Abstract: Apparatus for spatial location and destruction of an object inside a patient's body by means of ultrasound transmitted to the patient's body via a coupling fluid, the apparatus comprises a focusing transducer for generating the ultrasound piezoelectrically to destroy the object, at least two transmitting and receiving locating transducers for locating the object under visual observation, said at least two locating transducers being incorporated, installed or mounted in said focusing transducer and being operable to generate B-images which are displayed optionally individually and/or in combination as a spatial image on at least one monitor, there being preferably, three such locating transducers for generating the B-images.

Abstract: Apparatus for the detection and destruction by means of ultrasonic shock waves of an object within the body, comprises a transducer operated by a pulse generator for emitting shock waves which are focussed on the body of the patient by way of a fluid coupling medium. A location system connected to the transducer comprises at least one monitor as a display device. The monitor has a screen for depicting an image of the object and an aiming or sighting mark which can be placed in coincidence with the object by relative displacement between the patient and the transducer to position the focus of the transducer on the object and to authorize the operation of the pulse generator. A signal level corresponding to the brightness value of the object depicted on the screen, and obtained from a video signal of the location system, is established as a reference value. A selected target area including the object, can be scanned automatically by displacement of the transducer.

Abstract: A focussing transducer for the destruction of objects internal to a patient's body by pulses of ultrasonic waves. The transducer comprises a concave transducer surface which is divided into areas and there is a control means which can selectively activate the areas of the transducer so that the waveform arriving at the focus can adjusted.

Abstract: A device for locating and disintegrating concretions and stones in bodily cavities by means of a shock wave generator comprises a reclining surface for the patient, with an opening therein below which the generator, including a flexible precursor section, is so arranged that the fluid sealed off from the outside is in contact via the opening with the body section to be treated, either directly or indirectly via a diaphragm sealing off the precursor section. To this end, the reclining surface and the shock wave generator are displaceable with respect to each other.

Abstract: A device for spatial location and destruction of concretions in bodily cavities by application of pulsed ultrasonic shock waves generated by a shock wave transducer focussed on the concretion in question, the shock waves being transmitted to the patient by a coupling fluid. This transducer may also be operated under reduced power if appropriate during the locating operation, as an A-scanner, according to the pulse echo mode. A B-section image of the bodily tissue traversed by the ultrasonic field is generated on a monitor by means of at least one B-scanner, so that the concretion present in the section image may be placed in coincidence with a target mark present on the monitor and indicating the position of the transducer focus by a relative displacement between the patient and the device, and the shock wave transducer may thereafter be placed in operation under corresponding high power for destruction of the concretion.

Abstract: A lithotripsy probe for stone disintegration, comprising a pair of conductors insulated from one another and extending through the probe. The conductors are surrounded by a thin metal sleeve over a distal length of the probe, and the metal sleeve is provided at one point, which is situated at a distance from the distal extremity of the probe, with at least one gap or perforation in which engages an overlying shrink-on tube to immobilize the sleeve on the two insulated conductors.

Abstract: A device for spatial location and destruction of concretions in bodily cavities by application of pulsed ultrasonic shock waves generated by a shock wave transducer focussed on the concretion in question, the shock waves being transmitted to the patient by a coupling fluid. This transducer may also be operated under reduced power if appropriate during the locating operation, as an A-scanner, according to the pulse echo mode. A B-section image of the bodily tissue traversed by the ultrasonic field is generated on a monitor by means of at least one B-scanner, so that the concretion present in the section image may be placed in coincidence with a target mark present on the monitor and indicating the position of the transducer focus by a relative displacment between the patient and the device, and the shock wave transducer may thereafter be placed in operation under corresponding high power for destruction of the concretion.

Abstract: An instrument for ultrasonics lithotripsy comprises a probe which is applied to the stone which is to be disintegrated, which may be placed in oscillation by means of a piezo-electric sound transducer which is assembled from ceramic discs. The transducer is energized into oscillation by an electrical generator and the transducer oscillations are transmitted to the probe via a distal transducer closure. A particularly effective operation of the instrument is the result if the transducer is energized only intermittently by pulsed operation of the generator, no specific natural resonance frequencies of the system being intended to occur within the preset range of operating frequency.

Abstract: The light projector provided with a system for setting the intensity of illumination for a cavity which is being filmed by means of a video camera, and from which the picture is shown on a monitor screen. The video signal from the camera is supplied as an actual value to a comparator which, as a function of the signal and of an adjustable reference value, drives a servo-motor connected to its output side, which adjusts the intensity of illumination within the cavity by means of a shutter situated in the beam path of the light projector.

Abstract: This invention relates to lighting systems for use during surgical operations or examinations.The device comprises a bundle of optical fibres having an intake area into which the light from an ellipsoidal mirror having a lamp therein can be beamed. A concave lens area located in an area facing away from the optical fibre bundle is co-axially situated forwardly adjacent the light intake area of the fibre bundle.The concave area may be formed by grinding out portion of a transparent plate and the light from the mirror may be concentrated by an aspheric lens between the mirror lamp and the lens area.

Abstract: An endoscope having a sheath containing both a telescope and a laser lens system with attachments for both ranging and distancing the laser focal point and for reducing the diameter of laser beam source.

Abstract: Insufflation gas from a compressed gas source is introduced into a body cavity through a tube connected to the source by an insufflation duct, the pressure in the body cavity being measured by a pressure gauge connected to the body cavity by a measuring duct, and any deviations from a preselected gas pressure for the body cavity being sensed in the measuring duct by control means operative to open or close a valve in the insufflation duct to control the pressure of the gas in the body cavity.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the determination of blood loss during endoscopic operations, particularly, during transurethral resectomy. It is known in such operations to employ continuous irrigation using sterilized water which is fed into the body cavity through the endoscope and fed out again mixed with the lost blood. According to the disclosure a method is provided wherein the specific blood content is found from one of the characteristics of the outgoing water which alters with the blood content: to determine the blood lost this specific blood content is compared with the rate of flow of the monitored outgoing flushing water.

Abstract: Endoscope equipped both with an observation optic and a Laser beam, including a deflectable reflector enabling the laser beam to scan the body tissue and a focus enabling the laser beam focal plane to be varied depth-wise in the body tissue.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus for measuring the rate of flow F(t) of urine electrically using a measuring vessel whose filled volume V at any particular time is measured as a function V(t) of time t, so that the rate of flow F(t) = dV/dt of the urine can be obtained by differentiating the time function.In such apparatus, there is provided at least one electrical capacitor which is acted on by the amount of urine in the vessel and whose capacitance C(t) is influenced by the time-dependent amount of urine present, the urine acting both as an electrical conductor and as a di-electric, and the capacitance being used as an indication of the filled volume function which is to be differentiated electrically.

Abstract: This invention relates to surgical instruments such as probes or forceps which are heated from an external current source, and more particularly to such instruments which are used, for example, for laparoscopy.The invention consists in the provision of a switch in the circuit of a heating element, a settable electronic control means for closing said switch for an adjustable length of time and means for automatically opening said switch for a length of time equivalent to the cooling-off period for the appropriate part of said instrument.