Collaborative Research: Integrated Experiments and Modeling for Spatial, Finite, and Fast Rheometry of Graded Hydrogels using Inertial Cavitation

Until recently, inertial cavitation--the rapid, unstable growth and collapse of bubbles--has been best known as a damaging agent in environments such as pumps, coatings, and bodily tissues. Current advances in medicine aim to harness inertial cavitation to cut tissues non-invasively using ultrasound, but this goal is limited by available data. A present challenge is that tissues and various soft material systems are complex, with interfaces and stiffness gradients along different internal directions. This award supports characterizing, modeling, and predicting the mechanical response of non-uniform soft materials subject to rapid bubble collapse and oscillation. Learn more.