Medical device for the treatment of biological tissue

• US 20050209586A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ferton Holding SA
• Original Assignee: Ferton Holding SA
• Inventors: Schulz, Manfred, Menne, Andreas, Haupt, Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 8,034,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22004 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves A61B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/008 using shock waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Disclosed is a medical instrument for treating biological tissue, comprising a device generating extracorporeal pressure waves and a transmission element (2) coupling said pressure waves into the body of living beings. The pressure wave is generated by a stroking member (10) impacting on a transmission element (2) and is transmitted inside the transmission element. Said transmission element comprises a boundary surface at the outlet thereof, which is curved towards the inside and is configured such that the pressure waves can be coupled into the biological tissue and can be focused therein.

Claims

1. A medical instrument for the treatment of biological tissue, comprising a means for generating extracorporeal pressure waves and a transmission element (2) for coupling the pressure waves into the body of living beings, characterized in that the pressure wave may be generated by an impact member (10) hitting a transmission element (2) and the pressure wave propagates in the transmission element (2), and that the transmission element (2) has an inwardly curved exit boundary surface configured such that the pressure waves may be coupled into the biological tissue and may be focused in the biological tissue.

2. The medical instrument of as described in claim 1, wherein the means for generating the pressure waves is an impact member (10) guided in a housing and adapted to reciprocated by means of a drive means, the impact member (10) exerting one or more impulses on the transmission element (2) and inducing a pressure wave in the transmission element (2) due to the impulse, said pressure wave propagating to the exit boundary surface (19) of the transmission element (2).

3. The medical instrument as defined in claim 2, wherein the impact member (10) is arranged coaxially to the transmission element (2).

4. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the pressure wave source may be driven periodically, the impact member (10) and the transmission element (2) being self-returnable.

5. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the impact frequency of the impact member (10) is about 1 to 30 Hz, preferably 1 to 12 Hz.

6. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein a spring/damping element (15) is provided between the transmission element (2) and the housing (4).

7. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the exit boundary surface (19) of the transmission element (2) travels a stroke of less than 0.5 mm due to the impulse.

8. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein an intermediate element (9) is arranged between the impact member (10) and the transmission element (2), which intermediate element passes the impulse from the impact member (10) to the transmission element (2).

9. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer edges of the exit boundary surface of the transmission element are rounded or provided with a protective coating.

10. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmission element has a larger diameter at the exit boundary surface (19) than at the entry boundary surface (20).

11. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmission element (2) is in the shape of an exponential horn.

12. The medical instrument as defined in claim 1, wherein the impedance-adjusting media (5) are provided between the exit boundary surface (19) of the transmission element (2) and the biological tissue for improving the coupling of the pressure wave into the biological tissue.