DYNAMICS OF SHOCKWAVE DISTRUCTION OF KIDNEY STONES

A NEW, PROPOSED SECTOR SHOCK LITHOTRIPSY (SSL) TECHNIQUE WILL BE COMPARED DIRECTLY WITH AN ELLIPTIC FOCUSED SHOCK (FS) DEVICE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MOST WIDELY USED CLINICAL SHOCK WAVE SOURCE. THE PRESSURE FIELD PATTERNS AND PERFORMANCE AGAINST SIMULATED AND HUMAN KIDNEY STONES IN WATER WILL BE DETERMINED. THE SSL TECHNIQUE EMPLOYS AN ESTABLISHED, U.S. TECHNOLOGY, WHOSE MEDICAL APPLICATION POTENTIAL WAS RECENTLY DEMONSTRATED IN PROOF-OF-PRINCIPLE TARGET STUDIES SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. IT USES A CONICAL SHOCK TUBE TO BEAM "CAP" SHOCKS OF SPECIFIED PRESSURE, DURATION, AND SIZE BEYOND THE END OF THE TUBE. THIS AFFORDS UNIQUE CORRELATION OF STANDARD SPHERICAL SHOCK WAVE PARAMETERS WITH BIOLOGIC EFFECTS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES. THE EXPERIMENTS WILL UTILIZE IN COMMON: A TEST TANK, AN ELECTRIC ARC PULSE SOURCE, A HIGH RESOLUTION(PVDF) PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS SYSTEM, AND SIMULATED AND HUMANKIDNEY STONE TARGETS. HYDROCODE CALCULATIONS WILL SUPPORT AND GUIDE THE EXPERIMENTAL EFFORT. THIS EFFORT IS INTENDED TO DEMONSTRATE THROUGH SHOCK WAVE PROPAGATION AND TARGET DAMAGE STUDIES THAT SSL OFFERS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR ELIMINATING PATIENT INJURY AND PAIN ANCILLARY TO FS TREATMENT METHODS NOW UNIVERSALLY EMPLOYED TO BREAK UP KIDNEY STONES. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE AN ADVANCED, COMPETITIVE ALTERNATIVE TO PRESENT EXCLUSIVELY EUROPEAN SYSTEMS IN A RAPIDLY EXPANDING MARKET THAT WILL SOON ALSO INCLUDE GALLSTONE TREATMENT.