved 42.6 ± 2.0 min after the time of injection and were found to be 18.8 ± 7.4 µg/mL. The elimination rate constant was 0.0033 ± 0.0016 min-1 and the half-life was 266 ± 149 min. The area under the curve was 4940 ± 1030 µg × min/mL. The relative bioavailability of subcutaneous injection was 95% +5%/-20%. CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous administration of cefazolin achieves a significantly lower maximum serum concentration than IV injection. As a result, higher doses of antibiotic can be injected locally without incurring systemic toxicity. Subcutaneous administration will therefore result in higher concentrations of antibiotic for a longer time at the incision site compared with standard IV administration. This strategy of antibiotic delivery may be more effective in preventing SSIs. Further studies are needed to detail the exact effect of subcutaneous antibiotic injection on SSI rates.

Simultaneous measurement of triboelectrification and triboluminescence of crystalline materials.

Triboelectrification has been studied for over 2500 years, yet there is still a lack of fundamental understanding as to its origin. Given its utility in areas such as xerography, powder spray painting, and energy harvesting, many devices have been made to investigate triboelectrification at many length-scales, though few seek to additionally make use of triboluminescence: the emission of electromagnetic radiation immediately following a charge separation event. As devices for measuring triboelectrification became smaller and smaller, now measuring down to the atomic scale with atomic force microscope based designs, an appreciation for the collective and multi-scale nature of triboelectrification has perhaps abated. Consider that the energy required to move a unit charge is very large compared to a van der Waals interaction, yet peeling Scotch tape (whose adhesion is derived from van der Waals forces) can provide strong enough energy-focusing to generate X-ray emission. This paper presents a device to press approximately cm-sized materials together in a vacuum, with in situ alignment. Residual surface charge, force, and position and X-ray, visible light, and RF emission are measured for single crystal samples. Charge is therefore tracked throughout the charging and discharging processes, resulting in a more complete picture of triboelectrification, with controllable and measurable environmental influence. Macroscale charging is directly measured, whilst triboluminescence, originating in atomic-scale processes, probes the microscale. The apparatus was built with the goal of obtaining an ab initio-level explanation of triboelectrification for well-defined materials, at the micro- and macro-scale, which has eluded scientists for millennia.

Interstitial Matrix Prevents Therapeutic Ultrasound From Causing Inertial Cavitation in Tumescent Subcutaneous Tissue.

We search for cavitation in tumescent subcutaneous tissue of a live pig under application of pulsed, 1-MHz ultrasound at 8 W cm-2 spatial peak and pulse-averaged intensity. We find no evidence of broadband acoustic emission indicative of inertial cavitation. These acoustic parameters are representative of those used in external-ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty and in physical therapy and our null result brings into question the role of cavitation in those applications. A comparison of broadband acoustic emission from a suspension of ultrasound contrast agent in bulk water with a suspension injected subcutaneously indicates that the interstitial matrix suppresses cavitation and provides an additional mechanism behind the apparent lack of in-vivo cavitation to supplement the absence of nuclei explanation offered in the literature. We also find a short-lived cavitation signal in normal, non-tumesced tissue that disappears after the first pulse, consistent with cavitation nuclei depletion in vivo.

Cleaving the Halqeh-ye-nur diamonds: a dynamic fracture analysis.

The degree of surface roughness and clarity with which a surface in a brittle material can be formed via fracture is known to be related to the speed of the propagating crack. Cracks traversing a brittle material at low speed produce very smooth surfaces, while those propagating faster create less reflective and rough surfaces (Buehler MJ, Gao H. 2006 Nature 439, 307-310 (doi:10.1038/nature04408)). The elastic wave speeds (c(l)≈18 000 m s(-1), c(s)≈11 750 m s(-1)) in diamond are fast (Willmott GR, Field JE. 2006 Phil. Mag. 86, 4305-4318 (doi:10.1080/14786430500482336)) and present a particular problem in creating smooth surfaces during the cleaving of diamond-a routine operation in the fashioning of diamonds for gemstone purposes--as the waves are reflected from the boundaries of the material and can add a tensile component to the propagating crack tip causing the well-known cleavage steps observed on diamond surfaces (Field JE. 1971 Contemp. Phys. 12, 1-31 (doi:10.1080/00107517108205103); Field JE. 1979 Properties of diamond, 1st edn, Academic Press; Wilks EM. 1958 Phil. Mag. 3, 1074-1080 (doi:10.1080/14786435808237036)). Here we report an analysis of two diamonds, having large dimensions and high aspect ratio, which from a gemological analysis are shown to have been cleaved from the same 200 carat specimen. A methodology for their manufacture is calculated by an analysis of a model problem. This takes into account the effect of multiple reflections from the sample boundaries. It is suggested that the lapidary had an intuitive guide to how to apply the cleavage force in order to control the crack speed. In particular, it is shown that it is likely that this technique caused the fracture to propagate at a lower speed. The sacrifice of a large diamond with the intention of creating thin plates, rather than a faceted gemstone, demonstrates how symbolism and beliefs associated with gemstones have changed over the centuries (Harlow GE. 1998 The nature of diamonds, Cambridge University Press). The scientific insights gained by studying these gemstones suggest a method of producing macroscale atomically flat and stress-free surfaces on other brittle materials.

Opacity and transport measurements reveal that dilute plasma models of sonoluminescence are not valid.

A strong interaction between a nanosecond laser and a 70 µm radius sonoluminescing plasma is achieved. The overall response of the system results in a factor of 2 increase in temperature as determined by its spectrum. Images of the interaction reveal that light energy is absorbed and trapped in a region smaller than the sonoluminescence emitting region of the bubble for over 100 ns. We interpret this opacity and transport measurement as demonstrating that sonoluminescencing bubbles can be 1000 times more opaque than what follows from the Saha equation of statistical mechanics in the ideal plasma limit. To address this discrepancy, we suggest that the effects of strong Coulomb interactions are an essential component of a first principles theory of sonoluminescence.

100-Watt sonoluminescence generated by 2.5-atmosphere-pressure pulses.

A Xenon gas bubble introduced into a vertically suspended steel cylinder is driven to sonoluminescence by impacting the apparatus against a solid steel base. This produces a 150-ns flash of broadband light that exceeds 100-W peak intensity and has a spectral temperature of 10,200 K. This bubble system, which yields light with a single shot, emits very powerful sonoluminescence. A jet is visible following bubble collapse, which demonstrates that spherical symmetry is not necessary to produce sonoluminescence.

Phase transition to an opaque plasma in a sonoluminescing bubble.

Time-resolved spectrum measurements of a sonoluminescing Xe bubble reveal a transition from transparency to an opaque Planck blackbody. As the temperature is <10 000 K and the density is below liquid density, the photon scattering length is 10 000 times too large to explain its opacity. We resolve this issue with a model that reduces the ionization potential. According to this model, sonoluminescence originates in a new phase of matter with high ionization. Analysis of line emission from Xe* also yields evidence of phase segregation for this first-order transition inside a bubble.

Molecular dynamics of extreme mass segregation in a rapidly collapsing bubble.

A molecular dynamic simulation of a mixture of light and heavy gases in a rapidly imploding sphere exhibits virtually complete segregation. The lighter gas collects at the focus of the sphere and reaches a temperature that is several orders of magnitude higher than when its concentration is 100%. Implosion parameters are chosen via a theoretical fit to an observed sonoluminescing bubble with an extreme expansion ratio (25:1) of maximum to ambient radii.

Convective corrections to the linear diffusion equation.

The classical problem of the diffusion of heat in a homogeneous medium is reexamined, the medium being confined by fixed boundaries maintained at a fixed temperature. When the thermal diffusivity is small, the relaxation of the temperature of the medium to that of the boundary proceeds on two time scales, one associated with a lightly damped high-frequency acoustic mode and the other with an aperiodically damped diffusive mode. Considering for simplicity a spherical configuration, it is shown that the latter does not obey the classical linear heat conduction equation.

Measurement of pressure and density inside a single sonoluminescing bubble.

The average pressure inside a sonoluminescing bubble in sulfuric acid has been determined by two independent techniques: (1) plasma diagnostics applied to Ar atom emission lines, and (2) light scattering measurements of bubble radius vs time. For dimly luminescing bubbles, both methods yield intracavity pressures approximately 1500 bar. Upon stronger acoustic driving of the bubble, the sonoluminescence intensity increases 10,000-fold, spectral lines are no longer resolved, and radius vs time measurements yield internal pressures > 3700 bar. Implications for a hot inner core are discussed.

Dynamics of a sonoluminescing bubble in sulfuric acid.

The spectral shape and observed sonoluminescence emission from Xe bubbles in concentrated sulfuric acid is consistent only with blackbody emission from a spherical surface that fills the bubble. The interior of the observed 7000 K blackbody must be at least 4 times hotter than the emitting surface in order that the equilibrium light-matter interaction length be smaller than the radius. Bright emission is correlated with long emission times (approximately 10 ns), sharp thresholds, unstable translational motion, and implosions that are sufficiently weak that contributions from the van der Waals hard core are small.