ACOUSTIC ENERGY DETERMINES HEMOGLOBIN RELEASE FROM ERYTHROCYTES BY EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK-WAVES IN-VITRO

Haemoglobin release from erythrocytes by extracorporeal shock waves from an electrohydraulic lithotripter was quantified and correlated with the acoustic energy administered to the cell container, Cells were exposed in 2-, 5.9-, and 10.5-mL vials to 100 shock waves delivered at a low, medium and high lithotripter output setting, both with and without covering of the central ellipsoidal axis by a metal cage, Using the identical set-up, previous experiments had shown that the fragmentation efficiency was linearly correlated with the delivered acoustic energy, As a result, shock waves generated from 0.83 mu g mJ(-1) (in 2-mL vials) to 1.53 mu g mJ(-1) (in 10.5-mL vials) haemoglobin, At all vial types, the amount of haemoglobin correlated linearly with the delivered acoustic energy (r = 0.96 in 2-mL, r = 0.97 in 5.9-mL and r = 0.98 in 10.5-mL vials), It was independent of the presence of the cage.