Apparatus for non-contacting disintegration of concretions

Claim 2

In an apparatus for a non-contacting disintegration of concretion situated in a body of a life form, said apparatus including a shock wave generator having energy waves being focused at a focal point on an isocenter positioned in a target region of the body, said generator having coupling means for transferring the energy from the generator to the body, said coupling means including a container having at least one flexible wall and being filled with a coupling agent, the improvements comprising a patient bed having a surface extending in a longitudinal direction for receiving a body, said bed having an aperture through said surface in an area below said isocenter, a carriage supporting the shock wave generator for pivotal movement around a longitudinal axis spaced above the surface of the bed and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction with the shock wave generator being below the bed with the coupling means located between the generator and bed and the focal point being on said longitudinal axis, said carriage being moveable along the longitudinal direction from a working position with the coupling means extending through the aperture and the flexible wall contacting said body to a removed position with the focal point being moved along the longitudinal axis, an X-ray unit with an X-ray emitter and radiator receiver, and means for separately adjusting the position of the X-ray unit while the shock wave generator is in the working position comprising a C-shaped carrier mounting the receiver and emitter on opposite sides of the bed at the working position and having a pivot point lying on said longitudinal axis so that while the shock wave generator is treating a patient, the X-ray unit can be adjusted and operated without imaging the generator on an X-ray image.

Claim 3

In an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the C-shaped carrier in addition to being pivotable around the longitudinal axis is also pivotable around a second axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and lying in a plane extending parallel to the surface of the patient bed.

Claim 4

In an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means has means for changing the amount of coupling agent within the container so that the container is changeable from an inflated condition with the flexible wall extending through the aperture of the bed to engage the surface of the body and an uninflated condition with the flexible wall withdrawn from the aperture to allow the carriage and generator to be moved to the removed position.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for a non-contacting disintegration of concretion situated in a body of a life form, said apparatus including a shock wave generator having energy waves being focused at a focal point on an isocenter positioned in a target region of the body, said generator having coupling means for transferring the energy from the generator to the body, said coupling means including a container having at least one flexible wall and being filled with a coupling agent, the improvements comprising a patient bed having a substantially planar surface extending in a longitudinal direction for receiving the body, said planar surface of the bed having an aperture in an area below said isocenter, a carriage supporting the shock wave generator for pivotal movement around a longitudinal axis spaced above the planar surface of the bed and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction with the shock wave generator being below the bed with the coupling means located between the generator and bed and the focal point being on said longitudinal axis, said carriage being movable along the longitudinal direction from a working position with the coupling means extending through the aperture and the flexible wall contacting said body to a removed position with the focal point being shifted along the longitudinal axis, an X-ray unit with an X-ray emitter and radiator receiver, and means for separately adjusting the position of the X-ray unit while the shock wave generator is in the working position, said means for separately adjusting comprising a C-shaped carrier mounting the receiver and emitter on opposite sides of the bed at the working position, said carrier being movable around said longitudinal axis at a pivot point and being movable around a second axis, which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and through the pivot point and which is in a plane extending parallel to the planar surface of the patient bed so that while the shock wave generator is treating a patient, the X-ray unit can be adjusted and operated without imaging the generator on an X-ray image.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for a non-contacting disintegration of concretion situated in a body of a life form, said apparatus including a shock wave generator having energy waves being focused at a focal point on an isocenter positioned in a target region of the body, said generator having coupling means for transferring the energy from the generator to the body, said coupling means including a container having at least one flexible wall and being filled with a coupling agent, the improvements comprising a patient bed having a substantially planar surface extending in a longitudinal direction for receiving the body, said planar surface of the bed having an aperture in an area below said isocenter, a carriage supporting the shock wave generator for pivotal movement around a longitudinal axis spaced above the planar surface of the bed and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction with the shock wave generator being below the bed with the coupling means located between the generator and bed and the focal point being on said longitudinal axis, said carriage being movable along the longitudinal direction from a working position with the coupling means extending through the aperture and the flexible wall contacting said body to a removed position with the focal point being shifted along the longitudinal axis, an X-ray unit with an X-ray emitter and radiator receiver, and means for separately adjusting the position of the X-ray unit while the shock wave generator is in the working position, said means for separately adjusting comprising a C-shaped carrier mounting the receiver and emitter on opposite sides of the bed at the working position, said carrier being movable around said longitudinal axis at a pivot point and being movable around a second axis, which extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and through the pivot point and which is in a plane extending parallel to the planar surface of the patient bed so that while the shock wave generator is treating a patient, the X-ray unit can be adjusted and operated without imaging the generator on an X-ray image.