EP0349686A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Aiming system for kidney stone disintegrator
Assignee: Northgate Research Inc a Corp of state of Illinois
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Filing: 1988-07-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-06
Abstract
Abstract A disintegrating system for calculi such as kidney stones comprising a reflector (14), a fluid medium in said reflector in use coupling said reflector (14) to a living body having a calculus therein, means (16) 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 (126, 128, 130) connected to said reflector (14) for moving said reflector to focus said shock wave on said calculus, ultrasound transducer means (48, 56), movable support means (60) 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 (78), means (76) electrically connecting said signal means to said computer means, means (122) electrically connecting said computer means to said motor means to position said reflector (14) 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.
Inventors
- 👤 Alfred G. Brisson
- 👤 Christopher Nowacki
- 👤 William R. Shene
- 👤 Exequiel Dela Cruz
- 👤 Thomas Burdick
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:53
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/22; A61B17/225; A61B17/2255; A61B8/00; A61B8/08; A61B8/0833; A61B8/42; A61B8/4209; A61B8/4218
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
192 words
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 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 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.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
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 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 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.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 and further including means connecting said computer means to said energy means to effect firing thereof to generate a spark only when said reflector is in proper position to focus said shock wave on said calculus.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 and further including electrocardiogram means connected to said body, and electric means connecting said electrocardiogram means to said computer to effect firing of said energy means only during a predetermined portion of the pulse wave of said body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as set forth in claim 2 and further including electrocardiogram means connected to said body, and electric means connecting said electrocardiogram means to said computer to effect firing of said energy means only during a predetermined portion of the pulse wave of said body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 and further including means connected to said body to develop a pneumogram thereof, and means electrically connecting said pneumogram 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.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system as set forth in claim 2 and further including means connected to said body to develop a pneumogram thereof, and means electrically connecting said pneumogram 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.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as set forth in claim 6 and further including electrocardiogram means connected to said body, and electric means connecting said electrocardiogram means to said computer to effect firing of said energy means only during a predetermined portion of the pulse wave of said body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said transducer means is manually directable toward said calculus from each of two different locations.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said two locations lie in a common plane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as set forth in claim 8 in which said transducer means comprises two transducers each disposed at one of said predetermined locations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said two positions are in a common plane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said movable support means comprises a plurality of arms, a plurality of pivot means respectively interconnecting said arms, said electric signal means being connected to said pivot means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
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.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as set forth in claim 12 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.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as set forth in claim 2 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.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as set forth in claim 3 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.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said motor means comprises three motors respectively connected to said reflector to move said reflector on the X-axis, on the Y-axis ano the Z-axis.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as set forth in claim 17 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.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as set forth in claim 1 and further including a monitor displaying the position of said calculus, and means electrically connecting said monitor to said computer and to said transducer means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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