Confinement of Kidney Stone Fragments During Lithotripsy

A method of mitigating risk of damage to surrounding body tissue during lithotripsy on a concretion located in a lumen of the body, the method comprising:

• introducing a solution comprising an inverse thermosensitive polymer at a location distal the concretion in the lumen;
• forming a temporary plug in the lumen by gellation of the solution;
• deploying an energy source proximate to the concretion on the opposite side of the concretion relative to the location of the temporary plug in the lumen;
• and
• applying energy to the concretion with the energy source sufficient to fragment the concretion and propel one or more fragments of the concretion into the temporary plug;
• wherein the temporary plug is configured such that it is capable of withstanding impact with fragments of the concretion and prevent further migration of the fragments down the lumen beyond the location of the temporary plug, wherein the inverse thermosensitive polymer is a purified poloxamer or poloxamine.