Method and device interposing an electrically conductive liquid between electrodes and shockwave apparatus for method and device
First Claim
1. A method for improving reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium confined in a housing for producing shockwaves, comprising the steps of:
- providing in said housing filled with a liquid medium two closely-spaced discharge electrodes forming part of a discharge circuit having an inductance L and a capacitance C defining a critical resistance Rc equal to √
L/C;
disposing an enclosure about said electrodes in said housing;
filling said enclosure with an electrically conductive liquid medium having an electrical resistance providing said discharge circuit with an electrical resistance value at or near the critical resistance Rc ; and
intermittently feeding said electrodes with electric current for producing a discharge therebetween.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a device for producing an electric discharge between two electrodes. This method characterized in that the resistance to the passage of the electric arc, at least between the electrodes, is considerably reduced so as to bring it to a resistance value near to or slightly higher than the critical resistance, by interposing at least between the electrodes, an electrically conductive electrolyte contained in an essentially closed reservoir surrounding the electrodes. The invention makes it possible to improve the rate of discharge of an electric current produced between the electrodes, by eliminating substantially completely the latency time.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for improving reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium confined in a housing for producing shockwaves, comprising the steps of:
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providing in said housing filled with a liquid medium two closely-spaced discharge electrodes forming part of a discharge circuit having an inductance L and a capacitance C defining a critical resistance Rc equal to √
L/C;disposing an enclosure about said electrodes in said housing; filling said enclosure with an electrically conductive liquid medium having an electrical resistance providing said discharge circuit with an electrical resistance value at or near the critical resistance Rc ; and intermittently feeding said electrodes with electric current for producing a discharge therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A device for improving reproducibility of an electrical discharge for producing shockwaves, comprising:
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a housing containing a liquid medium; a pair of closely-spaced discharge electrodes disposed in said housing and forming part of a discharge circuit having an inductance L and a capacitance C defining a critical resistance Rc equal to √
L/C;an enclosure disposed about said electrodes in said housing; an electrically conductive liquid medium filling said enclosure, said electrically conductive liquid medium having an electrical resistance providing said discharge circuit with an electrical resistance value at or near the critical resistance; and means for intermittently feeding said electrodes with electric current for producing a discharge therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for improving reproducibility of electric discharge produced in a liquid medium confined in a housing for producing shockwaves for practicing extracorporeal lithotripsy, comprising the steps of:
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providing in said housing filled with a liquid medium two closely-spaced discharge electrodes forming part of a discharge circuit having an inductance L and a capacitance C defining a critical resistance Rc equal to √
L/C;disposing an enclosure about said electrodes in said housing; filling said enclosure with an electrically conductive liquid medium having an electrical resistance providing said discharge circuit with an electrical resistance value at or near the critical resistance Rc ; disposing said housing adjacent a subject for practicing extracorporeal lithotripsy; and intermittently feeding said electrodes with an electric current for producing a discharge therebetween.
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Specification