Method and apparatus for improving the reproducibility and efficiency of the pressure waves generated by a shock wave generating apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Method for improving the reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium, such as water, for producing shockwaves, comprising the steps of:
- providing in said liquid medium two closely-spaced discharge electrodes fed intermittently with electric current for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween;
sufficiently reducing the electrical resistance of the liquid medium, at least between said electrodes, to prevent any substantial discharge oscillation and to substantially completely eliminate a discharge latency time.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and device for discharging an electric current between two electrodes, comprising considerably reducing the resistance to the passage of electric current at least between the electrodes so as to bring it to a resistance value near to or slightly higher than the critical resistance by interposing a conductive electrolyte between electrodes. This improves the rate of discharge of an electric current produced between the electrodes, by eliminating substantially completely the latency time.
15 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. Method for improving the reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium, such as water, for producing shockwaves, comprising the steps of:
-
providing in said liquid medium two closely-spaced discharge electrodes fed intermittently with electric current for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween; sufficiently reducing the electrical resistance of the liquid medium, at least between said electrodes, to prevent any substantial discharge oscillation and to substantially completely eliminate a discharge latency time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. Method for improving the reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium, such as water, for producing shockwaves, comprising the steps of:
- providing in said liquid medium two closely-spaced electrodes fed intermittently with electric current for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween;
wherein the electrical resistance expressed in terms of electrical resistivity of said electrically conductive liquid medium is less than about 20 Ohm.cm. - View Dependent Claims (9)
- providing in said liquid medium two closely-spaced electrodes fed intermittently with electric current for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween;
-
10. A device for generating shockwaves of the type including a housing containing a liquid medium and having two electrodes disposed in said liquid medium, the device further comprising:
-
means for intermittently feeding said electrodes with electric current for providing shockwaves between said electrodes, said electrodes being sufficiently closely spaced for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween; and means for sufficiently reducing the electrical resistance at least between the electrodes to prevent any substantial discharge oscillation and to substantially completely eliminate discharge latency time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. Device for generating shockwaves of the type including a housing containing a liquid medium and having two electrodes disposed in said liquid medium, the device further comprising:
-
means for intermittently feeding said electrodes with electric current for providing shockwaves between said electrodes, said electrodes being sufficiently closely spaced for producing a punctual type discharge therebetween; wherein said means for reducing the electrical resistance between said electrodes comprises an electrically conductive liquid medium interposed between the electrodes; and wherein the electrically conductive medium has an electrical resistance, expressed in terms of linear resistivity, lower than about 20 Ohm.cm. - View Dependent Claims (21)
-
Specification