Franz Grasser

Shockwave source having a centrally disposed ultrasound locating system

A shockwave source of the type wherein a shockwave is generated by rapid electromagnetic repulsion of a membrane by a rapidly energized coil has a central opening extending through the membrane and the coil. An ultrasound head of an ultrasound transmission and reception system is received in the opening. The ultrasound head is disposed in a mount which is rotatable around its longitudinal axis by a rotary drive. In one embodiment of the shockwave source, the shockwave source also has a focusing device disposed in front of the membrane, and in this embodiment the focusing device also has a central opening in which the ultrasound head is received. The ultrasound head has a distal end in contact with a liquid coupling agent for promoting transmission to, and reception from, a patient to which the shockwave source is coupled. The shockwave source is particularly suited for lithotripsy treatment of gallstones.

Extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus

An extracorporeal lithotripsy apparatus includes at least one shock wave tube for generating focussed shock waves at a location in the body of a patient at which a calculus is disposed for disintegrating the calculus. The shock wave tube has a deformable portion which conforms to the shape of the patient when the shock wave tube is pressed against the patient and a rigid portion which supporst the deformable portion. The apparatus also includes a system for positioning the shock wave tube at a location against the patient such that the calculus is disposed at the focus. The shock wave tube is provided with a sensor and a detector circuit which generates a signal upon the occurrence of contact between the patient and the rigid portion of the shock wave tube so as to cease operation of the positioning system so that the patient is not displaced by movement of the shock wave tube.

Apparatus for the disintegration of calculi

An apparatus for disintegrating calculi situated in the body of a life form has a shock wave generator and an examination apparatus for locating the calculi within the body. The examination apparatus includes at least one image memory in which an image of a portion of the body, including the calculi to be disintegrated, is stored. A comparator compares the stored image with an image chronologically following the store image to determine any movement of the calculi which may have occurred between the generation of the compared images. The position of a shock wave generator relative to the calculi is set based on the stored image, and the shock wave generator is energized to disintegrate the calculi upon the recognition of a subsequent image most closely corresponding to the stored image.

Combination patient support table and shock wave tube

The invention is directed to a patient supporting table for an apparatus for the disintegration of calculi in the body of a patient including a bearing surface which has an opening in which a shock wave tube for generating shock waves serving for the disintegration of the calculi is arranged. In order to enable an exact positioning of the patient relative to the opening or, respectively, relative to the shock wave tube in a simple way, conveyors are provided by which the patient is displaceable on the bearing surface relative to the opening.

Shock wave head for non‐contacting disintegration of calculi

A shock wave head for non-contact disintegration of a calculi situated in the body of a life form comprises a shock wave generator for generating a shock wave essentially in one plane, and a lens arrangement received in a shock wave tube for focussing the shock wave into an in-focus range in a target region. The lens arrangement is mounted for adjustable movement in the shock wave tube from an extended position against a stop on the shock wave tube so that the arrangement can yield in the direction towards the shock wave generator when it is contacted by a patient being treated.