Method and system for fragmenting kidney stones

Abstract

A method of fragmenting stones that are lodged in a discrete organ of a human body, such as the kidney, which method includes the steps of providing a plurality of elongated tubular sheaths, each formed from a thin walled material with a high acoustical impedance and having an inner passage extending in a given direction from an inlet or first end to an outlet or second end. These tubular sheaths are forced into the body by a trocar adapted to extend through the sheath passage and having a cutting end adapted to extend through the second end of each sheath. As each sheath is forced into the body its position relative to the organ containing the stone is monitored by an appropriate radiographic device so that the end of each sheath is near to, but spaced from, the organ, such as a kidney, with the given direction determined by the elongated passage in each of the sheaths pointing generally toward the stone. After the sheaths have been mounted in the body, each pointing toward the stone but not piercing the organ, an elongated energy transmitting probe is inserted into each of the sheaths for directing acoustical energy through the passages of each of the sheaths and toward the stone; therefore, the energy transmitting probes are energized from, or by, an acoustical power source so that the summation of acoustical energy from the energy transmitting probes at the intersection point in the area of the stone is sufficient to fragment the stone, while the acoustical energy from any one of the probes is generally insufficient to fragment the stone. In this manner, fragmentation of the stone is accomplished with a minimum of tissue trauma.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.