Pleated diaphragm for coupling kidney stone disintegrator to human body
First Claim
1. An extracorporeal kidney stone disintegrator comprising an ellipsoidal reflector having an axis of rotation and having an open end, means providing a spark gap in said reflector at the first focus point thereof, a flexible cap closing the otherwise open end of said reflector, and a body of liquid filling said reflector and said cap, said cap being adapted for disposition against a human body having therein a concretion such as a kidney stone to be disintegrated, the reflector being positioned so that the concretion lies on the second focus point of said reflector, generation of a spark gap across said spark gap causing generation of a shock wave focussed on said concretion and coupled to said concretion by said body of liquid and the tissues of said human body through said cap, said cap having an annular pleat enhancing flexibility of said cap, said cap including a central body contacting portion, a depending skirt mounted on said reflector, and said pleat being disposed between said central body contacting portion and said skirt, said central body contacting portion having a first predetermined thickness, said skirt having a second predetermined thickness greater than said first predetermined thickness, and said pleat having a thickness intermediate the thickness of said skirt and said central body contacting poriton.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An extracorporeal kidney stone disintegrator comprises an ellipsoidal reflector having an open end. A spark gap is positioned in said reflector at the first focus point thereof. A flexible cap closes the otherwise open end of said reflector, and a body of liquid fills said reflector and said cap. The cap is adapted for disposition against a human body having therein a concretion such as a kidney stone to be disintegrated. The reflector is positioned so that the concretion lies on the second focus point of the reflector. Generation of a spark across said spark gap causes generation of a shock wave focused on the concretion and coupled to the concretion by the body of liquid and the tissues of the body through the cap. The cap has an annular pleat enhancing flexibility of the cap.
11 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. An extracorporeal kidney stone disintegrator comprising an ellipsoidal reflector having an axis of rotation and having an open end, means providing a spark gap in said reflector at the first focus point thereof, a flexible cap closing the otherwise open end of said reflector, and a body of liquid filling said reflector and said cap, said cap being adapted for disposition against a human body having therein a concretion such as a kidney stone to be disintegrated, the reflector being positioned so that the concretion lies on the second focus point of said reflector, generation of a spark gap across said spark gap causing generation of a shock wave focussed on said concretion and coupled to said concretion by said body of liquid and the tissues of said human body through said cap, said cap having an annular pleat enhancing flexibility of said cap, said cap including a central body contacting portion, a depending skirt mounted on said reflector, and said pleat being disposed between said central body contacting portion and said skirt, said central body contacting portion having a first predetermined thickness, said skirt having a second predetermined thickness greater than said first predetermined thickness, and said pleat having a thickness intermediate the thickness of said skirt and said central body contacting poriton.
- 6. A flexible, liquid-proof cap for use as in an electrohydraulic shock wave generator comprising a central body contacting portion adapted to conform to the contours of a human body, a depending skirt, and an annular pleat disposed between said central body contacting portion and said skirt enhancing flexibility of said cap, said central body contacting portion being of a predetermined thickness, said skirt being thicker than said central body contacting portion predetermined thickness, and said pleat being of a thickness intermediate the thicknesses of said central body contacting portion and said skirt, said pleat comprising a depending outer pleat wall having an upper edge and a lower edge, said skirt having an upper edge, the upper edge of said outer pleat wall being joined to the upper edge of said skirt at an annular ridge, and an inner upstanding pleat wall having a lower edge joined to said outer pleat wall lower edge at a valley, said inner pleat wall having an upper edge joined to said central body contacting portion at an annular shoulder.
Specification