Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 6: Focus: Soft Particles in Flows I (joint focus session CPP/DY)

CPP 6.7: Talk

Monday, March 20, 2017, 12:30–12:45, ZEU 160

Ultrasound-triggered margination of microbubbles for targeted drug delivery — •Achim Guckenberger and Stephan Gekle — Biofluid Simulation and Modeling, Universität Bayreuth, Germany

During circulation through the vascular system, drug delivery agents should be preferably located in the low-shear interior of the blood stream. Yet, when they are close to the pathological region, they should attain a near-wall position for the most efficient interaction with the endothelium. Using mesoscopic three-dimensional numerical simulations we show that this apparent contradiction can be resolved by using phospholipid coated microbubbles. Application of an ultrasound pulse triggers the rapid migration of the microbubbles toward the endothelial walls due to the hydrodynamic interactions with the red blood cells. The effect is caused by the oscillations of the bubbles, resulting in alternations between a soft and a stiff state, as induced by the lipid shell. We find that the effect is very robust, being triggered even if the time spent in the stiff state is three times lower than the opposing time in the soft state.