Lithotripsy
Lithotripsy is a
clinical process by which kidney stones are broken up by passing high
amplitude ultrasonic shock waves through the human body.
In the early devices, patients were lowered into a water bath. The water
provided good acoustic coupling to assist the shock to pass into the
body.
The
shock was generated by a focused source in the base of the bath (red
arrow).
The
patient is carefully positioned to make sure the acoustic focus,
where the shock wave has highest amplitude, is located at the kidney
stone (green arrow).
For the
homepage of the Ultrasonics and Underwater Acoustics (UAUA) Centre, click 
© T G Leighton 2003