Enhanced ultrasonic imaging property of polyurethane filled with hollow glass beads.

Materials capable of ultrasonic imaging in vivo are essential for the development of ultrasound visualized interventional catheters. In the present research, hollow glass beads (HGB) were added to polyurethane as ultrasonic image‐enhancing agent to obtain composite with improved ultrasonic visibility within body tissues. The experimental results show that with the increase of the volume percentage of HGB (VHGB) in the composites, the clarity of the ultrasonic images of the composite samples gradually improves. For ultrasonic imaging, a proper VHGB would be 6% to 10%. The particle size (25‐65 μm) of the HGB has almost no effect on the imaging of the composites at the same loading level of the glass beads. The result obtained in the experiments conducted in pig body confirmed that TPU/HGB composite sample could provide significant enhanced ultrasonic imaging compared with pure polyurethane sample and the commercial interventional catheter sample used. Medical safety of the composite was briefly investigated as well by testing the extraction solution of the composite sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]