Ultrasonic detection of resonant cavitation bubbles in a flow tube by their second-harmonic emissions

During low-power exposures, biophysical effects of ultrasonic cavitation are induced primarily by resonant bubbles, and there is a need for a new method of detecting these small bubbles. Bubble pulsation theory indicates that second-harmonic emissions emanate from resonant bubbles even at low amplitudes. A device was constructed to detect resonant bubbles passing through it in a flowing liquid by monitoring second-harmonic responses to a low amplitude, 1.64 MHz ultrasonic field. During testing, 4.2 μm diameter resonant bubbles produced signals 40 times larger than 500 μm diameter bubbles, and this technique was much better than a first-harmonic scattering technique for counting resonant bubbles.