Lithotripsy apparatus and lithotripsy system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11903643-B2
Application number	US-202117406412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A lithotripsy apparatus includes: a treatment laser beam source that emits a treatment laser beam that crushes a stone; a guide light source that emits guide light; a photodetector that detects return light that returns as a result of the emitted guide light being reflected at the stone; and a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to: measure a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light; determine a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and adjust a light quantity of the treatment laser beam on the basis of the determined condition of the bubble.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lithotripsy apparatus comprising:
a treatment laser beam source configured to emit a treatment laser beam for crushing a stone;
a guide light source configured to emit a guide light;
a photodetector configured to detect a return light including the guide light reflected by the stone; and
a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to:
calculate a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light;
determine whether a temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is equal to or less than a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is equal to or less than the threshold value, control the treatment laser beam source to decrease a light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

2. The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to control the treatment laser beam source to increase the light quantity of the treatment laser beam in response to determining that the temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is not equal to or less than the threshold value.

3. A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 2 ; and
an endoscope configured to:
acquire an image of the stone; and
control a monitor to display the image.

4. The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether an amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds the threshold value, control the treatment laser beam source to decrease the light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

5. A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an endoscope configured to:
acquire an image of the stone; and
control a monitor to display the acquired image.

6. The lithotripsy system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
estimate a size of the stone on the basis of the image acquired by the endoscope and the distance calculated; and
control the monitor to display the size of the stone estimated.

7. A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an endoscope configured to:
acquire an image of the stone; and
control a monitor to display the image.

8. A lithotripsy apparatus comprising:
a treatment laser beam source configured to emit a treatment laser beam for crushing a stone;
a guide light source configured to emit a guide light;
a photodetector configured to detect a return light including the guide light reflected by the stone; and
a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to:
calculate a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light;
determine whether an amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds the threshold value, control the treatment laser beam source to decrease the light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

9. The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine whether a temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is greater than the threshold value; and
in response to determining that the temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is greater than the threshold value, control the treatment laser beam source to increase the light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

10. A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 9 ; and
an endoscope configured to:
acquire an image of the stone; and
control a monitor to display the image.

11. The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the guide light visualizes the position, in the stone, irradiated with the treatment laser beam in a color according to a determination result by the processor.

12. A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 8 ; and
an endoscope configured to acquire an image of the stone.

13. The lithotripsy system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
estimate a size of the stone on the basis of the image acquired by the endoscope and the measured distance; and
control a monitor to display the size of the stone estimated.

14. The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and
control a monitor to display the condition of the bubble determined.

15. A lithotripsy method comprising:
controlling a treatment laser beam source to emit a treatment laser beam for crushing a stone;
controlling a guide light source to emit a guide light;
control a photodetector to detect a return light including the guide light reflected by the stone;
calculating a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light;
determining a temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is equal to or less than a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated is equal to or less than the threshold value, controlling the treatment laser beam source to decrease a light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

16. The lithotripsy method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a condition of a bubble on the basis of the temporal fluctuation in the distance calculated; and
controlling a monitor to display the condition of the bubble determined.

17. The lithotripsy method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
determining whether an amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the amount of change in the distance calculated is aperiodic and exceeds a threshold value, controlling the treatment laser beam source to decrease the light quantity of the treatment laser beam.

18. The lithotripsy method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
acquiring an image of the stone; and
controlling a monitor to display the image acquired.

19. The lithotripsy method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
estimating a size of the stone on the basis of the image acquired and the measured distance; and
controlling the monitor to display the size of the stone estimated.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Fukushima Ikutoshi
• Shimamoto Atsuyoshi
• Namiki Mitsuru

Classifications

• A61B18/26 Primary

  for producing a shock wave, e.g. laser lithotripsy · CPC title

• A61B90/06

  Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B2018/00505

  Urinary tract · CPC title

• A61B2018/00982

  combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B2090/061

  for measuring dimensions, e.g. length · CPC title