Aiming system for kidney stone disintegrator

• US 4,763,652 A
• Filed: 04/16/1986
• Issued: 08/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortgate Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortgate Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Burdick, Thomas H., Shene, William R., Nowacki, Christopher, Brisson, Alfred G., Dela-Cruz, Exequiel
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US06/852,835
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 128/328, 128/24 A
• US Class Current: 601/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2255 Means for positioning patient, shock wave apparatus or locating means, e.g. mechanical aspects, patient beds, support arms, aiming means positioning of patients for radiation diagnosis A61B6/04; positioning of locating means inside shock wave apparatus A61B17/2256
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms

Abstract

A kidney stone disintegrating system includes a computer-controlled aiming system. The disintegrating system includes a reflector containing water through which the reflector is coupled to a living body having a kidney stone. The reflector is a portion of an ellipsoid and a spark gap generator is located at one focus of the ellipsoid. An electrical energy source is connected to the spark gap generator for generating a spark which in turn generates a shock wave in the fluid. Three motors are connected to the reflector for moving it in respectively X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions to locate the reflector so that the kidney stone lies at the second focus point thereof. A pair of ultrasound transducers are carried by an articulated support comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected arms. Precision potentiometers are provided between the arms to indicate the relative positions thereof, and electrical potentials from the potentiometers are connected to a computer. The signals and the computer are connected to a monitor having a screen to display the kidney stone, and particularly the position thereof as determined by the two transducers. The computer is connected to the three motors to position the reflector in accordance with the positions of the transducers to locate the reflector with the second focus point coinciding with the kidney stone. Controls are provided for causing generation of a spark with the resulting shock wave focused on the kidney stone to destroy the kidney stone.

Claims

1. A disintetgrating system for calculi such as kidney stones comprising a reflector, a fluid medium in said reflector coupling said reflector to a living body having calculus therein, means providing a spark gap in said reflector, electrical energy means connected to said spark gap means for generating a spark in said gap means to generate a shock wave in said fluid medium, motor means connected to said reflector for moving said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus, ultrasound transducer means, movable support means for said transducer means permitting manual movement of said transducer means for ultrasonically locating said calculus, electric signal means connected to said transducer means for indicating the position thereof, computer means, means electrically connecting said signal means to said computer means, means electrically connecting said computer means to said motor means to position said reflectior in accordance with the position of said transducer means to effect focusing of said shock wave on said calculus, and means for operating said electrical energy means to generate a spark in said spark gap means to produce a shock wave focused on said calculus, to disintegrate said calculus, and further including means connected to said body to develop a pneumogram thereof, and means electrically connecting said penumogram means to said computer to effect movement of said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus continuously with the breathing of said body.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said motor means comprises three motors respectively connected to said reflector to move said reflector on the X-axis, on the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2 and further including electrocardiogram means connected to said body, and electric means interconnecting said electrocardiogram means and said computer to ensure generation of a spark only during a predetermined portion of the pulse wave of said body.

4. A disintegrating system for calculi such as kidney stones comprising a reflector, a fluid medium in said reflector coupling said reflector to a living body having a calculus therein, means providing a spark gap in said reflector, electrical energy means connected to said spark gap means for generating a spark in said gap means to generate a shock wave in said fluid medium, motor means connected to said reflector for moving said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus, ultrasound transducer means, movable support means for said transducer means permitting manual movement of said transducer means for utlrasonically locating said caluculus, electric signal means connected to said transducer means for indicating the position thereof, computer means, means electrically connecting said signal means to said computer means, means electrically connecting said computer means to said motor means to position said reflector in accordance with the position of said transducer means to effect focusing of said shock wave on said calculus, and means for operating said electrical energy means to generate a spark in said spark gap means to produce a shock wave focused on said calculus, to disintegrate said calculus, means connecting said computer means to said energy means to effect firing thereof only when said reflector is in proper position to focus said shock wave on said calculus, and further including means connected to said body to develop a pneumogram thereof, and means electrically connecting said penumogram means to said computer to effect movement of said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus continuously with the breathing of said body.

5. A system as set forth in claim 4 and further including electrocardiogram means connected to said body, and electric means connecting said electrocardiogram means to said computer to effect firing of said emergy means only during a predetermined portion of the pulse wave of said body.

6. A disintegrating system for calculus such as a kidney stone comprising a reflector, a fluid medium in said reflector for coupling said reflector to a living body having a calculus therein, shock wave generating means to generate a shock wave in said reflector, electrical energy means connected to said shock wave generating means to generate a shock wave in said fluid medium, motor means connected to said reflector for moving said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus, ultrasound trnasducer means, movable support means for said transducer means permitting movement of said transducer means for ultrasonically locating said calculus, electric signal means connected to said transducer means for indicating the position thereof, computer means, means electrically connecting said signal means to said computer means, means electrically connecting said computer means to said motor means to position said reflector in accordance with the position of said transducer means to effect focusing of said shock wave on said calculus, means for operating said electrical energy means to produce a shock wave focused on said calculus to disintegrate said calculus, means connected to said living body to develop a pneumogram thereof, and means electrically connecting said penumogram means to said computer to effect movement of said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus continuously with the breathing of said body.