Award Abstract # 2407938
Collaborative Research: Ultrasound driven microbubble clusters for biomedical applications

NSF Org: CBET
Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
Recipient: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Initial Amendment Date: May 8, 2024
Latest Amendment Date: May 8, 2024
Award Number: 2407938
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Ron Joslin
rjoslin@nsf.gov
 (703)292-7030
CBET
 Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: May 1, 2024
End Date: April 30, 2027 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $266,856.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $266,856.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2024 = $266,856.00
History of Investigator:
  • Amneet Pal Bhalla (Principal Investigator)
    asbhalla@sdsu.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: San Diego State University Foundation
5250 CAMPANILE DR
SAN DIEGO
CA  US  92182-1901
(619)594-5731
Sponsor Congressional District: 51
Primary Place of Performance: San Diego State University
5500 CAMPANILE DR
SAN DIEGO
CA  US  92182-0001
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
51
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): H59JKGFZKHL7
Parent UEI: H59JKGFZKHL7
NSF Program(s): FD-Fluid Dynamics
Primary Program Source: 01002425DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):
Program Element Code(s): 144300
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

The ability to directly access complex regions of the human body with microscale synthetic devices (or "microswimmers") can revolutionize bioengineering and healthcare. The use of acoustically-controlled microbubble clusters to navigate blood vessels has recently been investigated experimentally as one such possibility. Complex acoustic-fluid-structure interactions occur as microbubble clusters move within deformable blood vessels. The exact relationship between acoustically generated flow and force fields, deformable vessel wall mechanics, and bubble oscillation dynamics remains unclear. Hence, the principal goal of this research is to understand how microbubble clusters move in blood vessels actuated by acoustics. Moreover, the project provides significant opportunities for training and research for undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups, as well as for curriculum enhancement, the development of open-source computational codes, and outreach activities.

This project will investigate the relationship between acoustically generated force fields, deformable vessel wall mechanics, and bubble oscillation dynamics. The central hypothesis is that acoustically generated streaming flow fields facilitate the motion of microbubble clusters within narrow blood vessels by lubricating the vessels walls. The research team will leverage advanced computer simulations that incorporate realistic models of vessel mechanics, acoustic phenomena, and bubble interfacial dynamics. This will enable them to assess the feasibility of microbubble navigation in blood vessels under physiological conditions and biocompatible acoustic power levels. As a result, this project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanisms and parameters that govern microbubble cluster motion in blood vessels. It will also relate this motion to external acoustic fields. The computational developments enabled by this project will facilitate further research in microscale propulsion and biomedical acoustics. In addition to enabling underrepresented students to participate in computational research, this project will also create outreach learning opportunities through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute that engages the general public through basic science classes. This project is jointly funded by Fluid Dynamics program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Khedkar, Kaustubh and Mamaghani, Amirreza Charchi and Ghysels, Pieter and Patankar, Neelesh A and Bhalla, Amneet Pal "Preventing mass loss in the standard level set method: New insights from variational analyses" Journal of Computational Physics , v.520 , 2025 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2024.113495 Citation Details

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