An extracorporeal pressure shock wave device includes a hinge providing a pivotable axis about which a shock wave applicator rotates to provide for adjusting the depth within a targeted body that a shock wave focal volume is produced from the applicator.

An ultrasound apparatus is described for externally treating kidney stone in human body. The apparatus has one or more ultrasound imaging transducers, a therapeutic ultrasound transducer, and a processing unit. Optimized delivering of ultrasound energy to the kidney stone from the therapeutic ultrasound transducer is based on real-time tracked state (e.g., position, movement shape, size, or combination thereof) of the kidney stone. The ultrasound imaging transducer(s) is configured to image the stone during the application of the therapy treatment. An optimization algorithm is implemented to control the therapeutic ultrasound transducer to apply different force vectors to the region of the stone. The effect of the vectors in the differing directions with respect to the stone may be detected and input to the optimization algorithm, which optimizes the therapy by adjusting one or more of the vectors. Therefore, less ultrasound energy may be delivered to break the kidney stone, and may reduce the possibility of damaging the surrounding tissues of the kidney stone.

The present invention provides enhanced ESWL efficacy for therapeutic and operational outcomes. Device behavior and performance data is measured in-situ and analyzed for both intra-procedure and inter-procedure breadth of regard such that both therapy optimization and maintenance optimization engines are provided an accurate and current assessment of ESWL system and device state and performance. This feedback and control provides the ability to compensate in real time for the current patient therapy and offline for future patient therapy for machine/therapy idiosyncrasies and realize continuous calibration of system/devices to the performance required for maximum ESWL patient efficacy.

An intracorporeal pressure shock wave includes an expandable pressure shock wave reflector at the distal end of an intracorporeal catheter to direct shock waves from a shock wave generator within a human or animal blood vessel or body lumen.

Aspects of stone identification methods and systems are described. According to one aspect, an exemplary method comprises: transmitting to a processing unit, with an imaging element mounted on a distal end of a scope, image data about a stone object inside a body cavity; generating from the image data, with the processing unit, a visual representation of the stone object and the body cavity; establishing from a user input, with the processing unit, a scale for the visual representation; determining from the visual representation, with the processing unit, a size of the stone object on the scale; comparing, with the processing unit, the size of the stone object with a predetermined maximum size to determine a removal status; and augmenting, with the processing unit, the visual representation to include an indicator responsive to the removal status. Associated systems are also described.

A method includes transmitting a focused ultrasound wave into a medium to form (i) an ultrasound intensity well within the medium that exhibits a first range of acoustic pressure and (ii) a surrounding region of the medium that surrounds the ultrasound intensity well and exhibits a second range of acoustic pressure that exceeds the first range of acoustic pressure. The method further includes confining an object within the ultrasound intensity well. Additionally, an acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic transducer. The acoustic lens has a varying longitudinal thickness that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the acoustic lens. Another acoustic lens is configured to be acoustically coupled to an acoustic transducer. The acoustic lens includes a plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments has a varying longitudinal thickness that increases proportionally with respect to increasing azimuth angle of the segment.

Systems for patient support, imaging, or transport include a modality with a support surface configured to support a patient thereon, a converter associated with the modality, the converter being configured to receive relatively low-volume high-pressure air from a source of the relatively low-volume high-pressure air and to convert the relatively low-volume high-pressure air into relatively high-volume low-pressure air, and an air flow device configured to receive the relatively high-volume low-pressure air from the converter and provide an air flow function to the modality using the relatively high-volume low-pressure air.

A therapy system includes a therapy source (2) emitting radiation or waves, an ultrasound probe (14), a patient rest as well as a multi-axis positioning system (X, Y, Z) with several drives, by way of which the patient rest and the therapy source (2) can be moved to one another in all three spatial directions. A control device (26) is coupled to the ultrasound probe (14) and configured such that in at least one operating mode, the control device (26) simultaneously activates the drives of the multi-axis positioning system (X, Y, Z) such that the patient rest is moved relative to the therapy source along a selectable movement path (B) which lies within the plane of an ultrasound picture (20) which is currently recorded by the ultrasound probe (14). A method for positioning a patient rest relative to a therapy source is also provided.

Aspects of stone identification methods and systems are described. According to one aspect, an exemplary method comprises: transmitting to a processing unit, with an imaging element mounted on a distal end of a scope, image data about a stone object inside a body cavity; generating from the image data, with the processing unit, a visual representation of the stone object and the body cavity; establishing from a user input, with the processing unit, a scale for the visual representation; determining from the visual representation, with the processing unit, a size of the stone object on the scale; comparing, with the processing unit, the size of the stone object with a predetermined maximum size to determine a removal status; and augmenting, with the processing unit, the visual representation to include an indicator responsive to the removal status. Associated systems are also described.

An intracorporeal pressure shock wave device to provide treatment within blood vessels artificial vessels and grafts that includes a frontal pressure shock wave reflector positioned at the distal end of an intracorporeal catheter to direct shock waves toward a treatment target, such as an occlusion and clot.