Method and apparatus to detect the fragmentation of kidney stones by measuring acoustic scatter
US10426499B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 14, 2013 |
| Grant date | Oct 1, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG10K15/04
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
During shock wave therapy, a determination is made that a kidney stone has begun to fracture, and then a progress of its fragmentation is assessed. This determination can reduce the number of shock waves used to disintegrate kidney stones, and thereby reduce dose-dependent tissue damage. The identification of fracture is possible through the detection and analysis of resonant acoustic scattering, which is the radiation caused by reverberations within a stone particle that is struck by a shock wave. The scattering frequency can provide both an indication that the kidney stone has fragmented, and an indication of the relative sizes of the fragments. Related concepts employ displacement measurements of kidney stones/fragments to provide both an indication that the kidney stone has fragmented, and an indication of the relative sizes of the fragments. Such techniques can be combined with vibro-acoustography based gating that better targets the stone.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.