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 to the concretion in the lumen;
• forming a temporary plug in the lumen distal to the concretion by gellation of the solution;
• deploying an energy source proximate to the concretion;
• 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 distal 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, the concretion is not contained, partially or completely, within the temporary plug prior to the application of energy thereto;
• and
• introducing a saline solution sufficient to dissolve the temporary plug.

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

• introducing a solution comprising an inverse thermosensitive polymer at a first location distal to the concretion in the lumen;
• introducing said solution at a second location in the lumen, wherein said second location is on a side of the concretion that is approximately opposite the first location of the solution;
• forming two temporary plugs in the lumen spaced from the concretion by gelation of the solution;
• deploying an energy source proximate to the concretion from outside the body of the patient;
• applying energy to the concretion sufficient to fragment the concretion, wherein the two temporary plugs are configured such that they are 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 plugs, and the concretion is not contained, partially or completely, within the temporary plugs prior to the application of energy thereto.