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A special irrigation liquid to increase the reliability of laser‐induced shockwave lithotripsy
Author(s) -
Reichel Erich,
Paltauf Günther,
SchmidtKloiber Heinz,
Groke Karl
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.1900120215
Subject(s) - lithotripsy , laser , optical fiber , laser lithotripsy , materials science , fiber , ion , optics , intensity (physics) , chemistry , composite material , medicine , physics , surgery , organic chemistry
For the laser‐induced Shockwave lithotripsy (LISL) the laser‐pulses of a Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser produce an optical breakdown in the irrigation liquid surrounding the urinary stone. Subsequently high‐pressure Shockwaves are emitted causing stone fragmentation. Since the LISL is an endoscopic technique, problems arise from the transmission of the laser pulses through optical fibers. The intensity threshold for an optical breakdown in commonly used saline solution amounts to 21 GW/cm 2 , in optical silica fibers, to about 3 GW/cm 2 . Therefore bare fibers cannot be used without being destroyed by a breakdown. So we have developed an irrigation liquid by adding small quantities of metal ions to saline solution to lower the threshold intensity. The most suitable ion was Fe 3+ in a concentration of 0.02 mmol/1, which shows a lowering to 5 GW/cm 2 . In combination with a spherically shaped fiber exit the intensities that have to be transmitted are below the threshold of the fiber material. Using this irrigation liquid the overall reliability of the method could be significantly increased and several stone fragmentations can be performed with a single optical fiber. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.