New-generation 3D printed biomedical device based on micro-scale hydrodynamic cavitation

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b2771011_(Table of contents)

Cavitation is a phase change phenomenon from liquid phase to vapor phase upon a sudden drop in local pressure below the saturation vapor pressure. Energy of nucleation sites is stored inside cavitation bubbles and transferred with it. The collapse of cavitation bubbles as a result of this phenomenon releases a large amount of energy and has mechanical, thermal, and chemical effects on the nearby surface. As a biomedical application, laser and acoustic induced cavitation accounting for two important types of cavitation have been extensively used for treatment of urinary tract disorders which requires ablation procedures. The complexity of such devices leads to increased final production cost of devices. On the other hand, hydrodynamic cavitation could be an inexpensive, local and energy efficient alternative and has also been previously proven through in vitro trials. In this thesis, a portable flexible cystoscopy device equipped with a hydrodynamic cavitation probe was designed, fabricated, and examined successfully in an in vivo test. The related pathology report indicated that sharply demarcated tissue defects occurred in the epithelial and subepithelial tissues in the area exposed to the hydrodynamic cavitation. As a result, a new-generation biomedical device prototype based on micro-scale hydrodynamic cavitation was designed and developed.