Lithotripsy apparatus and lithotripsy system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021378745-A1
Application number	US-202117406412-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Dec 9, 2021
Grant date	—

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

1 . A lithotripsy apparatus comprising:
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 comprising 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.

2 . A lithotripsy apparatus comprising:
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; a processor comprising 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; and
determined a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and
a monitor that displays the determined condition of the bubble.

3 . The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the condition of the bubble on the basis of a temporal fluctuation in the measured distance.

4 . The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the condition of the bubble on the basis of a temporal fluctuation in the measured distance.

5 . The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to decrease the light quantity of the treatment laser beam when an amount of change in the distance is aperiodic and exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

6 . The lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 2 , 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.

7 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 1 ; an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone; and a monitor that displays the acquired image.

8 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 2 ; and an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone, wherein the monitor displays the acquired image.

9 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 3 ; an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone; and a monitor that displays the acquired image.

10 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 4 ; and an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone, wherein the monitor displays the acquired image.

11 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 5 ; an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone; and a monitor that displays the acquired image.

12 . A lithotripsy system comprising:
the lithotripsy apparatus according to claim 6 ; and an endoscope that acquires an image of the stone, wherein the monitor displays the acquired image.

13 . The lithotripsy system according to claim 7 , 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
wherein the monitor displays the estimated size of the stone.

14 . The lithotripsy system according to claim 8 , 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
wherein the monitor displays the estimated size of the stone.

15 . A lithotripsy method comprising:
emitting a treatment laser beam that crushes a stone from a treatment laser beam source; emitting guide light from a guide light source; detecting return light that returns as a result of the emitted guide light being reflected at the stone; measuring a distance from the treatment laser beam source to the stone on the basis of the return light; determining a condition of a bubble occurring between the treatment laser beam source and the stone on the basis of the measured distance; and adjusting a light quantity of the treatment laser beam on the basis of the determined condition of the bubble.

16 . The lithotripsy method according to claim 15 , wherein in the determining, determining the condition of the bubble on the basis of a temporal fluctuation in the measured distance.

17 . The lithotripsy method according to claim 15 , wherein in the adjusting, decreasing the light quantity of the treatment laser beam when an amount of change in the distance is aperiodic and exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

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

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

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Fukushima Ikutoshi
• Shimamoto Atsuyoshi
• Namiki Mitsuru

Classifications

• A61B18/26 Primary

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