Abstract: A method and apparatus for destroying a stone or other hard body located within the body of a living being at a location where the stone is within a liquid. The apparatus comprises a catheter having a rotatable working head at its distal end. The working head comprises at least two radially extending blade-like members, each having plural force concentrating impacting surfaces and plural grooves. The working head is rotated at a high speed while it is in engagement with the stone. The rotation of the working head produces a flow of the liquid past the working head, with some portion of the liquid flowing through the plural grooves. The impacting surfaces impact the stone to break it into particles which are carried by the flow into repeated engagement with the impacting surfaces for further pulverization. The liquid flowing through the grooves reduces the boundary layer effect which tends to sweep smaller particles away from the impacting surfaces.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for the extracorporeal destruction of kidney stones, and includes an ellipsoidal reflector. The reflector has a first focus point, and a second focus point, the reflector being truncated and the second focus point being disposed beyond the resulting open end of the reflector for coincidence with a kidney stone or the like. An extension from the apex of the reflector has a cavity with a spark gap therein. The cavity opens into the reflector, and the cavity and reflector are filled with liquid such as water. A spark produced across the spark gap produces a shock wave which moves to the first focus point of the reflector and is reflected to the second focus point.

Abstract: An ultrasonic medical treatment apparatus having an piezoelectric element for generating ultrasonic energy is provided. The element is constituted by a plurality of unit piezoelectric elements of two or more different shapes. The surface areas of these unit elements are substantially equal to each other. These unit elements can be individually removed as required.

Abstract: A pulsed power supply for providing power to a piezoelectric crystal. The power supply provides power to the piezoelectric crystal causing contraction of the crystal. Upon reaching a predetermined degree of contraction, the electrical voltage form the power supply is removed from the piezoelectric crystal by creating a short-circuit between the power supply and the crystal. Removal of electrical voltage from the crystal causes the immediate expansion of the crystal and a resulting energy wave.

Abstract: In an arrangement for the generation and focussing of shock waves for purposes of comminution of concrements, wherein the generation is provided by a pair of electrodes, and the focussing is provided by a rotational ellipsoid; the electrodes extend from a sleeve being inserted in the body of the ellipsoid such that the electrodes center on one of the two focal points of the rotational ellipsoid; a positioning device for the electrodes includes a position indicator on the electrode sleeve such as a metal or optical marking on a mechanical actuator having a highly accurately predetermined positional relation to the electrodes; a position sensor on the body of the rotational ellipsoid has a highly accurately determined position in relation to the first focal point; and a circuit is connected to the position sensor to provide a audible and/or visible representation if, and only if, the position indicator has an accurate position related to the sensor as an indication that the electrodes are centered on the first

Abstract: The present invention relates to the locating of concrements in the body of living beings for the purposes of determing where the focal point of a shock wave reflector has to be positioned so that it may comminute the concrement, and more particularly the invention relates to a system for locating concrements under utilization of X-rays in combination with an ultrasonic device.

Abstract: A lithotripter is provided with an upwardly opening reflector filled with water. A valve is secured to the undersurface of the member providing the reflector. A bore extends axially through the valve body in alignment with a bore in the reflector member to accommodate an electrode assembly. A disc is mounted in the body and also has a bore aligned with the first two mentioned bores to accommodate the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly can be partially withdrawn to clear the bore in the reflector member and also the bore in the disc, but blocking the passage of water through the valve body bore. The disc is then rotated to move the valve disc out of alignment with the reflector member body to prevent further loss of water from the reflector.

Abstract: An apparatus for the fragmentation of a solid body surrounded by a fluid, in particular in a living being, by means of acoustic shock waves which are induced by the light of a laser. A reflector for acoustic waves focuses the shock waves onto the body. In the region of the reflector, an element is provided which consists of a material absorbing the laser light, and onto which the laser light is directed, so that the plasma state triggering the acoustic shock wave develops at the surface of the element. The apparatus thus has the advantage that even under unfavorable conditions acoustic shock waves can be generated with certainty at every laser pulse.

Abstract: A lithotripter is provided with an x-ray aiming system. The lithotripter includes an upwardly opening ellipsoidal reflector having a vertical axis. This reflector is supported from a pedestal, and an arm rigid with the pedestal supports a radio opaque disc which is disposed below overhead x-ray apparatus. A patient with a kidney stone is disposed on a table above the reflector and below the x-ray apparatus. If the vertical axis of the reflector is perfectly aligned with the kidney stone in the patient, then the radio opaque disc will shadow the kidney stone, and provide positive evidence of alignment. If there is misalignment, then simple examination of the x-ray picture will show in what direction the reflector support, and hence the radio opaque disc, need be moved to effect proper alignment.

Abstract: A shockwave source of the type wherein a shockwave is generated by rapid electromagnetic repulsion of a membrane by a rapidly energized coil has a central opening extending through the membrane and the coil. An ultrasound head of an ultrasound transmission and reception system is received in the opening. The ultrasound head is disposed in a mount which is rotatable around its longitudinal axis by a rotary drive. In one embodiment of the shockwave source, the shockwave source also has a focusing device disposed in front of the membrane, and in this embodiment the focusing device also has a central opening in which the ultrasound head is received. The ultrasound head has a distal end in contact with a liquid coupling agent for promoting transmission to, and reception from, a patient to which the shockwave source is coupled. The shockwave source is particularly suited for lithotripsy treatment of gallstones.

Abstract: A device is provided for removal of kidney stones. The device includes a stone trapping device on the end of a flexible and axially movable wire. The wire moves through a tubing. An electrode is provided in the form of a cylinder at the outer end of the tubing. The stone is drawn into close proximity to the electrode, and electrical sparks jump between the wire and the electrode to generate a shock wave in close proximity to the stone. Stones which are small as they occur or which are reduced in size by shock wave treatment then may be withdrawn from the body in the stone trapping device.

Abstract: A catheter device for capturing and holding kidney stones and the like wherein the catheter is an elongated tube having a cuff portion disposed on one end thereof capable of being collapsed axially inwardly into the tube and a snare disposed and axially moveable within the catheter for capturing and holding a kidney stone and collapsing the cuff portion. The snare is a second elongated tube capable of receiving a laser fiber for disintegrating a kidney stone when captured and held by the snare.

Abstract: A sound generator for treating life forms with focused acoustical waves, characterized by an electrical drivable sound source, focusing arrangement for the acoustical waves coming from the sound source and an electrical generator arrangement for driving the sound source. The generator arrangement includes at least two different generators, which are connectible to the sound source by a switch arrangement and which will drive the sound source for generating different types of acoustical waves, for example shock waves and a continuous sound or acoustical wave. The sound source may be composed of a single transducer or a plurality of transducers.

Abstract: An ultrasonic device for applying cavitation force to an unwanted material is provided. The device is particularly useful for removing plaque from a human artery wherein a portion of the device can enter an artery and pass through the artery to the vicinity of the plaque. The device includes a solid wire of titanium material, a transducer, a generator for providing vibration energy via the transducer, and a handpiece enclosing the transducer and having a tapered end portion with an exponential surface of slightly concave profile. The tapered end portion is fixedly connected to an inner end of the wire. For human applications, the wire has an overall length in the range of about 5 inches to 40 inches and has a uniform outer diameter in the range of about from 0.015 inches to 0.040 inches. The device includes a catheter assembly having a catheter tube enclosing the wire and includes a container unit mounted on the tapered end portion of the handpiece.

Abstract: A vibrational method and apparatus for accelerating and increasing in efficiency of passage of stones from the ureter comprises introducing into the ureter (U) of a catheter (10) with a vibrating head (12) which imparts radial oscillations to the walls of the ureter at a distance of 0 to 30 mm from the areas where the stone (S) is lodged. Catheter (10) is a flexible tube which has a head (12) which is expandable radially and axially by means of an oscillating element (24) driven from a reciprocating vibrational drive (26). Drive (26) has a tapering end (32) which, during its reciprocations, causes expansions and constrictions of the resilient head, due to its interaction with inner projections (18) and (20). The apparatus is universal in its application and can be used without any changes for pushing the stone, located in the upper part of the ureter, back to the kidney, where the stone can be more readily disintegrated by means of subsequent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Abstract: A shock wave source for use in a shock wave generator in an apparatus for extracorporeal lithotripsy treatment of a patient has a shock wave tube filled with a shock wave propagating medium with one end closed by a flexible sack for coupling to the patient, and an opposite end closed by a membrane having at least a portion thereof which is electrically conductive, and a coil disposed adjacent the membrane and connected to a high voltage pulse source. When high voltage pulses are applied to the coil, an electromagnetic field is generated which rapidly repells the membrane, thereby generating a shock wave. The membrane has a flexible base covered by a number of discrete laminae of conductive material. At least some of the laminae may have respectively different mass moments of inertia and/or electrical conductivity. The shock wave source is suitable for treating calculi such as kidney stones.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for machining or disintegrating a calculi in place in a urinary tract. The apparatus includes a flexible, hollow endoscope which can be inserted into a ureter in its flexible state and a relatively rigid hollow tube which can be inserted into a passageway through the endoscope to straighten it. Optionally, a guide wire can be inserted in the ureter to the position of the calculi before inserting the endoscope for guiding the endoscope into the ureter. The passageway through the endoscope is larger than the rigid hollow tube. An optical system that may be made up of optical fibers can be received in and extend through the endoscope to view the calculi. A wave guide wire can be extended through the relatively rigid tube and connected to a transducer to disintegrate the calculi. The relatively rigid tube can be moved laterally in the endoscope to bring the wave guide into engagement with the calculi to facilitate disintegrating the calculi.

Abstract: Calculi, stones, calcified tissue and other material are broken down for removal from within a body using laser pulses that are delivered via an optical fiber and have a wavelength, intensity, energy per pulse and pulse duration selected to break down the object into smaller particles without delivering energy sufficient to cause damage to other tissue.