Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Dr. Kevin Haworth Director, Biomedical Ultrasonics and Cavitation Laboratory University of Cincinnati
Although ultrasound is most widely recognized for its role in diagnostic imaging, therapeutic ultrasound has emerged as a rapidly expanding clinical and research field. Multiple ultrasound-based devices are now available for clinical use, including treatments for kidney stone fragmentation, thermal and mechanical tissue ablation, and thrombolysis of occlusive clots. Beyond these applications, more than 200 additional clinical indications are under investigation, spanning stages from preclinical research to late-phase clinical trials. Many of these emerging therapies are mediated or significantly enhanced by ultrasound-induced cavitation—the formation, oscillation, and collapse of gas bodies in tissue.
Because cavitation-based therapies are inherently noninvasive, the ability to monitor and guide treatment in real time is critical for safety, efficacy, and treatment optimization. Since its introduction in 2009, passive cavitation imaging (PCI) has been developed to address this need by spatially mapping cavitating bubble populations using their acoustic emissions. This talk will review the canonical PCI approaches that have emerged, emphasizing their mathematical foundations, key assumptions, and practical limitations. Advances aimed at improving the quantitative interpretation of PCI data will also be discussed. The presentation will then highlight more recent developments, including filtering and adaptive beamforming techniques, which offer promising pathways to overcoming current performance constraints. Recent methods to develop a cavitation ‘dose’ will be discussed. Finally, examples of PCI applied across a range of therapeutic indications will illustrate the clinical and research value of these methods, while also identifying critical gaps and opportunities for future investigation.