ASA 129th Meeting - Washington, DC - 1995 May 30 .. Jun 06

5pBV3. Macromolecular absorption: The roles of molecular size, structure, solvation, and solute interactions.

Frederick W. Kremkau

Ctr. for Med. Ultrasound, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1039

Attenuation of ultrasound in tissues is due primarily to macromolecular absorption. Biomacromolecules have higher absorptions than the constituent molecules of which they are made [F. W. Kremkau and W. Cowgill, 1330--1335 (1984)]. Absorption dependencies on structure [F. W Kremkau and R. W Cowgill, 1217--1221 (1985)] and solvation [F. W. Kremkau, 2410--2415 (1988)] are probably interrelated. Underlying absorption processes are enhanced or new processes are added under conditions of high concentration, aggregation, or cross linking [F. W. Kremkau et al., 1448--1451 (1973)].