Shock wave lithotripter system and a method of performing shock wave calculus fragmentation using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a shock wave lithotripter system and a method of performing shock wave calculus fragmentation using the same, the system is composed of current commercial lithotripter with protection device made of special acoustic material. The protection device could change the diffraction wave produced at the edge of the shock wave reflector, focusing lens, or shock wave generator, leading to the reduction of the energy of tensile wave in the focal region and the subsequent bubble cavitation effect in the renal tissue. Therefore, the propensity of shock wave induced tissue injury could be suppressed. Meanwhile, with the increase of the number of shock wave delivered, the effect of bubble cavitation effect be restored gradually to guarantee the success of stone fragmentation. The present invention can be used in treating all kinds of calculus diseases and in physical therapies. The present invention can be used in all commercial lithotripters, no matter of their methods of shock wave generation (electrohydraulic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric or combined method); the diverse method (blocking, attenuating, scattering, pressure inverting, etc) can be used to change the diffraction wave.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.