Device for advancing an electrode-holder element and use thereof in a shock wave generating apparatus

• US 4,866,330 A
• Filed: 12/09/1987
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technomed Medical Systems
• Original Assignee: Institut National De La Sante Et De La Recherche Medicale (Inserm) (Allianz Global Investors GmbH), Technomed International SA
• Inventors: Cathignol, Dominique, Mestas, Jean-Louis, Lacruche, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/130,566
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 313/146, 313/147, 313/232, 313/237
• US Class Current: 313/146
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/06 using electric discharge

Abstract

This invention relates to a device for advancing an electrode-holder elem in particular mounted on a pulse generating apparatus of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,227 to Rieber. This advance device comprises a radially projecting element fast with the rear part of the electrode-holder element and member for controlling same, the radially projecting element being formed by a toothed wheel of fixed axial position with respect to the insulating support and controlled in rotation by two pistons mounted symmetrically on either side of the wheel to control a rotation in both directions. This device allows a greater precision of the advance of the electrodes and an increase in the efficiency of destruction of the targets.

Claims

1. A device for advancing an electrode-holder element mounted for axial translation in an insulating support and formed by a rod disposed in a cylindrical cavity in the insulating support, and having a front part holding an electrode, an intermediate part, and a rear part;

said advancing device comprising;

(a) wheel means mounted on the electrode-holder element and axially fixed relative to the insulating support, the electrode-holder element being rotatably fixed but axially movable relative to said wheel means, the wheel means comprising;

(i) a central, coaxial through orifice through which one of the intermediate and rear parts of the electrode-holder element passes, and

(ii) rotation means provided on its periphery;

(b) a control member acting on said rotation means for rotating the wheel means and the electrode-holder element, the control member comprising means movable in a plane perpendicular to the axis of translation of the electrode-holder element and passing through the plane of said rotation means for engaging and rotating the wheel means and the electrode-holder element; and

(c) axial translation means on one of the intermediate and rear parts of the electrode-holder element for producing axial translation of the electrode-holder element upon rotation of the wheel means by the control member;

said electrode-holder element being dismountable with respect to said advancing device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the through orifice in the wheel means has a polygonal cross-section, and the electrode-holder element has a corresponding outer section extending through said orifice and abutting said wheel means.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel means is disposed within a second cavity provided in the insulating support, the wheel means being mounted on said intermediate part of the electrode-holder element.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising an electrically conducting element in permanent sliding abutment on the electrode-holder element to furnish a sliding electrical contact.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel means comprises, at its front end, a cylindrical shoulder housed in a countersink in the insulating support and, at its rear end, means for maintaining the wheel means in fixed axial position relative to the insulating support.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the axial translation means comprises a threaded part cooperating with a corresponding threaded part of the insulating support.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode is made of thoriated tungsten.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the content of thorium oxide is about 4 weight per cent.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the wheel means is dismountable with respect to the electrode-holder element.

10. A device for advancing an electrode-holder element mounted in an insulating support and formed by a rod disposed in a cylindrical cavity in the insulating support, said electrode-holder being mounted in said support for axial translation and having a front part holding an electrode, an intermediate part and a rear part, said advancing device comprising a wheel means provided on its periphery with rotation means for setting said wheel means in rotation with the aid of a control member acting on said rotation means, said wheel means comprising a central, coaxial through orifice through which one of said intermediate part and said rear part of the electrode-holder element passes, said electrode-holder element being fast in rotation but mobile in axial translation with respect to said wheel means which is of fixed axial position with respect to the insulating support, one of said intermediate part and said rear part of said electrode-holder element comprising axial translation means for producing axial translation of said electrode-holder element as a result of a rotation in either direction of said wheel means by said control member, said electrode-holder element being dismountable with respect to said advancing device comprising said wheel means, the rotation means for setting the wheel means in rotation being constituted by teeth, the control member comprising at least one piston mobile in translation in a plane perpendicular to the axis of translation of the electrode-holder element and passing through the plane of said teeth of the wheel means for acting on a tooth.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein two pistons are mounted symmetrically on either side of the wheel means to control the wheel means in the two directions of rotation, and wherein the wheel means comprises two sets of teeth disposed over the whole circumference of the wheel means.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said axial translation means comprises a threaded part located at the rear part of the electrode-holder element, and the insulating support is composed of two dismountable parts, the first part constituting the principal part of the insulating support and comprising in particular a second cavity in which said wheel means is disposed, and a second part serving to obturate the second cavity and comprising a threaded orifice in which the threaded part of the rear part of the electrode-holder element is received.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the wheel means comprises, at the front, a cylindrical shoulder housed in a countersink in the insulating support, and at the rear, comprises means for maintaining the wheel in fixed axial position relative to the insulating support.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the electrode is fixed on an intermediate electrode-holder element fitted on the electrode-holder element.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the front end of the piston is provided with an element forming a pawl mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of translation of the electrode-holder element.

16. The device of claim 10, further comprising an electrically conducting element in permanent sliding abutment on the electrode-holder element in order to furnish a sliding electrical contact.

17. A device for advancing an electrode-holder element mounted in an insulating support and formed by a rod disposed in a cylindrical cavity in the insulating support, said electrode-holder being mounted in said support for axial translation, said electrode-holder element having a front part holding an electrode, an intermediate part and a rear part, said advancing device comprising a wheel means provided with rotation means on its periphery for setting said wheel means in rotation with the aid of a control member acting on said rotation means, wherein said wheel means comprises a central, coaxial through orifice through which one of said intermediate part and said rear part of the electrode-holder element passes, said electrode-holder element being fast in rotation but mobile in axial translation with respect to said wheel means which is of fixed axial position with respect to the insulating support, one of said intermediate part and said rear part of said electrode-holder element comprising axial translation means for producing axial translation of said electrode-holder element as a result of a rotation in either direction of said wheel means by said control member, said electrode-holder element being dismountable with respect to said advancing device comprising said wheel means.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said axial translation means comprises a threaded part cooperating with a corresponding threaded part of the insulating support.