Echogenic Microbubbles: From Ultrasound Imaging to Targeted Therapy
Updated: 6 hours ago
AUTHORS: SciViD Editorial (demonstration item)
AFFILIATION: SciViD, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
SAMPLE ITEM · PRELIMINARY · NOT PEER REVIEWED · NARRATIVE REVIEW · AI-ASSISTED
Type: Narrative review · Collection: Biomedical Engineering and MedicineInteractive lab:
Report or a concern: editor@scivid.net
Abstract
Echogenic microbubbles are gas-filled agents that produce strong ultrasound echoes because their acoustic properties differ from those of surrounding tissue. This narrative review summarises their established diagnostic uses and emerging therapeutic applications; it is not a systematic review and reports no new experiments. In clinical imaging, ultrasound-enhancing agents can improve left-ventricular cavity opacification and endocardial border delineation when standard echocardiographic images are inadequate. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is also used in selected applications to assess vascularity and tissue perfusion, subject to each agent’s approved indications and local clinical guidance. Beyond diagnosis, microbubbles are being investigated for molecular imaging and for ultrasound-assisted delivery of drugs or genetic material. Their response to ultrasound can influence nearby cells and vessels, and focused ultrasound with circulating microbubbles is under clinical investigation as a way to temporarily increase blood–brain barrier permeability in targeted regions. These therapeutic applications are at different stages of research and should not be presented as established treatments without regulatory approval and supporting clinical evidence. The linked virtual laboratory is an educational resource; its models, data sources and outputs should be interpreted according to the documentation in the lab.
Article information
IDENTIFIER: SciViD-VP.2026.0002. This is a SciViD internal identifier, not a DOI.Version history: version 1, posted Oct 23, 2026.Review status: preliminary; not peer reviewed.Licence: [CC BY 4.0]
AI USE: Drafting and literature search were assisted by AI tools; all statements and references were checked by the editors.
CITE AS: Echogenic microbubbles: from ultrasound imaging to targeted therapy. SciViD Video Preprint SciViD-VP.2026.0002, version 1 (2026). https://www.scivid.ai/preprint/vp-2026-0002. Preliminary, not peer reviewed.
The full typeset preprint, with the interactive lab as Figure, follows below.
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