Abstract: A therapy apparatus for treatment with focused acoustic waves which has a source of focused acoustic waves, an acoustic receiver for the reception of parts of the acoustic waves reflected from a subject to be acoustically irradiated, and can be switched from a therapy mode to a locating mode. The apparatus also include circuitry for varying the oscillatory frequency of the generated acoustic waves dependent on whether the apparatus is switched to the therapy or locating mode. A method for operating such an apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A therapy system for treatment of a subject with focused acoustic waves has a source of focused acoustic waves, equipment for displacing the focus none of the focused acoustic waves and the subject to be treated relative to one another, and a locating system which non-invasively acquires the three-dimensional spatial position of a region within the subject to be charged with the focused acoustic waves relative to the focus zone of the focused acoustic waves continuously as a function of time. The system further includes a display which graphically displays the three-dimensional data generated by the locating system.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging apparatus employs an ultrasound sensor arrangement formed by an at least two-dimensional sensor matrix and an imaging lens to generate signals which are used to calculate a true-to-scale, real-time, three-dimensional image of a subject according to the pulse-echo principle. A therapy apparatus using such an ultrasound imaging apparatus as its locating system is also disclosed.

Abstract: An acoustic wave generator has a shockwave source contained in a housing with a volume between the shockwave source and the location at which the acoustic waves exit the generator which is divided into two sub-volumes, each filled with acoustic propagation medium. The location at which the acoustic waves exit the generator is in the form of a deformable cushion which permits the generator to conform to the surface of a subject to be irradiated with the acoustic waves. The liquid propagation medium in both sub-volumes is circulatable, with the amount of liquid propagation medium in the sub-volume forming the cushion being variable.

Abstract: A shock wave generator suitable for use in an extracorporeal lithotripsy device to disintegrate calculi in a life form in vivo has a flat coil connectable to a high voltage supply, a membrane assembly disposed opposite the coil and a housing, closed on one side by the membrane, filled with a shock wave transmissive fluid. The membrane assembly has a carrier plate of electrically insulating material, and an electrically conductive section applied at one side of the carrier. The membrane assembly is connected to the housing at its edge. The material of the carrier is insensitive to cavitation, and the carrier is elastically yielding at least in the region of its edge. The electrically conductive section is electrically insulated from the terminals of the coil, and the membrane assembly is attached to the housing so that the electrically conductive section faces the flat coil.

Abstract: A lithotripsy work station for disintegrating a calculus in a patient has a patient support table on which the patient is disposed, a drive unit for selectively positioning the table, a shock wave generator, an x-ray system for generating a three dimensional visual representation of at least the region of the patient in which the calculus is disposed. The location of the focus of the shock wave generator is known with respect to the x-ray representation. A mark generator generates at least one mark superimposed on the x-ray representation, and also generates a signal which is supplied to the drive unit which causes the drive unit to position the table based on the position of the mark on the x-ray representation with respect to the position of the focus.

Abstract: A lithotripsy work station has a patient support table which is adjustable in three dimensions by a position control unit. The support table has an opening therein through which a shock wave generator can be coupled to a patient on the support table for disintegrating calculi in the body of the patient. An x-ray system is provided for identifying the position of the calculi within the patient, and a video chain is connected to the output of the x-ray system for providing a visual display of the calculi within the patient. A unit is connected to the table control unit which identifies the current position of the support table, and an arithmetic unit calculates the limits of the area or range within which the shock wave generator can be effectively coupled to the patient, given a particular table position.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a shock wave generator for an apparatus for non-contacting disintegration of calculi in the body of a life form which includes a housing filled with a liquid, a membrane closing the housing and connected thereto along the edge thereof, and a device for pulse-like driving of the membrane. In order to suppress overstressing of the membrane and deformations of the membrane which are diletorious in view of the focussability of the shock waves, a tubular spring resilient in the moving direction of said membrane are provided between said housing and said membrane, said membrane being connected to said housing with said resilient spring in a fashion essentially free of bending moment.

Abstract: A shock wave generator for an apparatus for non-contacting disintegration of calculi in the body of a life form has a membrane of electrically conductive material which terminates a volume filled with a shock wave conducting medium, and a coil having windings disposed adjacent the membrane. The coil is connectable to a high voltage source with two terminals. For maintaining a long useful life of the membrane without significantly reducing the efficiency of converting electrical energy into shock wave energy, the membrane is provided with a potential such that a positive difference in potential is present between one terminal of the coil and the membrane, and a negative difference in potential is present between the other terminal of the coil and the membrane.

Abstract: An x-ray diagnostics installation has two x-ray sources for generating two intersecting x-ray beams, at least one image converter for generating an image signal, and a monitor connected thereto. The image signal of a first image converter is supplied to an image computer which calculates the projection of one x-ray beam in the plane of the other x-ray beam. An addition stage is connected between a second image converter and the monitor, the addition stage mixing the output signal of the image computer and that of the second image converter.