THERAPEUTIC CHOLESTEROL GALLSTONE DISSOLUTION METHOD

摘要

A method and apparatus are disclosed for treating a patient having cholesterol calculi which involves infusing into the biliary tract of said patient a C5-C6 ester, ether or ketone having a boiling point in the range of 80 DEG -140 DEG C or a mixture thereof in an amount and at a flow rate effective to at least partially dissolve said calculi rapidly. The invention also encompasses dissolving cholesterol calculi by exposing such calculi to contact with effective quantities of those solvent compounds. The apparatus includes a high flow rate catheter pumping system for infusing a gallstone dissolution solvent into the gallbladder of a patient and aspirating the gallstone dissolution solvent from the gallbladder, and a unit measure container of the solvent. The preferred esters, ethers and ketones are n-propyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl isobutyrate, cyclopentanone, 3-pentanone and methyl t-amyl ether. Contact flow rates are sufficiently high to insure fluid turbulence in the biliary tract region surrounding the calculi.