Monitoring the gelation of gellan gum with torsion rheometry and brightness-mode ultrasound

Abstract

Gellan gum is a hydrogel with several applications in ultrasonic imaging, novel drug delivery, and tissue regeneration. As hydrogels are dynamic entities, their viscocelastic and therefore their acoustic properties change over time, which is of interest to monitor. To determine the speed of sound from brightness-mode images, however, rather large quantities of hydrogel are needed. In this study, we investigated torsion rheometry as a means to determine acoustic properties. Perceived speeds of sound were derived and computed from torsion rheometry measurements of gelating gellan gum mixed with spermidine trihydrochloride crosslinker. For comparison, brightness-mode ultrasonic images were recorded of the same material inside a phantom well. The rheometry data converged to a speed of sound within a standard devitation of the speed of sound measured from the brightness-mode images.We have shown that dynamic acoustic properties of gelating gellan gum can be simulated and experimentally determined using torsion rheometry.

Keywords

• hydrogel gelation
• shear modulus
• dynamic modulus
• acoustic imaging
• b-mode
• zener model
• perceived speed of sound
• rheometry