A method and apparatus for degrading a hypodermal tissue scaffold involves exposing the scaffold to a low-intensity focused ultrasonic beam such as to induce transient cavitation of microbubbles trapped in the hydrophobic domains of the silk fibroin from which scaffold is constructed. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic beam is a 1 MHz pulsed signal having a period of approximately 500 ms. The weight reduction experienced by the scaffold as a function of the exposure time of the scaffold to the ultrasonic beam.
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