Apparatus for disintegrating a calculus by an underwater shock wave from outside the human body
First Claim
1. An apparatus for disintegrating a calculus in a human body by generating an under-water shock wave from outside the human body, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a shock wave generation chamber having an interior surface and an opening, said shock wave generation chamber further comprising a substantially solid exterior side surface that surrounds said interior surface and said opening;
(b) a shock wave generation source for generating a shock wave in said shock wave generation chamber; and
(c) an entirely flexible container which is adapted to receive a liquid, said shock wave generation chamber being positioned so that the interior of said shock wave generation chamber is filled through said opening with liquid from said flexible container when said flexible container is filled with said liquid, said flexible container having an open mouth portion which is positioned about the exterior side of said shock wave generation chamber, wherein said shock wave generation chamber has a solely pseudo-elliptical interior surface said flexible container further having an interior which is in fluidic communication with the pseudo-elliptical interior surface, and means for retaining side open mouth portion of said flexible container about the exterior said surface of said shock wave generation chamber, wherein most of the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber is in fluidic communication with the interior of the flexible container.
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Abstract
An apparatus for disintegrating a calculus in the human body by an underwater shock wave produced outside the human body. The apparatus includes a shock wave generation chamber having an inner surface in the shape of a part of a pseudo-ellipsoid of revolution having an opening therein. Also provided is a shock wave generation source positioned at the first focus of the pseudo-ellipsoid of revolution. In addition, a flexible container housing a liquid is attached to the shock wave generation chamber so that the liquid from the flexible container fills up the shock wave generation chamber. The flexible container containing the liquid is brought into contact with the human body, and the shock wave generation chamber is displaced so as to deform the flexible container, until the calculus in the human body is positioned at the second focus of the pseudo-ellipsoid of revolution. As a result of this positioning of the calculus of the human body at the second focus of the pseudo-ellipsoid of revolution, when a shock wave is generated at the first focus, a sufficiently high pressure can be generated at the second focus so as to disintegrate the calculus.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. An apparatus for disintegrating a calculus in a human body by generating an under-water shock wave from outside the human body, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a shock wave generation chamber having an interior surface and an opening, said shock wave generation chamber further comprising a substantially solid exterior side surface that surrounds said interior surface and said opening; (b) a shock wave generation source for generating a shock wave in said shock wave generation chamber; and (c) an entirely flexible container which is adapted to receive a liquid, said shock wave generation chamber being positioned so that the interior of said shock wave generation chamber is filled through said opening with liquid from said flexible container when said flexible container is filled with said liquid, said flexible container having an open mouth portion which is positioned about the exterior side of said shock wave generation chamber, wherein said shock wave generation chamber has a solely pseudo-elliptical interior surface said flexible container further having an interior which is in fluidic communication with the pseudo-elliptical interior surface, and means for retaining side open mouth portion of said flexible container about the exterior said surface of said shock wave generation chamber, wherein most of the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber is in fluidic communication with the interior of the flexible container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for disintegrating a calculus in a human body, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) an entirely flexible container adapted to receive and hold a liquid, said container having a flexible open mouth portion; (b) a shock wave generation source positioned at least partially in said container, said shock wave generation source further being positioned within a substantially solid shock wave generation chamber having an interior surface solely in the form of an ellipsoid of revolution and a substantially solid exterior side surface, said flexible container further having an interior which is in fluidic communication with the interior surface of said shock wave generation chamber; and (c) means for attaching said exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber to an interior surface of the mouth of said container wherein most of the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber is in fluidic communication with the interior of the flexible container. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for disintegrating a calculus in a human body, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a shock wave generation chamber having a solely pseudo-elliptical interior surface, an end surface with an opening therethrough, and a substantially solid exterior side surface; (b) an entirely flexible container adapted to receive and hold a liquid, said container having an open mouth portion which is positioned about the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber, said flexible container further having an interior which is in fluidic communication with the solely pseudo-elliptical interior surface and a portion of the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber; and (c) means for attaching said exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber to an interior surface of the mouth of said container wherein most of the exterior side surface of said shock wave generation chamber is in fluidic communication with the interior of the flexible container. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification