US 9,198,825 B2 · Increase electrode life in devices used for extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)

Abstract

Medical devices with novel spark gap electrode designs, able to control manually or automatically the electrodes gap are provided. These devices are used to generate a shock wave created by the rapid expansion and collapse of a plasma bubble that is formed between two spark gap electrodes placed in a special liquid medium, when a high differential voltage (kV) is applied to the electrodes. The resulting shock wave impacts a reflector to direct the energy into the body of an animal or a human toward the desired treatment location. This electro-hydraulic principle to create acoustic shock waves as a method of treatment is in use in the medical (lithotripsy, orthopedic use, wound treatment, burns, post-operative treatment, pain treatment, diagnosis, skin and organ transplantation supporting devices, arteriosclerosis treatment), cosmetic (treatment of scars and cellulite) and veterinary (treatment of musculoskeletal disorders) fields.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A shock wave applicator device, comprising:

an applicator head including an enclosure sealed by a membrane;
a liquid mixture including water with a buffer and one or more catalysts disposed within the sealed enclosure;
a first electrode disposed in the liquid mixture in the sealed enclosure, wherein the first electrode includes a tip portion and a base portion;
a second electrode disposed in the liquid mixture in the sealed enclosure, wherein the second electrode includes a tip portion and a base portion, and wherein the second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode by a spark gap distance between the tip portion of the first electrode and the tip portion of the second electrode which said tip portions are cylindrical with parallel planar tip surfaces facing one another, and wherein the tip portion of at least one of the first electrode and second electrode has a larger diameter than the base portion;
and
a controller and a power source coupled to the first and second electrodes.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Increase electrode life in devices used for extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)

Life of this patent

Increase electrode life in devices used for extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims4