Method for intracorporeal lithotripsy fragmentation and apparatus for its implementation

摘要

Electro-impulse intracorporeal lithotripsy comprises bringing electrodes of a probe in immediate electrical contact with the calculus and supplying to the electrodes of very short high voltage impulses capable to ignite electrical spark discharge and establish a discharge channel within the bulk of the calculus. The channel goes through the calculus and creates tensile stresses, destroying the calculus.

主权项

1. An apparatus for electro-impulse fragmenting of a calculus within a living body, said apparatus comprising:
a pulse generator for generating high electrical voltage impulses required for igniting electrical breakdown and producing energy sufficient for electro-impulse fragmenting the calculus, a probe configured for insertion within the body to transfer the energy directly to the calculus, said probe comprises a sheath with electrodes, which reside within the sheath, each of said electrodes is provided with a distal and a proximal end, a power line configured for transferring the high electrical voltage impulses from the pulse generator to the electrodes, said power line being entirely a coaxial cable electrically connecting the pulse generator with the proximal end of each of said electrodes, wherein the distal end of each of said electrodes having a respective forwardmost end configured to directly apply the high electrical voltage impulses to the calculus when the respective forwardmost end is in direct electrical and physical contact with the calculus, a probe manipulator, for manipulating the probe within the body, wherein said pulse generator comprises a switching element and an energy storage and said switching element is configured to produce a control signal upon which the energy storage releases the high electrical voltage impulses, and wherein said electrodes comprise a first electrode, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the sheath and a second electrode, which is concentric and coaxial with the first electrode, said second electrode being a tubular electrode, said second electrode being grounded being grounded and said first and second electrodes are electrically insulated, except of their respective forwardmost ends, which comes in direct contact with the calculus and said energy storage is configured to release the high electrical voltage impulses having a duration not more than 5000 nsec, rise time less than 50 nsec, amplitude between 5 and 20 kV and impulse energy between 0.1 and 1.0 joule.