An improved ultrasonic lithotriptor probe for performing fragmentation and removal of calculi deposits in the kidney and upper ureter wherein high frequency sound waves are utilized to disintegrate the calculi or stones based on placing the probe against the stones and causing them to disintegrate due to the ultrasonic energy. The probe is coupled to a transducer which drives it and the probe is hollow and aspiration is utilized to remove the particles of the stone through the probe. The probe extends into the transducer which prevents the probe from clogging. Also, the end of the probe which engages the stone is provided with a slit so as to prevent it from being clogged by the stone so as to cause the aspiration to be interrupted when the end of the probe extends into the confines of the stone in that the split will allow liquid to pass through the probe and continue to cool it and to remove fragments through the probe.
A method and system for providing control that include providing a workpiece that includes a target shape, providing a cutting tool, providing a 3-D image associated with the workpiece, identifying the target shape within the workpiece image, providing a 3-D image associated with the cutting tool, registering the workpiece with the workpiece image, registering the cutting tool with the cutting tool image, tracking at least one of the workpiece and the cutting tool, transforming the tracking data based on image coordinates to determine a relationship between the workpiece and the cutting tool, and, based on the relationship, providing a control to the cutting tool. In one embodiment, the workpiece image can be represented as volume pixels (voxels) that can be classified and/or reclassified based on target shape, waste, and/or workpiece.
A medical treatment apparatus utilizing ultrasonic vibrations includes an ultrasonic vibration generator having an ultrasonic oscillator with a first through-hole formed therein. A liquid supply device is communicated with one end of the first through-hole, and a second through-hole of a horn mounted on the ultrasonic vibration generator is communicated with the other end of the first through-hole. A transmission member for transmitting ultrasonic vibrations is connected to a front portion of the horn, and a tube member is arranged to surround the transmission member. A passage formed between the tube and transmission members is coupled to the second through-hole by coupling members, and the transmission member is slightly protruded from the distal end of the tube member. Therefore, a sufficient amount of the liquid supplied from the liquid supply device can be flowed through the passage.
A transducer in a probe is positioned between first and second body members in a housing. An elongated tip is coupled to the first body member. A mass is provided on the first body member to amplify the ultrasonic vibrations imparted to the tip by the transducer. A tube extends through the second body member and the transducer into the first body member to hold the transducer in an abutting relationship with the body members without extending any bolts between the body members and the transducer. The tube, the body member, the transducer and the tip have axial passage which provide an axial aspiration path from the free end of the tip. Suction in the passageways exhausts through the passageways material removed from a particular area in a patient's body upon the application of the tip to the particular area while the tip is vibrating ultrasonically. A coil spring within the housing prestresses the transducer by compressing the transducer between the body members and also acts to amplify the ultrasonic vibrations imparted to the tip by the transducer. The probe is driven by applying an alternating electric voltage across the transducer. The probe may include an irrigation system parallel to the passage in the probe tip.
An improved rigid catheter is provided for lithotripsy. The catheter includes a rigid tube adapted to engage a lithotripsy transducer and power supply, with a restriction in an internal diameter of the rigid tube proximate a power delivery end of the rigid tube. The catheter may also include an enlargement on an external diameter of the tip. The tip may also be fabricated of a material considered to be very hard. The probe may also be solid with an enlarged tip.
An ultrasound type treatment apparatus includes an ultrasonic oscillation device for outputting an ultrasonic oscillation wave, a drive circuit for driving the ultrasonic oscillation device, a probe connected to the ultrasonic oscillation device to transmit that ultrasonic oscillation wave to an affected region of interest of a human being, a sheath formed around the probe, through which cooling medium is passed and a supply tank for supplying cooling medium to the sheath. In this treatment apparatus, an arithmetic operation circuit monitors a drive state of the ultrasonic oscillation device, a comparator is provided for receiving monitor information from the arithmetic operation circuit and for determining whether or not the supply of cooling medium to the sheath is normal and a controller is provided for stopping a drive of the ultrasonic oscillation device when the supply of the cooling medium is determined by the comparator as being not normal.
