Lithotripter pulses (~7–10 μs) initiate the growth of cavitation bubbles, which collapse hundreds of microseconds later. Since the bubble growth-collapse cycle trails passage of the pulse, and is ~1000 times shorter than the pulse interval at clinically relevant firing rates, it is not expected that cavitation will affect pulse propagation. However, pressure measurements with a fiber-optic hydrophone (FOPH-500) indicate that bubbles generated by a pulse can, indeed, shield the propagation of the negative tail. Shielding was detected within 1 μs of arrival of the negative wave, contemporaneous with the first observation of expanding bubbles by high-speed camera. Reduced negative pressure was observed at 2 Hz compared to 0.5 Hz firing rate, and in water with a higher content of dissolved gas. We propose that shielding of the negative tail can be attributed to loss of acoustic energy into the expansion of cavitation bubbles.
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