Work

Virtual ultrasound machine operating in a GHz to MHz frequency range for particle-based biomedical simulations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Ultrasound-matter interactions underpin numerous biomedical and soft-matter applications, yet simulating these phenomena is challenging due to the large separation of viscous and sonic time scales. Continuum methods capture large-scale wave propagation but cannot resolve microscale interactions, while particle-based approaches offer molecular resolution but struggle with efficiency and stability at larger scales. We introduce a particle-based virtual ultrasound machine that uses a smoothed dissipative particle dynamics variant with an implicit pressure solver and a negative-pressure stabilization scheme, required to mimic acoustic propagation across medically relevant MHz-GHz frequencies. We demonstrate its capabilities by modeling the acoustophoresis of encapsulated microbubbles, a key mechanism in ultrasound-mediated drug delivery. Beyond this application, the approach establishes a generalizable platform for simulating wave-matter interactions in soft and biological materials, opening promising directions for computational studies of acoustics-driven phenomena in science and engineering.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2610567123

Authors: Urban Čoko, Tilen Potisk, Matej Praprotnik

Institutions: University of Ljubljana, National Institute of Chemistry, Universitat de Barcelona

Language: English

Topic: Ultrasound and Hyperthermia Applications

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking, European Research Council

Awards: G169191358, G1747376282