Method and device for removing a stone from a ureter using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

摘要

A method of performing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy using a device which is a quadruple lumen catheter with one through lumen exiting at an end hole to allow the catheter to slide over a wire guide, a second lumen serving to inflate and deflate a balloon located near the distal tip of the catheter, a third lumen used to inflate and deflate a proximate balloon, a fourth lumen to supply a liquid to be delivered between the balloons and radiopaque markings for determining the position of the balloons of the catheter through X-rays of fluoroscopy. The catheter is inserted over a wire guide so that the distal balloon is located on one side of the stone in the ureter and the proximate balloon is located on the other side whereupon the balloons are inflated and the cavity formed by the balloons and the wall of the ureter is filled with fluid to surround the stone with fluid which aids in the pulverization of the stone by extracorporeal shock waves. The pulverized fragments of the stone are removed by deflating the proximate lumen and forcing water or another fluid through the fluid supply lumen. The fragments are prevented from migrating into the kidney by the distal balloon which remains inflated. The proximate balloon may be reinflated and the cavity filled with fluids and subjected to extracorporeal shock waves again to further pulverize the stone and may be deflated so that the stone fragments may be flushed down the ureter as necessary.