Localization method and device for determining the degree of fragmentation of stones

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the power of said further elastic wave beam does not exceed 20 kilowatts.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse frequency of said further elastic wave beam is between 5 and 50 Hz.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein said further acoustic signal beam is directed through the focal point of the focused wave beam, and an A type visual display of said echoes is effected for deriving said information.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4, wherein all steps (a) to (e) are finally stopped when said echoes disappear on said A type visual display.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein said further acoustic signal beam is generated from an electric pulsed wave having a predetermined carrier frequency and said information is derived by measuring the difference between the carrier frequency of said echoes and said predetermined carrier frequency.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6, wherein said further pulsed acoustic signal beam has a pulse frequency which is a multiple of the pulse frequency of said further elastic waves and the further pulsed signal beam and the further elastic waves are synchronized.

Claim 11

A lithotrite for focused pulsed wave disintegrating of concretion within a region of the body of a patient, said lithotrite comprising: (a) first means for generating, during short pulse periods, an elastic wave beam focused upon said concretion and having a predetermined high power adapted for disintegrating the concretion into fragments, said first means including a first electric pulse generator and a first focusing piezoelectric transducer coupled to said first generator; (b) second means for radiating a pulsed acoustic signal beam, said second means including a second electric pulse generator and a second piezoelectric transducer; third means connected to said second transducer for sweeping said signal beam across said region; (d) fourth means connected to said second transducer for receiving echoes of the acoustic signal beam reflected in said region; (e) fifth means for forming real time images of said region by displaying said echoes; (f) sixth means for substantially reducing the power and the pulse frequency of said first electric pulse generator, whereby said first means will generate further pulsed and focused elastic waves adapted for agitating the fragments, (g) seventh means for disconnecting said second transducer from said second pulse generator and from said third means, whereby said second transducer will receive further echoes of the further pulsed and focused elastic waves reflected by the agitated fragments and (h) A type visual display means for displaying said further echoes to derive information relative to the size of the fragments.

Claim 12

A lithotrite for focused pulsed wave disintegrating of concretion within a region of the body of a patient, said lithotrite comprising: (a) first means for generating, during short pulse periods, an elastic wave beam focused upon said concretion and having a predetermined high power adapted for disintegrating the concretion into fragments, said first means including a first electric pulse generator and a first focusing piezoelectric transducer coupled to said first generator; (b) second means for radiating a pulsed acoustic signal beam, said second means including a second electric pulse generator and a second piezoelectric transducer; third means connected to said second transducer for sweeping said signal beam across said region; (d) fourth means connected to said second transducer for receiving echoes of the acoustic signal beam reflected in said region; (e) fifth means for forming real time images of said region by displaying said echoes; (f) sixth means for substantially reducing the power and the pulse frequency of said first electric pulse generator, whereby said first means will generate further pulsed and focused elastic waves adapted for agitating the fragments, (g) seventh means for disconnecting said second transducer from said second pulse generator and from said third means, whereby said second transducer will receive further echoes of the further pulsed and focused elastic waves reflected by the agitated fragments and (h) A type visual display means for displaying said further echoes to derive information relative to the size of the fragments.

Claim 13

The lithotrite of claim 9, said lithotrite further comprising: (i) Doppler emitter receiver means for generating an electric pulsed wave having a predetermined carrier frequency, said Doppler emitter receiver means being coupled to said second transducer, whereby the second transducer will radiate a further pulsed acoustic signal beam directed on the agitated fragments and receive echoes of said further acoustic signal beam having a further carrier frequency which differs from said predetermined carrier frequency and (j) means for deriving from the difference between the predetermined carrier frequency and the further carrier frequency information relative to the size of the fragments.

Claim 14

The lithotrite of claim 10, wherein said electric pulsed wave beam has a pulse frequency which is a multiple of the pulse frequency of said further pulsed elastic waves and said electric pulsed wave beam and said further pulsed elastic waves are synchronized.