Increase electrode life in devices used for extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
US9198825B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 2013 |
| Grant date | Dec 1, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 24, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG10K15/043
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Medical devices with novel spark gap electrode designs, able to control manually or automatically the electrodes gap are provided. These devices are used to generate a shock wave created by the rapid expansion and collapse of a plasma bubble that is formed between two spark gap electrodes placed in a special liquid medium, when a high differential voltage (kV) is applied to the electrodes. The resulting shock wave impacts a reflector to direct the energy into the body of an animal or a human toward the desired treatment location. This electro-hydraulic principle to create acoustic shock waves as a method of treatment is in use in the medical (lithotripsy, orthopedic use, wound treatment, burns, post-operative treatment, pain treatment, diagnosis, skin and organ transplantation supporting devices, arteriosclerosis treatment), cosmetic (treatment of scars and cellulite) and veterinary (treatment of musculoskeletal disorders) fields.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.