Alleviating pain during extracoporal lithotripsy
First Claim
1. In equipment for extracorporal lithotripsy of nonanesthesized patients and including a rotationally-symmetrical, ellipsoidal focusing chamber having two focal points there being a shock wave generating source in one of the focal points, the focusing chamber being positionable so that the other focal point coincides with a concrement in a patient, which concrement is to be comminuted by shock waves, there being a water coupling path between the focusing chamber on one hand and the patient on the other hand the improvement of avoiding and attenuating pain, comprising:
- a spherically calotte shaped membrane made of a material with a high coefficient of elasticity and being clamped against and closing the focusing chamber and inwardly bulging towards the shock wave generating source, the wall thickness of the membrane being significantly shorter than the wavelength of a shock wave being produced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In extracorporal lithotripsy a shock wave that is focussed on a concrement is followed by a pain producing pressure wave. This wave is filtered by means of a membrane bulging inwardly into the focussing chamber, closing the same and having a thickness smaller than the predominant wave length of the shock wave.
11 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In equipment for extracorporal lithotripsy of nonanesthesized patients and including a rotationally-symmetrical, ellipsoidal focusing chamber having two focal points there being a shock wave generating source in one of the focal points, the focusing chamber being positionable so that the other focal point coincides with a concrement in a patient, which concrement is to be comminuted by shock waves, there being a water coupling path between the focusing chamber on one hand and the patient on the other hand the improvement of avoiding and attenuating pain, comprising:
a spherically calotte shaped membrane made of a material with a high coefficient of elasticity and being clamped against and closing the focusing chamber and inwardly bulging towards the shock wave generating source, the wall thickness of the membrane being significantly shorter than the wavelength of a shock wave being produced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Specification