Extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus using high intensity shock waves for calculus disintegration and low intensity shock waves for imaging

An extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus for treatment of a calculus in the body of a patient, comprising:

• means for generating shock waves propagating in a propagation direction and converging in a focus zone;
• means including a shock wave propagation medium for coupling shock waves generated by said means for generating shock waves into the body of said patient;
• means for selectively driving said means for generating shock waves to generate high-intensity shock waves converging in a focus zone of high-intensity shock waves for disintegrating said calculus or for generating low-intensity shock waves for producing an image of said focus zone of high-intensity shock waves;
• pressure sensor means disposed in said propagation medium for measuring echoes in the form of pressure fronts having cross-section caused by reflection of said shock waves for generating electrical signals corresponding thereto, said pressure sensor means having a surface active for sensing pressure which is co-extensive with the cross-section of said echoes in the region of said surface;
• acoustic means, disposed in said shock wave propagation medium between said means for generating shock waves and said focus zone of high-intensity shock waves, for deflecting said low-intensity shock waves, when generated, for conducting a sector scan which includes said focus zone of high-intensity shock waves;
• and
• reception means connected to said pressure sensor means for generating said image of said focus zone of high-intensity shock waves from said electrical signals in the form of a B-image.