超音波為臨床醫學之常規影像診斷工具，其具備即時造影、良好的穿透與聚焦深度、無輻射傷害等優點，被廣泛運用在診斷與治療的追蹤。運用聲波遇到空氣會產生強反射訊號，呈現高對比影像的特性，微氣泡（microbubble）被發展為超音波影像對比劑。其使用生物相容性材料（磷脂質、白蛋白、聚合分子）作為殼層，內部包覆疏水性的氣體，製備出直徑小於紅血球（~8 μm）的氣泡，經由靜脈注射可在超音波影像上，提供精準的微血管分布與血流資訊，可有效診斷心血管疾病與腫瘤位置。
超音波除了可提供診斷影像資訊外，調節其所發射出的聲波能量、聚焦點位置，亦可運用在精準治療上。微氣泡受到超音波照射時，會因為聲波壓力差的變化，而有壓縮、膨脹的現象，稱為穴蝕作用，此現象可影響周遭環境與細胞組織，提升細胞膜或局部血管通透性（血腦屏障開啟），增加藥物或基因遞送的效率。當超音波能量超過一定強度時，微氣泡會劇烈脹縮甚至破裂，可直接破壞細胞／血管，以物理治療的方式抑制腫瘤生長。此外，微氣泡還可做為藥物載體，攜帶化療藥物、基因片段、治療氣體等，以體外超音波刺激的方式，進行局部藥物控制釋放，配合細胞血管通透性的提升，促進藥物進入到細胞組織中進行治療。
超音波診療實驗室主要運用超音波搭配多功能對比劑（微氣泡、相變液滴、超疏水材料等），達到局部施加物理力與氣體／藥物控制釋放之效果，治療腫瘤與心血管疾病，並進一步運用小動物模型與細胞實驗，探討超音波所造成的生理機制。
Ultrasound is a routine imaging diagnostic tool in clinical medicine. It has the advantages of real-time imaging, good penetration and focusing depth, and no radiation damage. It is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. When sound waves encounter air, they produce strong reflection signals and present high-contrast images. Microbubbles (MB) have been developed as contrast agents for ultrasound imaging. They are made of biocompatible materials (phospholipids, albumin, polymers) as the shell and are filled with hydrophobic gas inside. Microbubbles with a diameter smaller than red blood cells (~8 μm) can provide precise microvascular distribution and blood flow information on ultrasound images when injected intravenously, and can effectively diagnose cardiovascular diseases and tumor locations.
In addition to providing diagnostic imaging information, ultrasound can also be used in precision treatment by adjusting the energy of the emitted sound waves and the position of the focal point. When microbubbles are irradiated by ultrasound, they experience compression and expansion due to changes in sound wave pressure difference, called cavitation. This phenomenon can affect the surrounding environment and cellular tissues, increase cell membrane or local vascular permeability (opening the blood-brain barrier), and increase the efficiency of drug or gene delivery. When the ultrasound energy exceeds a certain intensity, microbubbles can violently shrink or even rupture, directly destroying cells/blood vessels, and suppressing tumor growth by physical therapy. Moreover, microbubbles can also serve as drug carriers, carrying chemotherapy drugs, gene fragments, therapeutic gases, etc., and releasing them locally through ultrasound stimulation in vitro. With the improvement of cell vascular permeability, they promote the entry of drugs into cellular tissues for treatment.
The ultrasound therapy laboratory mainly uses ultrasound in conjunction with multifunctional contrast agents (microbubbles, phase-change droplets, superhydrophobic materials, etc.) to achieve the effects of locally applying physical force and controlling gas/drug release to treat tumors and cardiovascular diseases. Small animal models and cell experiments are further used to investigate the physiological mechanisms caused by ultrasound.